Mimic rehashes a familiar story line

Mimic" is a dark, dank and drippy sci-fi shocker that threatens to become something unusual before trailing off into ridiculousness. The initially intriguing atmospherics and Mira Sorvino's presence at the center of a smart-female-in-jeopardy thriller create a reasonable degree of interest and goodwill at the outset. But any artistic ambition gradually becomes overwhelmed by increasingly mundane genre developments, leaving the picture by the end as nothing more than a standard-issue big-bug item. Dimension should have no trouble using the promotable elements to get this off to a fat start, but appeal looks very unlikely to extend beyond the young core audience for this sort of fare. Director and co-writer Guillermo Del Toro made a splash on the international fest and specialized circuit with his debut film, the offbeat 1993 Mexican vampire feature "Cronos." Owner of his own special effects and makeup shop in his native Guadalajara, Del Toro is clearly into the gruesome and macabre in a manner similar to David Cronenberg, and "Mimic" in some ways resembles the gory, entrails-laden thrillers Cronenberg made early in his career, not least due to its having been lensed principally in Toronto, doubling for New York City.