Plot: What’s it about?
The alien hybrids that surfaced when Eve (Natasha Henstridge) was created have been in constant battle with humans, a most lethal struggle. In order to ensure survival, one side has to wipe out the other, or else risk a never ending war between the species. Until now, mankind has maintained an edge, thanks to a genetic flaw that gave them a crucial weakness. That is an edge that is soon to vanish, as Eve’s daughter Sara (Sunny Mabrey) has been born and in her genetic material, no such weakness exists. So she has all the power and other hybrid traits, but without the fatal flaw that was always there. If she is able to mate, her spawn will have the same flawless makeup, which is bad news for mankind. As if that wasn’t enough, her hormones are in overdrive and she seeks to mate with any male who crosses her path. Her mother Eve was a dangerous creature, but she has been killed and in her place, Sara poses an even graver threat to mankind. As Sara races across the landscape, stopping only to indulge in sexual intercourse, she isn’t alone on the road. A shock troop of military specialists trail her at all times, edging closer as time passes. The band of soldiers is the last hope to stop Sara before she sows too many wild oats, but that window is closing at a rapid rate. Can the team somehow overtake Sara, or will she be the new savior of the hybrids?
After two theatrical releases, the Species franchise has been demoted to direct to video land, as this second sequel was banished to video stores. But as a fan of Species and someone who could find some bad movie fun in Species II, I looked forward to this new installment. After all, with an unrated version, the movie had to have some good flesh and gore, right? Although franchise star Natasha Henstridge makes only a brief appearance, in her stead we have some fine young hotties. The main course is newcomer Sunny Mabrey (Spider-Man 2, The New Guy), who shines in some bare all scenes, but she isn’t alone in the spotlight. As hot as she is, Mabrey is outshone in this picture by her in flick rival, one Amelia Cooke. Her career has just begun, but she has the looks and attitude, so she should be around a while. Species III is not a good movie by normal standards, but as sci/fi schlock, it has merit and was a fun watch. The creature effects are well done and the overall visual design is solid, so this isn’t the usual direct to video trash. As expected, the girls get naked often and both the leads drop top, while gore is visible, though not gushing. I have to admit, the young starlets are reason enough to give this a rental, but the movie isn’t as bad as you might think. MGM’s Unrated Edition restores some welcome footage, so make sure not to grab the R rated version in stores.
Video: How does it look?
Species III is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. As this is a visually complex picture, I had some doubts about this transfer, but those worries were unfounded, as the image provided here looks terrific in all respects. I did see some grain, but it is light and never an issue, while the source print is in fantastic condition, as expected from such a new release. The red hues dominate the scope here, but all the colors look in top form and I saw no bleeds or such, even when the reds hit maximum richness in some scenes. The contrast is also very important here and true to form, the black levels are stark and well balanced, so shadows and detail levels are dead on throughout. Not a flawless visual effort, but a damn good one and fans should be most pleased, as the movie looks terrific.
Audio: How does it sound?
The track is a rockin’ Dolby Digital 5.1 option and just as you’d expect from this kind of movie, it puts all those speakers to good use. I was very pleased with the surround presence, both in action driven sequences and the more reserved moments, as all the scenes have a nice atmosphere, with plenty of subtle touches. The power is there too however, so your system will get a solid workout in that respect also, including some excellent, deep bass that kicks in on more than a few instances. All this never hampers dialogue however, as vocals remain easy to understand and that’s important here. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French, should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary track starts us off, as director Brad Turner, writer Ben Ripley, and star Robin Dunne talk about the production. I didn’t find this to be a bad session, but there wasn’t much insight, just a basic back and forth about general production issues. This disc also includes some still photos, four brief behind the scenes featurettes, and the film’s trailer.
