swat this bugger

Rating: Null/10 (21 August 1999)

I tried once before and my review didnt go thru, so I must try again to warn people about this film. Im sure most have already seen it or at least heard about it, but for those who havent, this is one of those films that has one scene that entirely destroys the whole film. A film where everything is so good but one moment towards the end negates all the terrific qualities about it. The plot is pretty basic as Goldblum is a reclusive scientist testing a transporting machine. At first he uses food items or animals, but one night out of anger he dares himself to go through, which he does successfully. Unaware to him was that a fly was in the booth with him and their genes get spliced together causing him to slowly turn into a big bug. We watch him deal with the sadness of seeing his life dramatically change and how he loses the love of his sympathetic girlfriend (Davis). You'll really pull for this guy, hoping he finds the cure and can reverse things. But just as you think hes about to in the films climax, he turns psycho and does something so unbelievably cruel, that he turns into the bad guy and you say screw his cure, let em die. Thats when he gets ahold of John Getz's character, who is trying to rescue Davis, and vomits acid on his hand, melting it in a truly disgusting, disturbing sequence. We have to listen to Getz scream in pain for some 45 seconds (at least) until his hand is reduced to a stump. Goldblum sets him down and just when you think thats it...he vomits on Getz foot, dismembering it from his leg! You think 'why the hell was that necessary?' until you remember David Cronenberg, who likes to torture his characters, co-wrote and directed the film. Only undamaged thing to the film was the great, creepy Howard Shore score. But thats what I meant when I said one scene killed the whole film for me. And if youre like me, you'll be glad when Davis.................