Evolution Film Review

certificate_PG

EVOLUTION

If you should happen to have a nasty infestation of extra-terrestrial critters in the closet, college professors Ira Kane (Duchovny) and Harry Block (Jones) are here to help. They're not exactly men in black - khaki, denim and plaid more like - but they mean business.

Ira and Harry teach at a community college in Glen Canyon, Arizona. When a meteorite falls to Earth, crashing into a vast underground cavern, Ira and Harry are the first men on the scene, discovering fantastical one-celled organisms on the surface of the giant rock.

The army moves in to quarantine the site, establishing a scientific facility under the jurisdiction of Dr Allison Reed (Moore) and General Woodman (Levine). Security is tight, but Ira and Harry break into the facility accompanied by trainee fireman Wayne Green (Scott), whose car was destroyed by the meteorite.

To the trio's horror, the single-celled organisms have developed into weird and wondrous plants and animals. The cavern is soon teeming with extra-terrestrial flora and fauna but, as the mini-evolution continues, more deadly species begin to emerge.

Directed with tongue-firmly-in-cheek by Ivan Reitman, Evolution is a light-hearted romp buoyed by excellent performances and dazzling special effects.

Duchovny sends up his X-Files alter-ego a treat, railing against government conspiracies. He plays everything completely deadpan, unlike Jones and Scott who milk every laugh from the script.

The weak link, perhaps surprisingly is the Oscar-nominated Moore. She isn't a particularly gifted comic actress and the majority of her laughs come from walking into door frames and falling over - the routine becomes tiresome very quickly.

Both the plot and Reitman's direction move at a brisk pace, culminating in a frenzied final 10 minutes. Boasting plenty of eye candy and gentle shocks for younger audiences, and sexual innuendo for parents, Evolution is a diverting family flick for the summer hols.

Not exactly out of this world, but very entertaining.