Now I know what you're thinking. "Wait there's an adaptation film based on the game from 1998?" Well...kinda. Though the film in question is an adaptation just not based off from the game. It's actual based off from a Japanese novel which was published in 1996 while the film was premiered a year later. So what does the game have to do with the novel or the film? Well if you actually played the first Parasite Eve game it does make a few references of the events that have occurred from the novel. So in a way the game itself acts like a pseudo-sequel for the novel. And here's the real kicker there were rumors of an adaptation of the game but common sense prevail and it never came to be. More so the film was gonna be directed by singer Madonna who was also going to portray the game's main character Aya Brea. Right... So let's talk about the adaptation that did came to be.
So we start off with an introduction of Kiyomi (played by Riona Hazuki) who serves a key part in the film more on that later. We cut to a Dr. Toshiaki Nagashima (played by Hiroshi Mikami) who is giving a lecture on the workings of mitochondria. And how would they serve as a medical remedy. Later he meets up with his wife Kiyomi having a small celebration of their first anniversary before Kiyomi heads for home. Toshiaki returns to his lab where he meets up with his assistant Dr. Sawako Asakura (played by Tomoko Nakajima). They both discuss that mitochondria were once different life forms possibly independent from other organisms. Soon after Toshiaki receives the unfortunate news that his wife has just been in a car accident; this bring him rushing to the accident site. At a hospital Toshiaki learns that she suffered from severe brain hemorrhage; virtually brain-dead after the accident. The next day things get worse for Toshiaki when a transplant coordinator tells him that Kiyomi has offered her kidneys for transplant. Apparently her kidneys match to a 12 year old girl named Mariko Anzai (played by Ayako Omura) who suffers from chronic renal failure. Of course Toshiaki doesn't want to believe that Kiyomi is dead so at first he refuses to sign her body away. The following day Mariko's doctor Takatsugu Yoshizumi (played by Tetsuya Bessho) approaches Toshiaki; pleading him to have Kiyomi's kidneys to help her. Once again he refuses; later he spends the night at his lab overly devastated of the loss of his wife. The next morning Toshiaki gets a revelation that may solve this dilemma. At the hospital where Yoshizumi works, Toshiaki approaches him with his approval but on the condition that he gives his wife's liver. The reason of this is for Toshiaki to culture his wife's cells in a sense keeping her alive. So he retreats to his lab and begins to do so. And you can tell that Toshiaki has really gone the deep end at this point. Meanwhile the transplant was successful although Yoshizumi is suspicious about Toshiaki's proposal. After the kidney transplant, Yoshizumi began to notice some odd changes to Mariko's body. Such as her mitochondria have grown three times their normal size and are replicating at an incredible rate. Back at Toshiaki's lab he continues to watch Kiyomi's mitochondria quite obsessively until there's some kind of odd activity. Looking even closer he sees the mitochondria beginning to form a face of Kiyomi. Cue the Twilight Zone theme music. Later he is confronted by Yoshizumi who is demanding to know what he is doing with the liver. Toshiaki plays it off so...flipping insane it's brilliant.
