Movies-TV

One of the year's worst

Slumming it. That's what Robert De Niro's doing in this film. Along with Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos.The premise is certainly interesting, if not improbable. But everything that happens is so incredibly predictable, that this film loses all its intrigue.This is one of those films where the audience figures out the mystery long before any of the characters do, so we have to simply bide our time waiting for those on the screen to catch on.I have no idea why De Niro got involved in this mess. Surely, when he read the script, he realized this was a rotten film. Romijn-Stamos may not be Meryl Streep; heck, she might not even be Julia Roberts, but she's given nothing, absolutely nothing, to work with here.Her character is woefully underwritten and it's obvious Romijn-Stamos is in this film for one reason - fetching eye-candy. As that, she succeeds beautifully. But, to be honest, if I wanted to see her traipsing about in tight clothing sans a bra or nude, I'd rent "Femme Fatale," which I enjoyed much more than this clunker.This film ranks alongside "Connie and Carla," "Twisted" and "Along Came Polly" as one of 2004's worst films.

Boring in the Middle

This feature starts with great promise and an interesting premise, but somehow manages to be boring, even when the young man starts to have frightening visions. Maybe that's because the audience can't understand what's happening in the boy's mind, and his chaotic thoughts aren't explained until much to late to capture our interest. If you can stay asleep to the end it has an interesting but not very well explained twist. It's a pity the narrative is so confused, since all the principal actors are excellent.

The Moose Hole - Review of Godsend

We've all lost somebody close to us at some point in our lives whether it be a parent, a grandparent, cousin, a friend, a wife, or a girlfriend, it's happened to everyone. But for a parent to lose a child, especially in the prime of their life, has to be one of the most horrible experiences a parent can endure. The whole concept of the parent outliving the child is just so radically outrageous that no normal human being could ever fathom how such a person would feel, unless they themselves lost a child. In years past, one would lose a loved one, the time of grieving would take its course, and then that would be that. But times have changed and so have the methods of science, where a person would lose a loved one forever now the deceased can be brought back to life through the experimental method of cloning or at least that is the thought. Sounds more like some ungodly science-fiction novel right? Not anymore. Now that scientists have experimented on everything from sheep to mice to rabbits they now want to move on to humans, with some radical and inscrutable groups claiming they have already achieved the unthinkable . the birth of the first clone human being. Sooner or later, the moral convictions of mankind will contend with radical science to determine whether or not man can conquer death.The story centers on a couple who decide to take the advice of a radical scientist and have their dead child cloned in order to return to their once happy life. Jesse and Paul may not have the most high paying jobs, the best house, or even the best neighborhood but there is one thing in there life that they would never be able to live without, their son Adam. Things within the Duncan household seem to be looking up with Paul being offered a better job which would require the family to move to a better quality neighborhood. But life takes a tragic turn when, just a day after his eighth birthday, Adam is fatally injured in a car accident and dies practically in his mother's arms. With their whole world turned upside-down and memories of their dead son everywhere in their home, the couple turn to Dr. Richard Wells, a radical genetics researcher, who claims to be able to take cells from the body of their dead son, place them in an egg from Jesse, and produce an identical version of Adam. All the couple would need to do is move into a new house, graciously provide by Dr. Wells himself, and promise not to tell anyone about the controversial procedure they are about to embark on. Once Adam is `re-born', the couple's life returns back to way things were before the accident . that is until young Adam crosses the age at which the original Adam died. From there the child has sleepless nights, a sudden lapse in emotions, and disturbing night-terrors that both frighten and confuse his parents. Could this be their just punishment for venturing into the realm of God or is there something else behind Adam's bewildering behavior? The story of Godsend is nothing more then a half-assed attempt at copying true a horror classic, Rosemary's Baby, and even The Others. What starts out as an intriguing insight into the moral and ethical complications behind the concept of cloning turns into an uneven and flat attempt at cheap thrills that leaves you with more question then when you started with.The cast is mainly centered on only four characters and, unfortunately for the film, only one performs up to the standards expected of the movie-going public. Despite the fact that Robert DeNiro's character is a great opportunity for the outstanding veteran actor to add mad-scientist/researcher to his resume, the audience doesn't get as much of him as they would want which is sad since he is the only truly interesting character in the film. The filmmakers could have done a much better job at providing more information on character even if it was just revealed at the end of the film but they don't even do that. It is an absolutely pathetic sight to see the best thing a film has going for it, based on the cast, leave you totally confused based on his actions since no motivation or reasons are given to you for him doing what he has done within the course of the two hour feature. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, who has really built up her film career over the past couple of years, is once again reduced to the second-hand eye candy is this film, including a scene where she is walking through the house in a white see-through sweatshirt that clearly shows her without a bra, which is just an absolute embarrassment to see in a film now adays . Come on people! Grow up! Greg Kinnear is pretty convincing as Paul Duncan but the character itself is a problem. He's a biologist but it takes him the longest time to figure out the thought that what may be wrong with the new Adam may be in his genes. Where did he get his college degree from? And Cameron Bright, who plays both the original and cloned version of Adam Duncan, attempts to come off as a creepy-cute kid but there nothing creepy or cutesy about him, he's just plain annoying. His `possessed' child voice and deep stares into absolutely nothingness feel like complete rip-offs of classic horror films, and not good ones at that.Overall, what should be a film attempting to answer the moral and ethical issues brought up the revolutionary concept of human cloning only leaves you with the question of why you would pay eight dollars for an unimaginative and bewildering horror knock-off. Even if you go into this film giving the filmmakers the benefit of the doubt for ripping-off Rosemary's Baby, you'll still have problems with the film's uneven and utterly confusing second half. There are so many things wrong with this film that it is hard to decide where to start. Let's first focus on the reason why the couple would want to clone their son in the first place. The subject is brought up early in the film but the wife refuses to have another child and pushes the husband toward the cloning concept. If they had left it at that then that would be fine but later on in the film they show the couple having sex, before being broken up by the screams of their cloned son. Oh! You're opposed to the having a child through moral methods but not to having the occasional `wink-wink'? Another problem is that the film tends to throw bits and pieces of religion into the film's background (the most obvious being the `Godsend Institute') and yet the question of morals and ethics within a religious context are clearly excluded from almost any conversations. And how unsatisfying and completely confusing can you make an ending for a film that was practically a waste of time to begin with? Somehow the filmmakers managed to screw that up as well (without giving anything away, practically nothing is answered). What prevented this film from getting an absolute failure would have to be its intriguing first half and engaging performance from Robert DeNiro but not even those things can resurrect this beaten and bloody horse picture.My Rating: ** out of 5 (Grade: D)

good movie

A perfect family... father is a teacher respected by his students, mother is a photographer and Adam, a very loved and lovable only child, is killed the day after his 8th birthday. The mother who feels responsible for her sons death is approached by a man from her past. He is a doctor, who is literally playing God offers to help this couple bring back... Adam. Everything is wonderful, Adam is just as he was before, until his 8th birthday... Excellent cast. I really enjoyed this movie. Cameron Bright has the most beautiful eyes that can look so sweet one second then as evil as Damien in Omen 2. Robert De Niro does a great job playing the doctor. See this on DVD and watch the alternative endings. I did like a couple of the alternative ending better than the one used. If you like this movie, I recommend seeing Mikey (1992)... another evil child. Also The Good Son (1993). And of course the Omen series

Send it away!

This movie is anything but a Godsend for fans of horror films. I am one of the few people who had the misfortune of seeing this movie in the theater. Yes, I paid ten bucks to have my intelligence insulted. Yes, I sat through 90 minutes of the worst over-acting that Robert DeNiro has ever done, and that's saying something. We all know that Bobby D. isn't exactly subtle. When you add in two colossally untalented thespians like Rebecca Romijn and Greg Kinnear, you get Godsend. This is a rancid movie, a thing that's best handled with latex gloves as you heave it into the dumpster. Slick art and an interesting title are a smokescreen, do not be fooled.

What the...?

I have never been one to write such a bad review of a movie, but I feel compelled to warn others away from this one. It was just plain terrible. I figured with the big name actors involved, it would have to be halfway decent at the least. Boy, was I wrong. If someone suggests going to see it, JUST SAY NO.

Awful movie! deserves LOWER than the lowest rating!

Stupidest movie in the history of the world. It was like someones 11 year old kid thought up a bunch of scary stories and made a book and his daddy sed ooo this could b good to make a movie!!! The stories had no relation to each other. They couldn't finish the story because adam #1 wasn't evil so they threw in Zachary Clark. OOO Evil child... what kind of kid does this stuff... whoever made this movie must have been friends with the creators of the ring 1&2... all the demon possessed evil child things. they both sucked!!! i wasted a perfectly good night watching this stupid movie!!! should have checked reviews first... i haven't seen a single positive one... and i can't blame these people!!! this was the stupidest movie of all time!!! it's like somebody sed "We wanna make a scary movie based on all this futeristic stuff about a genius way ahead of his time including death of a demonic psycho child and a sweet little boy mix em up and make a thriller!!! except therez one problem we don't have the I.Q. to do it... so i guess we'll just make random crap up!!!" This was the worst movie i hope i'll ever have the misfortune to see... it even outdoes the ring two!!! Please don't waste your time watching it!

thrill a minute -- don't tell anyone the ending

the story line is terrific and the performances by DeNiro and Kinnear are gripping. A real thrill ride with a shocking ending. don't tell anyone what it is!!

It Sucks, and it's not Worth the money

I am so disappointed in this film. Plot is too simple, and the story lines are so boring, and the characters are dull. The writer seems like he remembered that he has to write the script an hour before it's due. The editing job is not too bad, but, in all truth, the direction is off.

I bought this film with a genuine "cheap" price, but I think I wasted my money regardless. The scientific and moral issues the film discussed were not in place as the film failed to prove and make a stand to convince the viewer. I must admit, however, that the film might have potential if more time spent on this picture. Unfortunately, this film fell short on everything. It did not provide any enjoyment at all. I was happy it was over, and I could tell what was coming.

Sorry, Bobby, but this film is your downfall.

WORST ending EVER! (Really. No point watching it!)

Great story, very thoughtful & interesting direction, moving performances and a thrilling plot...but the ending sucked major ASS!!! It was no resolution, was an insult to the intelligence of the viewer, wasted De Niro (though I'm sure he laughed all the way to the bank & didn't watch it - a phone in), and just plain pi**sed me off! A real waste. If you want to EVER be let down by a potentially good film, this is it! The biology aspects and pseudo-science were actually thought provoking, but I'm going to watch the 93 "Body snatchers" now to detox.I HATE a film that makes me think & then has an "emperors new clothes" ending. A total insult, I'm afraid.I think the writer died 7.5 pages before the end and a studio Exec did the rest. In crayons.Don't bother.

Boring and annoyingly full of logic flaws!

As many have said here, the premise for me was really intriguing which is why I took this film home from the video shop in the first place. Really, I shouldn't have bothered. That premise started tumbling down for me as soon as old Robert's character entered the picture. It was a big resounding 'as if' for me (in relation to the parent's decision). So they're that obsessed with creating a clone of their son (which is crazy in the first place but could have been nutted out) that they would go into hiding from friends and family for the rest of their life?! hmmm..It's been a while since I've seen it now but it was so bad for me I had to comment! I was scared in parts (such as the appearance of the festy looking decomposed old Adam) but these appearances didn't lead anywhere so lost their fright factor..I think the writers were as confused as I ended up being. Basically it seems that at first they were basing a story around the old Adam wanting his body back then this crazy story about De Niro's crazy Damien like kid taking over..just so confusing and silly and, as a fledgling script writer, I cannot understand that these issues weren't sorted out at the draft stage.The acting was pretty bad too...I've just read reviews of the lead boy Cameron Bright in Birth so he must have improved. In Godsend I honestly didn't know when he was playing bad Adam or good Adam..to me he was just Robot Adam!

Awful

Godsend (2004)* 1/2 (out of 4) Paul Duncan (Greg Kinnear) is at the top of his life with a wonderful job and a family that loves him dearly. His wife Jessie (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) and young son Adam live in a high-class apartment in New York City where Paul works as a teacher at an inner-city school. Everything seems to be going great until the day after Adam's eighth birthday when he is stuck by a car in the street and killed. Paul and Jessie are heartbroken but the day after they run into a scientist (Robert DeNiro) who says he has something important to discuss with them.The scientist explains that he's involved in genetic experimenting and if the parents want to see their son again then he can make that possible by cloning. Without putting too much thought into the grieving parents agree and the experiment goes through without a problem. The first eight years of their new sons life goes off without a hitch but when the date arrives that the first Adam died, this new Adam starts to change mentally. At first it appears this is just due to nightmares but soon the parent begin to fear that this new son is starting to have memories of his previous life. The new Adam on the other hand starts to think that someone from his past is after him. Could it be the old Adam coming back to life? For the past thirty years various films have dealt with children being possessed. Everything from Rosemary's Baby to The Exorcist to The Omen has dealt with the subject matter used here but those films at least tried something different and didn't just recycle stuff seen in previous films. Godsend tries to be exactly like those films and even mixes in a bit of The Shining but in the end we're left with one extremely bad film that doesn't have a single thing going for it, which is a shame since the story could have been a whole lot better.The direction and screenplay really killed any hopes of a good movie. The screenplay has a pretty good ideas going and since cloning is such a hot topic today it seems like you could make an interesting story out of anything but that doesn't happen here. The screenplay is all over the map by the time the film had ended I really wasn't sure what the point was or if there was even a point. The film tries to throw in horror elements mixed with a family drama but neither are given any original thoughts and nothing plays out completely so in the end we've watched a film about nothing. Even after the child is child and the parents get the chance to clone him, there isn't a scene where they think about what could happen by doing this. We get the dad saying no, the mom saying yes and then the screenplay jumps to the child being born.The parents are dumb as a bag of rocks, which is another irritating thing about the screenplay. Not only do they not consider the side effects but they don't seem to even know when things start to take a change for the worst in their new son. When his attitude begins to change, instead of being concerned they simply don't want to know if something is really wrong or not. The film tries to take a more dramatic turn every once in a while by having the parents fight over what they've done but these scenes go nowhere and instead of having a thought provoking conversation the screenplay pretty much jumps over any bright ideas and goes into the next scene, which makes even less sense.The horror elements never go full ahead either, which is probably due to the PG-13 era and the fact we're living in times where it seems you can't make an R-rated film. Perhaps this is a reason why nothing ever comes full circle but I'm really not sure because I still can't tell what this film was supposed to be about. For the first two-thirds we're led to believe that the old son has come back to haunt the new son but then in the final act we're given a new mystery that is just downright stupid and once again, it never pays off in the end. When the movie finally ends you're no better off then when the movie started.Another problem are the actors, a couple of whom should probably stay out of dramatic pictures. Greg Kinnear can be good in comedy but his dramatic work here is so bad it becomes rather laughable. The scene where he tries to cry over the death of his son had me rolling on the floor, which I'm sure wasn't what the director wanted. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos doesn't fair any better with the dramatic role. Just look at any scene where she is crying because it appears there's a quick cut whenever she is supposed to cry. Perhaps they did this because the tears never came? I'm not sure but that's what I thought while watching the film. It saddens me to say this because he's one of my favorite actors but Robert DeNiro doesn't add anything to the film either and it appears he was simply cashing a check.

God takes a Holiday

Occasionally a superb novel creates a huge public following which generates a surge of anticipation when news of it's being transferred onto the silver screen is announced. Such was the case when the novel GODSEND arose from its literary pages and leaped onto the film stage. Excitement increased when the movie trailer enticed potential patrons with scenes of satanic evil and heart-pounding dangers, acted out by stars such as Robert de Niro, Greg Kinnear, Rebecca Stamos, Jessie Duncan and Cameron Bright as Adam Duncan. One can only express disappointment then after watching the film and drawing away to examine its many flaws. The movie is nothing short of a random collection of unexciting scenes, unsympathetic characters, disappointing performances by the very people we'd hoped would save it. If one explores the novel, then sees the film, you'd conclude the director, never read it at all.

