Mimic

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Mimic/B+,A-

Buena Vista/1997/125m/WS 1.85

Mimic is a terrific horror movie. When a mysterious virus born by cockroaches attacks the children of New York City, geneticist Susan Tyler is called in to create a new insect that will rid the city of the roaches and still the epidemic. Shortly after depositing the creepy crawlies in the sewer system, the new insects do their job. As a precaution, the genetically created creatures are all male to prevent reproduction and their live cycle is a short few months. Nothing like a little planning to prevent the unexpected. Of course, this is the world of horror and science fiction, so expect the unexpected.
Several years later some kids sell an interesting insect specimen to good Doc Tyler, which she recognizes all too well. It's the "Judas Bug" that she had created, but why is it alive. Tyler and her husband, a health official, enter the bowels of the subway system to find out what's going on Meanwhile, an autistic boy has been watching a strange looking cloaked figure from his window across from a church where so very violent incidents have occurred. When the boy wanders into the church to see what's happening, he disappears. His father who runs a shoeshine stand in the subway finds his way below the tracks in search of his son. All the participants get together with a transit authority policeman to do battle with the mutants.

It may sound a bit hokey, but under the stylish direction of Guillermo Del Toro, the action moves with elegant crispness and offers a fair share of chills and surprises. The set design provides an interesting venue for the confrontation and the actors, including Mira Sorvino as Tyler, Jeremy Northam as her husband and Charles Dutton as the transit cop, do a good job of keeping their focus on the mutants without resorting to one-liners to enliven the action.
This outstanding DVD falls short of an A rating only for lack of an anamorphic transfer. All the dark scenes are lit with perfect balance, revealing detail and maintaining the horrific ambiance. Images are very sharp in all lighting conditions and the splashes of color, especially blood red, stand out dynamically. The Dolby Digital 5:1 sound dumps you smack in the middle of the action. Trust me. You'll jump out of your comfortable theater chair more than once.

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