MOVIE REVIEW - Splice

You have probably seen a ton of TV ads for the new thriller Splice new at the box office this week.

Splice is the story of two very gifted scientists working for giant drug company trying to find the cure for many of the worlds worst medical problems and diseases. They are trying to create new forms of life that are "spliced"together that will supply man with new enzymes and proteins that can be made into drugs so cancer, Parkinson's, and diabetes can be cured. Their motivation is good.

But of course when they decide to "slice" in human DNA into their experiments, they cross the line legally, ethically and morally. They somehow create "Dren." A new female creature with spliced human DNA. It goes horribly wrong and every line is crossed. As Dren grows rapidly and out of control, what can they do and what should be done?

Splice is a movie that starts out strange and gets really weird as it goes on. Although addressing many relevant issues associated with this kind of technology, it veers off in a few directions that may leave you a bit bewildered. There are things about Splice that really work and are really interesting. And to be very honest, it's not as predictable as you might think. I have to admit, it went a few places I wasn't expecting, and went places difficult to go.

But as well done as some of this really is, both in story and the special effects there's just something missing here, and I can't quite put my finger on it. Splice is not a bad movie. It's pace is decent, and there's enough here to hold your interest, but there's really no payoff that stands tall and makes you feel like you've really seen something special. Just as our scientists were looking for that one special missing element in their research that makes everything come together. So does this movie.

Splice. For some this will be a real thriller and compelling. For me, it was just two hours at the movie. Splice doesn't fall down, it just has a hard time really standing tall.