She Creature

Title: She Creature
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Starring: Carla Gugino, Rufus Sewell
Director: Sebastian Gutierrez

One of the results of Columbia/Tristar's decision to team up with HBO and re-live the glory days of the old monster flicks of the 50s; the “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” “Attack of the 50ft Woman,” as well as of course the original "She Creature," in honour of the recently departed Sam Arkoff. With such a modest budget it's quite apparent little of that went on what seems to be so prevalent these days; bad CGI, plenty of blood and nobody who knows how to make a decent film. None of the 'stars' here are particularly renowned for their abilities, but neither are they unknowns yet to prove themselves, and who better to lead the way than a director fresh off his award winning debut film, and who would later go on to pen 'Snakes on a Plane?' With Sewell following suit, sporting a rather convincing Irish accent that rarely slips and Gutierrez's favourite leading lady taking the lead once again. Even if the part seemed to be written for Rachel Weisz. But that's besides the point.

Set in the early 1900s, it follows the tale of a ragtag group of Irish circus performers as they con men into believing the wonders and marvels they have accumulated; mermaids, zombies and ghouls of all kinds, preparing to leave to take their show across the states. On their final night in town they are visited by a curious old man who warns them of the dangers of their captive mermaid, only to discover their fraud. Knowing that they don't believe him he takes them back to his home only to show them the genuine article and giving them the opportunity of a lifetime. Wrapped in chains and sealed in a glass container, further reinforced by steel bars and housed in a grandiose Gothic mansion, her introduction could not be more enigmatic, and Angus (Sewell) just has to have her for his show. Stealing her they embark on their voyage across the seas, and as you might expect, witness first hand just how dangerous a mermaid can be.

The expansion on the mythology surrounding the mermaid is in itself well thought out; the basic notion of a creature of beauty luring sailors with their siren is certainly still at work, but the reasoning is often left vague. Here, that's not the case. She ain't no Disney-like 'little mermaid,' when she gets peckish, crew members disappear. This isn't the only aspect that shows thought though, the entire plot is rich with dialogue that shows the characters shady backgrounds, particularly of the two leads and their relationship. Flashbacks and scenes of paranoia brought on by their elusive cargo and her psychic abilities are more prevalent than the creature herself; the different impact her presence has upon the crew making the events spiral out of control and the finalé does little to let the momentum falter, even if falling slightly into cliché.

This attempted to re-create a 50s B-Movie without being merely a big-budget homage, and I dare say it succeeded. It doesn't fall into that trap of loving the classics so much that it all feels like recycled material, neither does he feel the urge to 'update' everything with the new technology that has arrived. Certainly the arrival of CGI has allowed him to make the most of certain scenes, creating dark storms to set the scene, and he hasn't gone so far as to film it all in black and white but the creature herself is comprised of carefully designed rubber prosthetics, never obtusely shown as if to let the graphical designers have their five minutes of fame but implemented in an altogether more subtle manner. In that almost (classic) “Dr. Who” like manner, the creature is spoken of but rarely seen; the violence left to the imagination, and the resulting impact when we are shown what happens feels all the more powerful as a result. It's nothing revolutionary nor without faults, but a fine send-off for a notable director.