SPECIES II

Fans of Species One will surely find themselves drawn by their 
hormones to see this imaginative follow-up. Surely, they, if 
anyone should know, howvere, just how dangerous following one's 
hormones can be!

Movies about lethal, sexy babes from space have been part of our 
cinema heritage since time was immoral, and SPECIES proved a 
welcome addition to such a hallowed if disrespected genre. 
This follow-up, howver attempts to sequelize ala the TERMINATOR, 
and relegate our bombshell anti-heroine (Natasha Henstridge) to 
the sidelines as a mere protagonist. There is a new, 
cross-pollinated sex-hungry human/alien villain this time around, 
an astronaut coming home to Earth after being the first man on 
Mars.

This "man", along with a girl and a black guy, return triumphant, 
and very, very horny from the long trip. Upon touching down to 
earth, our astronaut has lots of incredibly hot babes ready to 
throw themselves into his bed.  Natasha Henstridge, meanhwile, 
has been cloned from her original, and is being used as a guinnea 
pig, in the search for a way to destroy the aliens. With her 
short hair, her clothed body, and her docile attitude, she's a 
far cry from the beloved Syl of the original.

Still, as sequels go, this at least shows imagination, and it 
keeps the same weird deadpan sense of humor about itself that 
helped make the original such a cult favorite. The plot holes 
are many and gargantuan, but it doesn't matter. For example, 
why is it that the entire miliatry organization of the US cant 
find this astronaut, but rather must turn to the private sector, 
hiring sad sack, perpetually hung over Michael Madsen yet again? 
It doesn't make any sense, and Madsen gives his character such 
bored weariness that you wouldn't trust him to find you a pencil, 
let alone an alien. Yet somehow his annoyed performance works 
on oh-so-many levels! He's as tired of this movie as you are, 
is what he seems to be saying.

SPECIES II may be standard sci fi fare, and it may not utilize 
Natasha Henstridge's pulchritude nearly enough, but it deserves 
credit for it's steadfast attention to deadpan humor, its 
original storyline (it could have been just a rehash) and 
its wry canniness in pleasing the jaded fans of the sci fi genre.

RATING: **1/2