Embryo is initially a throwback to laboratory sci-fi films of the '50s, but it's a reminder that wasn't a compelling, sustainable genre. It's almost every bit as slow once its Frankenstein-esque plot kicks into gear. The high point comes at a party in the Hollywood Hills where Hudson debuts his creation and she embarrasses Roddy McDowall in a game of chess. It suggests a lighter, more thoughtful film.
The last act poses countless ethical questions without expounding upon or answering them. The film predates the first test-tube baby, Hudson sleeps with his creation, she becomes a murderous villain who needs fetal stem cells to survive, etc. They're fascinating ideas for a 1976 release, but the film isn't intellectual enough for them.
The movie's eager to pad its runtime; the text of the prologue is hilariously typed one letter at a time at a snail's pace. Rock Hudson is serviceable. Diane Ladd gets a couple scenes to scream and shout, making the most of a do-nothing character. Barbara Carrera is a convincingly strange laboratory concoction.
