Species 2 (1998)

SPECIES 2 (1998)

Despite the habit of sequels not typically being as good as their predecessors, I found myself enjoying Species 2. Probably more than I should have, seeing how outrageously disgusting and stupid it is most of the time, but this is my type of movie right here! Pretty much everything has been upped from Species; we get a lot more Alien-hybrid-on-human-sexy-time and much more glorious gore (often resulting from the aforementioned sexual activities). I remember disliking Species 2 a lot when I watched it a while ago, but to my surprise I like it more than the original Species. The main reason lies in this being the silly, sex-filled sci-fi B movie Species should have been. Just when you thought it was safe to read my movie reviews again, more tentacle breast jokes return…

The same alien that helped to create Sil from Species infects three crew-members upon their journey to Mars. It is theorised that the same alien that attempted to take over earth in Species did so successfully on Mars, leaving behind the lifeless red-rocked planet it is now. Once these three return, they start having sex like crazy and create more alien offspring. The main hybrid is Patrick, who keeps these children in a shed until they are ready to cocoon and mature (like Sil did in Species). Sil from the first film is cloned as Eve (played again by Natasha Henstridge) to be experimented upon so we can find the alien's weaknesses before another attack occurs. Patrick establishes a mental connection with her and they grow increasingly randy for each other. If Eve breaks loose, their resulting pure-alien offspring would devastate the world. Two returning characters from the first film (Michael Madsen and Marg Helgenburger) and one of the unaffected astronauts need to stop them mating, before the world becomes one where men have tentacle-like penises and women have tentacles popping out of their breasts.

"OH EM GEE, it's totes' like I'm Bella and your Edward! Wait, you don't sparkle right? That would be a deal breaker I'm afraid".

 Despite complaints from other viewers, I’m glad the ‘alien-rat’ ending of Species was left alone, as I didn’t particularly like the idea. Natasha Henstridge does a pretty good job as Eve, and manages to keep her clothes on until the end sex scene. The fact we have three returning characters was also a good decision, as it feels like more of a direct sequel this way. There are SO many hilariously bad, quotable lines of dialogue in Species 2; too many for me to list here, so iv just listed some of them at the end of the review. Whenever there is one with Michael Madsen speaking, you have to imagine them with his eyes half closed and acting as if he is doped up on sleeping pills, and picture Marg Helenburger’s lines as over-acted with her eyes wide open. Half of what makes these parts so funny is the terrible delivery of already terrible dialogue; it’s just gold. The increased sex, nudity and gore is A-okay with me, and makes Species 2 all the more tacky.

 Yes, that's an alien tentacle-penis, and yes he is killing her with it by jabbing it in her mouth. Two birds with one stone, right?

 The crazy professor character that warned the US government about going to Mars is a great addition, but he could have been used more. Gore affects are well done and in plentiful supply. When Patrick is overcome with guilt and blows his head off with a shotgun, it re-grows in a nice- but very outdated- effect, and all the exploding alien births are just way too funny to be scary. There is more science in Species 2, which does give an otherwise flimsy concept SOME credibility. The way the alien ‘infection’ spreads and how it is unable to deal with human genetic problems is well done and clever. By far the funniest scene is also the coolest: Eve and Patrick’s sex scene in their alien forms. It incorporates some great practical effects, design work and some seriously weird alien sex. Alien-ised eve puts those tentacle titties to good use here, and (slight spoiler here) Patrick basically kills her by jamming his tentacle-dick down her throat (as pictured above. Yes, you did need to see that). It’s fucked. The ending is predictable, but I liked it anyway. Overall what makes Species 2 so much fun is the intentional and unintentional humour it holds in many places that are drawn from its ludicrous story.

Patrick Ross (Justin Lazard) and Eve (Natasha Henstridge) in the throws of passion. Believe me, it doesn't stay sexy for long.

 Most of the negatives are just things that don’t make much sense or are a little TOO silly. Instead of saying ‘why the fuck’ for all these things, I’m just going to list them. Okay, why the fuck…

·      Would Dr. Laura Baker create a clone of Sil after she tried to kill her before? Didn’t she learn her damn lesson?!

·      Would a scientist touch a puddle of spilt blood they know has an invasive alien parasite in it? “Oh look blood I know contains something harmful in it. Imma’ touch it!” We all know how that ended.

·       Is Patrick getting all the grey tank tops for the alien hybrid kids and from where?!

·      Does Dr. Laura Baker chuck a huge fit about men entering Eve’s area early in the film, and not give a shit later on?

·      Would they put Patrick in the same facility as Eve after he was captured, when they know they are able to communicate with each other mentally and desperately want to bang each other?

·      Was there a cat in the ambulance in the end?! Where did that thing come from?!

The practical effects that are used to create Eve in her alien state. Obviously a lot more money went into this and all the sex scenes than the script.

I’m sure there are more, but that gives you an idea. Other problems are pretty trivial. The acting from our two leads its pretty bad, but that was expected, and you could say Eve escaped way too easily (I would have thought after last time they would have some major security procedures, but nope!). The storyline is also unnecessarily muddled and complicated for a movie that really requires a brain ‘off’ switch.

Oh and before I forget, here are those great lines of dialogue:

·     - From Press Lenox (Michael Madsen), who describes Sil perfectly as an ‘Alien she-bitch’- “they could fuck the human race into extinction!”, “I think its pretty safe to say he is banging cocktail waitresses two at a time” (well that one kind of did happen), after he knocks someone over at a supermarket while looking desperately for Patrick he yells “WHERES THE GODDAMN CEREAL?!” and upon finding the cocooned alien children he says “welcome to the maternity ward…from hell” in a very disinterested tone.

·      -Dr. Laura Baker exclaims, “oh this is awful, this is just awful!” when she is by herself next to a women’s stomach that has been busted open by an alien tentacle. Really warrants the ‘no shit’ title there.

·      -Dennis Gamble, the surviving Astronaut, says something so extremely stereotypically African-American it’s painful: “brothers just can’t get no booty! Know what I mean?” Unless the booty your after has some tentacles sprouting from it, your outta luck.

·      -And my favourite bit of dialogue between the two leads:

*Eve drives away in a car after her escape*

Press Lenox: How the hell does she know how to drive?

Dr. Laura Baker: Her favorite show is Dukes Of Hazard!

Press Lenox: Fan-fucken-tastic!

Michael Madsen not reacting much at all to Patrick in his alien form; in it's entirety he kinda looks like a cow caracas with that bit slapped on at the front. Still, its created using great special effects.

 In the end Species 2 topped the first movie in nearly every way for me. It remains consistently entertaining- weather it’s from a random sex scene or an exploding alien baby birth-which was a major issue with Species. If you do plan on checking out Species and Species 2, you should know they are not to be taken seriously. The straight to DVD Species 3 and 4 really sucked, and I’m not going to be reviewing those because frankly, I don’t want to watch them again. And just because I like saying this way too much, TENTACLED TITTY-TAH-TAH’S! I promise that's the last time.

4/5

Recommended classification: 15+ for strong science-fiction violence, blood and gore, sex scenes, nudity, sexual references and coarse language

The trailer for Species 2: