Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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51 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Decent Straight to DVD Movie, October 17, 2004
This movie is far from great, and feels, and looks exactly like a TV movie. The movie was made for Sci-Fi and looks it, but is still somewhat more interesting then the other dreck I've seen coming out of that channel. If you are going to watch Species 3, get the R rated or Unrated cuts. Don't bother with the TV version. The parts of this movie that are interesting are the extreme violence, and the almost non-stop nudity and sex. I'm not joking. The second Sara, the new alien, matures she is naked for a good twenty minutes. The story itself is entertaining, and the cast is good, although it does seem that everyone really would rather be doing something else, with the exception of Robin Dunne as the lead male, the guy who played his roommate, and Sunny Mabre and the girl who played Amelia. So basically, the younger twenty-something cast did well, while the older actors seemed to phone it in.
The effects are decent, with some great gore moments, and the creatures, while cheesy as can be, fit in with the film very well. The action is a little hokey, but over all, it works.
I saw the R-rated cut, and while all the violence was intact, there is about one minute more of nudity in the unrated cut. How there could be more, I have no idea, because the Sara and Amelia's breasts are on display for a good portion of the films running time. If you want a cheesy, but entertaining B-grade Sci Fi flick, there are worse things you can get, although I would suggest getting the first movie instead. But if you've already seen Species 1 and 2, check out part 3. I do think they would have been better off doing a TV series than this movie, but either way, I have a feeling that if this does alright we will probably end up with a Species 4.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Sufficient, Direct-To-DVD Fare, June 14, 2005
I watched the first "Species" flick only recently and I enjoyed it rather well. I gave it a strong three stars for its entertainment value. While I've missed "Species II," I did manage to watch this unrated version of "Species III" and I must say that it is a pretty good flick considering it went straight to DVD.
It is one of the best SciFi channel pictures I've seen in awhile. Although the story is a little unbalanced, what with a scientist hoping to create a pure alien breed that would almost definitely destroy humanity, you actually pull for the lead characters in this flick. Sunny Mabrey does an excellent job as Sara, the offspring of Eve who has achieved a near-perfect genetic build to survive on Earth. Robert Knepper is good as the slightly mad scientist who hopes to create a perfect being. The young man who assists him and eventually becomes the focus of the film is convincingly hesistant in helping Knepper.
The film plods along for the first half hour or so, but once Sara breaks from her cocoon and the half-breeds start seeking her out, things pick up. One alien in particular, Amelia, gets pretty nasty in her hunt for Sara. A male half-breed also does a number on Knepper, the grad student, and Sara.
Much like the original "Species," this sequel has plenty of nudity and sex to appease the appetites of viewers, but it isn't the focal point of the film.
The special effects are very good, especially considering that SciFi channel had a hand in this production. The aliens might be people in rubber suits for the most part, but that only adds to the realism of the creatures. In fact, the only real glaring failure in this flick is when the CGI kicks in. CGI looks fake, no matter what people think. Just check out flicks like the latest "Star Wars" episode or "Blade II" if you don't believe me. I have no real problem with CGI effects, but I hope that they become more realistic with time. Thankfully, CGI use is pretty thin in "Species III."
Oh, and in case your wondering, the film does end on a high note and a slight hint at another sequel. I don't think one will be made, but like any good sci-fi franchise, there is always a window left open for the future.
I recommend this film to fans of the other "Species" flicks. If you enjoy B-movies on SciFi like I do, this will definitely be an upgrade for you. I think that SciFi fans in general will enjoy this film, it isn't as bad as some say it is.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Much better than previous installment, April 13, 2005
After the first installment of Species and its sequel Species 2, the new Species 3 marks a welcome change in the evolution of the series. If the previous two installments were horror movies, the new episode is more science-fiction. The original was out to create anxiety, whereas Species 3 actually generates some interesting character development, with the first suggestion that scientists dabbling with alien DNA aren't complete idiots after all.
In the first film, a distant planet sent a genetic sequence to Earth, which proved a luring recipe for disaster for a team of scientists who followed the instructions and wound up creating Syl (Natasha Henstridge). In no time at all, Syl grew into a creature who looks much of the time like an incredibly beautiful woman, driven to reproduce with - and kill - any human males she deems appropriate. In Species 2, a clone of the original Syl mated with an astronaut. Species 3 starts with a dying Syl giving birth to a child, who is swiftly appropriated and hidden away by Dr. Abbott (Robert Knepper), a university professor who is avidly curious and singularly nonjudgmental. With the self-named Sarah growing as an adult (Sunny Mabrey) in a couple of days, Dr. Abbott needs a bit of help and hires student Dean (Robin Dunne) to help him come up with a set of eggs. It seems that Syl left behind a legacy of decaying half-breeds who want Sarah to mate with them and continue their line. Meanwhile, the half-breeds aren't above some turmoil, and since Sarah comes from a lethal line herself ...
Ben Ripley's script goes in various unexpected directions, so that Sarah's conduct is truly unpredictable - we really don't know if she will be good or vicious in any given circumstances. This in turn makes Abbott and Dean seem more like authentic scientists rather than stereotypical horror movie enablers. The sequences with the naked Sarah and an aggressive half-breed called Amelia is really enticing (yeah, we know, they're aliens, they may sprout tentacles and kill somebody, but still ...), and they are undeniably scenic. The intrigue mechanics are definitely interesting. The characters are likeably original, with a nicely dry turn from Knepper and a credible performance as a dangerous above suspicion from the dazzling Mabrey.
IThe movie has a thoroughly filmlike appearance, with vivid colors and great definition in dark scenes. There are some nice, subtle effects of background machinery in Chapter 6 and a successful startling blast of music at the party in Chapter 13.
The audio commentary with director Turner, writer Ripley and actor Dunne is pleasant and instructive. There are four making-of segments - Evolution on casting and pre-production, Species DNA on production design, with designer Cameron Birnie illuminating on the wish to make the environments uncomfortable to look at - Alien Technology, which contrasts shots before and after the addition of CGI, and Intelligent Lifeforms, a decent segment on the creature design. A photo gallery is also included.
Species 3 does have the impact of the original, in an innovative way, it feels more consistent - the characters are certainly more appealing. It emerges as a more than agreeable and sexy SF diversion.
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