Cube director Vincenzo Natali brings us yet another thought-provoking feature with Splice, a sci-fi effort that didn't quite capture the audiences that it should have at the box office. Poorly marketed as a horror film, Splice is more of sci-fi drama, with minor horror elements thrown in. The story brings forth many ethical questions and debate on the right and wrongs of medical science and is probably one of the more smart "horror" films to come out in years.

The story follows a young scientist couple, who are heading a team whose goal is to develop a new species that'll hopefully reveal a cure to many modern day human diseases. By splicing several animal DNA together, they've gained fame from successfully creating a new hybrid of animal. When the company financing the project declines the chance to use human DNA into the next step of the experiment, the two decide to secretly proceed with it anyway, crossing any ethical and legal boundaries in the pursuit of science.

After several failed tests, they finally create a human hybrid they dub "Dren", whom shows a lot of promise as she grows and learns at an accelerated rate. We witness Dren as she evolves from a strange creature and a young child, to a hormonal teenager and adult female. Through this short period the scientists create a loving bond with Dren, as if she were their own child. Of course friction occurs when she becomes curious of the outside world and the feelings she has towards Adrien Brody's character brings forth more ethical questions, especially when some truths are revealed about Dren's true origin.

I personally liked the movie from the start, although many who fell victim to the misleading trailers will likely be disappointed, as there's very little horror in the pic. There are a few brief scenes that showed a more animalistic side of Dren that borderlined the genre, but for the most part the movie just consisted of the evolution and relationship she had with the scientists. Those familiar with co-writer/director Vincenzo Natali's work should've expected a film that required more thought than the usual horror fair, as he's great with blending dif. genres together and giving a lot of things for the viewer to ponder.

The film treads more familiar territory towards the end, as Dren goes through some drastic transformations. The last 20-or-so-minutes of the movie takes a largely different turn than the rest of the pic, which seemed a little out of place, especially with the events leading to the climax. Though I would have liked a bit more horror thrown in as the film progressed, I still enjoyed what I was given and am proud to see that there's still life and creativity brewing within the genre.

A good film if you go in not expecting a straight-forward horror flick. Splice is more of a sci-fi drama that questions the ethical boundaries in the pursuit of modern science and depicts the evolution and relationship the hybrid Dren has with the scientists that created her. Of course, it does delve into the genre towards the end, as Dren goes through some life-threatening changes. Worth a check if you're looking for a smart "horror" film.