Customer Reviews

The 6th Day

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(52)
3 star:		(34)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

After watching recently a sub-par apocolyptic action thriller that will remain nameless, I figured Arnold Schwarzenegger had run his course in the action movie genre. It was a predictable action flick, with the required explosions, car chases, etc. Then I heard he was coming out with a movie in the style of Total Recall at the end of 2000, and I became interested, yet unsure what to expect. It had turned out to be one the most intellegent films to come out of a dismal year of moviemaking. The filmmaker takes a hot-button topic like cloning and turns it into a thriller with a mind and a heart. Pets in the not-too-distant future can be brought back to life in new bodies, but human cloning has been banned, for obvious moral/scientific reasons. He plays a pilot who is assigned a charter to ferry a billionare. Things after that become very intense,resulting in the cloning of Arnold, and with mind-blowing action scenes not seen since T2-Judgement Day. There is really no slow spots to the film; it moves along a fluid-like pace. The special effects are very good, and I don't need to tell you what an action movie with 2 Arnold Schwarzenegger's fighting along side is like. Watch out bad guys! This is a film on the same intellect as total recall, and with the action scenes and heart to match T2. I think this film will do much better on DVD/video now that the word is out about this film.

The last few of Arnolds films haven't been that great, but this is definetly his best movie in a long time. Its starts off fast and ends just the same way. What makes me love this movie even more is that it was filmed in my hometown of Vancouver. So for me I was also playing name that location throughout the movie. Besides the awesome scenery there are great visuals in this film. The cgi effects of the helicopter/jet hybrid plane was cool to say the least, and the sound effects blow you away. There are a lot of crude humour jokes related to the cloning theme. There is also a lot of original ideas about the future which I haven't seen in a film, one of these examples is a store called Re-Pet, in which they clone the family dog or cat after it dies so there is no loss in the family. Those scenes were quite funny. This is definetly a great film to see on the big screen.

Some of the criticism of "The 6th Day" centers on the undeniable fact that we've seen a bit of the main character, Adam Gibson, before. Was "6th Day" cloned from stuff "Total Recall" left on the cutting room floor? Well, aside from the always-appealing plot theme of "who am I, really" which is also in "Total Recall", I have to say, no, this is a good, mostly original and enjoyable science fiction thriller.

And thrilling it certainly was. Though some of the thematic material is somewhat derivative if you are a sci-fi buff, this movie delivers a goodly amount of suspense and turn-around surprises. It isn't the smartest plot in the DVD deck; I found some of the scenes predictable and there was one deplorable and totally gratuitous car chase early in the film. (Grrrrr I hate gratuitous car chases.) And later on, there is a Matrix-cloned scene involving another type of transportation, but I won't put ANY spoilers in here and tell you about it. But it's why I nicked this a star and rated it four and not five.

However, if you can shut an eye to the vehicular filmicide, you may enjoy a reasonably fast-paced, very suspenseful film with a good supporting cast, too.

Schwarzenegger has been quoted as saying he believes in delivering plenty of good entertainment value for the filmgoer's dollar, as in "Terminator 2" --a big favorite. He is a man of his word. "The 6th Day" has lots of good stuff-- thrills, suspense, special effects. It's fine science fiction and lots of fun.

Adam (Schwarzenegger) is a helicopter pilot in the not too distant future. Cloning is still a hot topic issue and he comes home one day to find that another him is in the household. Why this has happened and what he can do to stop it are all part of the bizarre plotline.

The movie scores big where it is supposed to. The action sequences are great and the effects hold their own. Arnold does the usual job of carrying the film both with his muscle and his corny one liners. I am a big Schwarzenegger fan so I enjoyed it for the eye candy that is was.

Word of warning. This is not a thinking man's movie. There is no overwhelming dramatic acting here, even by the likes of supporting actors Robert Duvall and Michael Rappaport. The plot line is step by step and the ending is as transpartent as Saran Rap. But the film overall was an extemely enjoyable action flick and the video and sound are great. It entertains and any action fan will love it.

There's no denying the movie is entertaining. An average action movie is much easier to sit thru than an average drama. I admit this movie is better than I expected, but I didn't expect that much. From reading the other reviews, you'll see that many people felt that this was a lot like "Total Recall", while some aren't facing the facts. The fact is that this movie has a lot in common with "Total Recall": a futuristic setting, the special efx, the scenario where Arnold is unsure of who he is and his world is turned upside down. The twist with this movie is that is does cover the topic of human cloning. It's an interesting concept, however the other reviews are stretching it when they call it a extremely thought provoking movie.

