Parents' Guide to Mimic

After the critically acclaimed Mexican movie, Cronos, writer-director Guillermo del Toro made his U.S. debut with the creepy creature feature. While he'd go on to make Oscar-winning masterpieces such as Pan's Labyrinth, here Guillermo presents some great ideas but ultimately Mimic delivers a minor footnote in his career. The movie gets off to a good start as we learn about a plague that was eradicated by genetically engineered insects, only for these bugs to return three years later, bringing a whole new kind of threat. A particularly gooey one, which practical effects bring to life with glee. Lumpy things pop and ooze, slithery bits slop around.

There are also a number of humanizing scenes that make us care about the characters. This is why it's so strange that all the tension and affection quickly fizzles out and never returns as soon as the action section kicks in. The people vs. bugs showdown in the subway is littered with middling 1990s CGI and a total lack of atmosphere that undoes the good work in the scene setting. The last hour is by no means bad, just achingly average and drab. For all its tense world-building and enjoyable characters -- especially Sorvino's strong female role model, Susan -- Mimic's sheer drop in quality makes it a tough one to love.