We cut to the back labs at late hours where Asakura is rehearsing her thesis for a medical conference until she starts hearing noises. She follows the noises straight to Toshiaki's lab discovering his notes she finds out he's been culturing Kiyomi's cells behind closed doors. A second later she spots a pile of broken test jars where Kiyomi's cells were once stored. What...what is this? Now what does this mean? After a subtle scare from a white rat and I do mean subtle scare. Asakura is unaware of an unexpected company crawling right above her. It's the liquid form of Kiyomi's mitochondria apparently having a will of their own. As Asakura is still unaware, the mitochondria send a tiny drop of itself on her ear oozing right inside. I could make a Wrath of Khan joke but you may already have. Later Toshiaki returns to his lab noticing the puddle of Kiyomi's mitochondria. And here's where things start to take shape...I mean literally take shape. Slowly the mitochondria begins to form into the very likeness of Kiyomi as Toshiaki watches in shock and awe. Confused but overjoyed he embrace her into his arms. Now what comes next is by far the most ACID TRIPPING SEX SCENE EVER in my opinion. Seriously it's right up there with the nightmare sex scene from Lifeforce. So after...that we cut to Toshiaki once again embraces "Kiyomi" until she starts to dissolve. We cut to Toshiaki returning home apparently not questioning what the hell just happpened. I mean no offense but if I just saw a puddle of goo forming into a beautiful woman and then have sex with it...or...her. I would be slightly concerned and freaked out. Anyway Toshiaki comes across Kiyomi's diary saying something that she has something inside that's watching...waiting from within. Something sparks in Toshiaki's head and rushes back to his lab and proceeds on disposing the remaining mitochondria. After that he's approached by Asakura telling him in the most spooky calm fashion that she's about to give her speech. Toshiaki follows her to a conference building where he's approached by Yoshizumi stating that Mariko's uterus and cellular structure are somehow changing. Asakura approaches the stage and here discovered that it's not Asakura exactly but Kiyomi's mitochondria controlling her. Through the mitochondria she/they stated that they been waiting for humanity to evolve to a point that's suitable for the mitochondria to use. Ultimately replacing humanity with an mitochondria offspring. Panic spreads throughout the conference building while Toshiaki and Yoshizumi tend to Asakura as the mitochondria leaves her. With this revelation, Toshiaki realizes that the mitochondria had sex with him in order to collect his sperm and to impregnate the "womb". Or specifically Mariko's womb since now her uterus is capable of giving birth to mitochondrial life.
As Toshiaki, Yoshizumi, and Asakura immediately rushes to hospital, the mitochondria inside Mariko continues to alter her body. So it turns out Kiyomi's mitochondria have a will of their own and planned everything from the start. Influencing Kiyomi to donate her kidneys, causing Kiyomi to crash her car, and even counting on Toshiaki to culture her cells. Toshiaki, Yoshizumi, and Asakura arrived at the hospital but unfortunately so have the mitochondria. Too late to reach Mariko before the mitochondria already has Mariko impregnated. So now the "Kiyomi/Mitochondria Eve" causes havoc at the hospital by manipulating the mitochondrial energy in living organisms (humans) causing the organism to spontaneous combustion. While Toshiaki and Asakura are trying to prevent "Eve" from leaving the hospital. Yoshizumi heads to a security room gaining access to the security blast doors. O...K why would a hospital have blast doors is anybodies guess. Anyway Yoshizumi has the hospital completely lockdown but this forces "Eve" to head to the roof of the hospital. Here is where is the last stand for humanity as Toshiaki confronts Mitochondria Eve trying to reach what's left of Kiyomi. Somehow somewhat it works but Mitochondria Eve tries to burn him but somehow he keeps going towards her. Yeah I really don't know how he's able to keep on walking towards her when both of his arms are on fire. Give this guy some brass balls. Distracted by Toshiaki, Mitochondria Eve lets Mariko go giving Yoshizumi the chance to carry her away. At that moment a bit of Kiyomi breaks through ultimately Mitochondria Eve loses control. This also means that the mitochondria in Mariko are dying out halting the birth of the mitochondria offspring. This causing both Kiyomi/Mitochondria Eve and Toshiaki being burn alive together ending the film with the two happy and together again.
My Final Verdict: Sure this doesn't have same survivor horror feel as the game does but it's still worth watching. The film has that David Cronenberg vibe at some point the pacing may be a bit slow but not foot dragging slow. The only downside is that the film is subtitled there is no dubbed version not even the DVD is dubbed. And honestly I don't have a problem with that. I know most people aren't that enthusiastic with subtitle films but the more you watch this film the more of the dialogues starts coming to you. Trust me. If there's any chance of a dubbed version or at least an Americanize version any time soon I might see it. But until then I'm sticking with this version go give it a watch.
Next time I'm review a really interesting film pretty much borderline of classic films. Stick around as I review Wait Until Dark.
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