Review of Species II

Species II (1998)
6/10
For WHAT it is--it's OK
9 January 2005
This movie begins with a REALLY stupid premise: they recreate the SIL from the first film (who killed many people and is still played by Herstridge)and they try to figure out a way to kill her in case creatures like her invade Earth! (!!!???) Meanwhile a manned mission to Mars returns to Earth unknowingly infected with an alien virus which produces a MALE version of SIL (Justin Lazard). Like the first he has to mate with women who get pregnant immediately and the babies FORCE their way out.

Now this IS a stupid movie--no two ways about it. The plot is dumb full of plot loopholes, the dialogue is howlingly stupid (I THINK some of the lines were meant as jokes), it's VERY gory and contains a large amount of female nudity (naturally Lazard is never shown completely nude). BUT, as a stupid B movie, it does work. I was truthfully never bored. It's only 90 minutes and DOES move quickly. Also the special effects aren't bad...but not as good as the first.

The acting, like in the first one, varies. Herstridge is actually not bad--she was terrible in the first one. Michael Madsen walks through his role. Marg Helgenberger was surprisingly good (considering she has the worst dialogue). James Cromwell is excellent as a slimy senator. As the main SIL here Lazard tries--but he's given nothing to work with. He is a very handsome man with a very nice body but can't do anything with his character.

And it has a silly ending which sets up Species III. There is one very disturbing aspect of this picture--there are MANY views of nude women torn open and dead as their babies come out. We get the idea with the first one but they keep constantly showing other victims. It's unpleasant and sick...it gives the film a very sick edge. Because of that I can only give this a 6. Again--this is NOT a good movie but a very good/bad one.
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