Godsend

"Weak"

Godsend Review


Watching Godsend compares to eating a gallon of fudge-filled chocolate ice cream minutes before going to bed. You know it's bad for you, but the experience is tons of fun. Soon enough, though, the gooey dessert stops tasting so good. By the time you near the bottom of the container, you can't even justify why you continue to swallow spoonfuls, but you keep eating despite the fact that it doesn't make sense to continue.

That also explains director Nick Hamm's jackhammer approach to his material. He knows he's working with a cheesy campfire story, the kind best whispered to terrified boy scouts in the dead of night. But he's sadly unaware of when enough is enough, and his final act becomes a series of ludicrous scientific explanations offset by cheap jolts to our nervous system.

Robert De Niro and Greg Kinnear should know better, but that doesn't stop them from playing a deranged gene therapy specialist and a grieving father, respectively. Following the death of their eight-year-old boy Adam (creepy Cameron Bright), biology teacher Paul (Kinnear) and his wife (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) accept an offer from Dr. Richard Wells to produce a clone of their child using the late boy's DNA. The experiment is a success, even if the boy starts to show signs of psychological trouble when he reaches the age at which his previous incarnation bit the dust.

What can we say about Godsend? The acting is hammy, the story's riddled by credibility gaps, and the technical aspects are dreary. In other words, it's a perfect B-movie horror film, except that very little happens at a very slow pace. The PG-13 rating guarantees sugar-free scares. The science at play isn't weighty enough to fill a beaker. And Adam's visions occasionally tingle a spine, but can't scare the looks of boredom that hang over the cast's faces.

If anything, young Bright keeps us engaged. He's scary looking even before he's turned into a troubled clone. He's a cross between the kid in The Omen and Chucky from the Child's Play movies. His glassy stare might make the audience think he's sleepwalking through this role. Perhaps he picked up the technique watching De Niro on the set.

A clone, a clone, my kingdom for a clone.



Godsend

Facts and Figures

Run time: 102 mins

In Theaters: Friday 30th April 2004

Box Office USA: $14.3M

Distributed by: Lions Gate Films

Production compaines: Lions Gate Films

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 2 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 4%
Fresh: 6 Rotten: 132

IMDB: 4.8 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director:

Producer: , , Sean O'Keefe,

Starring: as Paul Duncan, as Jessie Duncan, as Richard Wells, as Adam Duncan, Zoie Palmer as Susan Pierce

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews