Species II (1998) – Review

Where to watch Species II

1 Star

Species was an enjoyable variation on the Alien genre. The follow-up, Species II, is a cheap, awful film with a story that could have been interesting had it been executed with any sort of style. Director Peter Medak has produced a competent, but visually dull and hooky looking movie. The film’s best special effect is the exquisite physique of star Natasha Henstridge. That’s to say the Mars landing sequence that opens the picture also sinks the film quickly.

Justin Lazard plays Patrick Ross an All-American football star turned astronaut, who becomes the first man to walk on Mars. He’s hailed as a hero an earmarked for the Presidency but nobody knows the dark secret he’s hiding. While returning from the mission an alien life form infected Lazard and his fellow crew members. He is overwhelmed with the desire to produce alien offspring and impregnate as many women as possible. This calls for the return of the surviving team members from the first film(Michael Madsen, Marg Helgenberger), who must us a docile, genetically modified version of Eve named, Sil (Natasha Henstridge), to track the monster down.

Species II could have made for a good episode of Tales from the Crypt or Twilight Zone. At the feature film length, it drags and the uneasy merging of the central storyline and the characters from the original film feels forced and inorganic. With better filmmaking and without being labeled a sequel this could have been an entertaining stand alone offering. Instead, it’s a laborious, unfulfilling, and unfocused experience.

Director: Peter Medak
Stars: Michael Madsen, Natasha Henstridge, Marg Helgenberger

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