The short of it all, is that it is an entertaining movie that is worth the rental. However, it doesn't stand out with "Terminator", "Predator", "True Lies", or "Total Recall" as one of his best ones. Unless you own all his movies I recommend you rent it before you decide to purchase.

I think that this is a much better film than box-office returns indicated. While this movie clearly demonstrates Schwarznegger's superior taste in science fiction movie scripts, the strong point in this movie is precicely what put off so many movie critics, it's ironic sense of humor.

Everyone was so down on Arnold's first movie (End of days) since recovering from kidney problems. He was accused of rushing in and taking any part, regardless of the quality of the script. Well, I disagreed with the critics on "End of Days"; I thought the story was pretty good and it was a nice change to see him in the role of a vulnerable, fragile, average guy. The 6th Day puts Arnold back into a familiar character that we, the fans, are used to. He's back as the larger than life action hero! Performing death defying, super human feats and kicking everyone's butt along the way. This is the role that all Arnold fans (and critics for that matter) seem to be most comfortable seeing him in. That being said, I don't think this is a bad movie; on the contrary, I really liked this flick! When it come to this genre of movies, Arnold has a strangle hold on the industry. One quick note, If you look carefully, they use Arnold's stunt double allot in this movie...I guess he's not a 100% physically. Like most of my reviews, I won't describe the plot of the movie because you either read it before, or through one form or another, have been told the plot. What I will say about the movie is, the story has a great premise and touches on a current moral issue...Cloning, and the probably inevitable misuse of the technology. The movie has a nice flow to it; from beginning to end the story stays strong and keeps you hungry for the finality (that has a little twist to it). But what makes this a movie to buy, and not just rent, is the quality of the DVD. Along with Gladiator, The 6th day is a sign of the next generation of DVD's that are on the horizon; unbelievable audio and video that had little to no motion artifacts from the transfer! This movie is a dream for Home Theater enthusiasts!

As Arnold movies go, this one has a relatively good story. It is somewhat reminiscent of "Total Recall" with its futuristic sci-fi bent and guess-the-identity plot, but it is better because it broaches some interesting ethical considerations regarding human cloning. Of course, this IS an Arnold movie so it doesn't bother to weigh itself down with profundities, but it adds a little intellectual meat to his stock in trade, and that is a plus. The script is a bit predictable with numerous tip-offs as to which is the real Adam Gibson and which is the clone. However, there are enough interesting subplots to keep the viewer engaged.

Director Roger Spottiswoode ("Air America", "Tomorrow Never Dies") strikes a good balance between drama and action and paces the film well. Arnold fans might find the action sequences a bit tame by comparison to some of his other films, but there is plenty to keep the average action junkie happy.

The cast is generally solid. Arnold is the same old Arnold, flexing his biceps and constantly flashing his well-spaced front teeth charmingly between action sequences. His acting in this film is better than usual, giving his character both strength and vulnerability with a hint of tongue in cheek humor thrown in. Michael Rapaport provides most of the comic relief in his bits with the virtual girlfriend. Tony Goldwyn is hatefully nefarious as the manipulative magnate who runs a rogue cloning factory. Robert Duvall is excellent, as always, as the scientist with a conscience.

Overall, this is an entertaining film with an interesting premise. I rated it a 7/10. The area of cloning is fertile ground on which to build a more serious story, but it serves as a good backdrop for this basic good v. evil action film.

And that's good news, of course, if you like video games.

But if you want a movie--even an action/adventure movie--this one isn't worth watching even once.

Between all the relentless barages of one-second meaningless images, however, they do manage to sandwich in some of the ethical issues concerning cloning, and surprisingly they present some of the pros and well as some of the cons. For this, I give the movie two stars.

This review deals with the picture and sound quality only. Read other reviews for the plot, acting, etc. "The Sixth Day" picture and sound quality are perfect. With an anamorphic widescreen format, the image is nearly high definition quality. The sound is quite good also because it was remastered. Viewed on a 46-inch Samsung high defintion LCD TV (and played on a Toshiba 1080p HD DVD player), the picture and sound are simply stunning!