Splice on DVD now

Splice is the story of a couple Nicoli (Brody) and Kast (Polley), two young enthusiastic genetic engineers who have been working on groundbreaking experiments creating new species from a mixture of DNA from various animals. Their work has been to find new medical treatments but it is suddenly threatened with closure, this galvanises them to take the next step and splice the next hybrid with human DNA.

Where the basic premise of Splice is relevant, and is likely to become even more so in the future as man takes even more steps with work on DNA and cloning, ultimately the film, like the scientists, goes a step too far. Splice at first raises questions about what is right and wrong and where man morally stands on these issues.  Even when Dren takes her first steps you are still interested into where the film might be going, it is though, soon after that you can see where the film is heading when Kast decides to humanise her by dressing her up and buying her dolls.

Dren herself is an interesting creation and lucky for her it seems that the human gene is the dominant one in the way she looks. She has birdlike movements and seems to have some unusual physical features that are only glimpsed. 

It is though in the relationship of scientists and their lack of scientific discipline that the film really fails. It seems that Nicoli and Kast although they have been a couple for years haven’t actually told one another about themselves.  They are also so pleased with dressing Dren up and playing at ‘parents’ that they are not bothered with her development or any of her genetic features or traits.  What starts as an interesting premise ends in a rather sub standard horror tale – and it’s a shame it could have been a lot more.

Director: Vincenzo Natali

Cast:
Adrien Brody             Clive Nicoli
Sarah Polley              Elsa Kast
Delphine Chaneac    Dren