Derivative, but very enjoyable scientific thriller/monster movie. This film owes a lot to
Alien and Jurassic Park in its mixture of chase/suspense and downright gory monster attacks.
The film opens with the discovery and shipping of a strange relic from South America in a rather
confusing segment. The main part of the action is set in an architecturally impressive museum where the
crates were headed for. After a security guard is brutally murdered and dismembered, cop Tom Sizemore
begins investigating with the help of evolutionary biologist Margo Green(Miller). Soon it become clear that
some sort of monster is on the loose around the museum, and a high profile, black tie fund raising event becomes
the 'do' to miss! It is down to our heroic pair to save the VIPs.
The monster effects are by the man who created the alien queen in Aliens, and indeed the character Miller plays
is very Sigourney Weaver-esque. However, there are still all too few action heroines, and pleasingly Miller not only gets top
billing, but is the ultimate saviour, using her brains and improvisation skills rather than guns or bombs to defeat the
monster. She does spend the second half of the film running around in a cocktail dress a la La Femme Nikita, or Jamie Lee Curtis
in True Lies. Like those two, she also discards the heels! Miller is an attractive and sympathetic lead, and her role as the expert
scientist, complete with lots of nice computer programs is also reminiscent of the techno babble of Jurassic Park. Like that film, this
one tries to base the main premise in scientific fact, although it is another incredibly unlikely theory like Jurassic Park. This time
the scientists are trying to convince us that species may evolve at super speed, if viruses transmit DNA between species, creating hybrid species.
Hmm...
I particularly liked the museum setting. I don't know if it was filmed inside a real one or not, but the atmosphere created was a mysterious one. The
exhibit on superstition that The Relic of the title is placed in is a very imaginative one, and an exhibition I would visit. The museum administrator
is the all too rarely seen Linda Hunt, while Margo's rival in science looks just like an oriental Jimmy Olsen.
When it comes to the monster itself, director Hyams sensibly shows little of it for a long time. Showing merely the result, rather than the action of the attacks
is far more ominous. When we do see the creature, it is inevitably a bit disappointing- a cross between alien and a warthog! But by this time, Hyams also slots
in a couple of very graphic attacks as we see a head pulled off and the lower half of a mans body eaten off. Eeyuk!
Tom Sizemore starts alarmingly macho, and seems to be heading for Michael Madsen territory, but actually is an atypical hero. He does save most of the VIPs, with a few
screaming and annoying rich ladies mercifully fed to the monster. But he doesn't save the day- Miller does. Nice to see.
I must say a word though about the visuals. The camera whizzes around so much, that I was feeling decidedly nauseous after a while. Maybe it was deliberate, but with the very loud
soundtrack and lots of flashing lights, it was a dizzying film.
So no, it isn't all that original, but after suffering through Anaconda earlier in the week, this was much more fun and much better made. Genuinely scary, atmospheric, good characters
and with a strong storyline.7/10
May 1997