Excellent performances and an intelligent, thought-provoking script highlight this underrated thriller.

Following the death of their eight year old son on his birthday, Jessie (Romijn-Stamos) and Paul (Kinnear) are befriended by a doctor on the forefront of genetic research (DeNiro) at the height of their mourning. He leads the couple in a desperate attempt to reverse the rules of nature and clone their son. The experiment is successful and under Richard's watchful eye, Adam grows into a healthy and happy young boy, until his 8th birthday. As time goes by, the Duncan's gradually start to see small, subtle differences between the new Adam and the Adam they lost. At the time of the new Adam's eighth birthday, the changes in character are more pronounced. Adam grows distant and fearful as a palpable sense of menace settles within the young boy. This Adam begins to suffer from night terrors and frightening flashbacks as a sinister personality begins to emerge. Paul and Jessie cannot escape the fact that this Adam is different. Terror settles on the couple as they try to come to terms with just what they have done, or what has been done to them. I rented "Godsend" on DVD this afternoon expecting the worst. I was pleasantly surprised.Fantastic performances, an intelligent script, beautiful photography, unpredictable plot twist after the next. A very pleasant surprise indeed, and a very positive step in the world of horror! Sure, it wasn't the least bit scary and the "fright scenes" were entirely generic, but it was a very intelligent film and really kept my attention. Good for anyone looking for a smart, thought-provoking film that doesn't rely on special effects 8/10.ABOUT THE DVD: Lion's Gate has given "Godsend" a very good treatment. The 2.35:1 widescreen presentation is flawless--beautiful colors, virtually NO compression artifacts, sold blacks, no grain or dirt. Audio is equally impressive. For extras we get a commentary by The director and director of photography. This is an informative track, but it's very drab. Perhaps a couple of cast members could have livened it up a bit. Next up are 4 alternate endings, all of which have their pro's and con's, though it's obvious why they were cut. A commentary buy the writer and director is also available for all 4. last of all are some storyboards, which I didn't have time to watch. The film is also adequately closed captioned. My rating for the DVD: 7/10.

Godsend

When the Duncan's son is killed in a car accident, Paul (Kinnear) and Jessie (Romijn-Stamos) are approached by Dr. Richard Wells (DeNiro). It seems that he has perfected the ability to clone someone by using just a single cell. He is interested in doing that for the Duncans, giving them a second chance with a genetically identical child. After some initial unease, the Duncans agree, and Adam #2 is born nine months later. The first eight years are great, with both Paul and Jessie feeling like they did the right thing to get that second chance. But, when Adam reaches the age the he had originally died at, he begins having night terrors and acting strangely.

At first glance, "Godsend" seems like it will be a movie that looks at the issue of cloning, but in the end, the movie side-steps the issue all together, opting for essentially what is an "outside" explanation. And that is disappointing, to say the least.

WEIRD

IDE GIVE IT A 3 IN A HALF. THIS MOVIE WAS SOMEWHAT CONFUSING. TO MANY TWISTS. IT MAKES IT CONFUSING. THOUGH IT DOES GET CREEPY AT PARTS. BUT WHOEVER THOUGHT OF CASTING ROBERT DENIRO AS A CRAZED DOCTOR AND THINKING HE COULD PULL IT OFF......WEL THEY WERE SADLY MISTAKEN

Nope, you don't pass Go

Hide and Seek is another one of the crop of generic, bland, and vanilla "thriller" movies, and there's absolutely nothing about it that's worth watching, ever. In fact, if presented with the chance to watch Hide and Seek, one would be most advised to tear the accursed demon-creation out of the hands of the presenter, and burn it into nothing but the tiniest grains of dust. Hide and S---wait, I'm not talking about that movie anymore?It's really a crushing blow to the producers and directors of a film when you say that the film in question invoked no emotion at all. But it's true here; Godsend spends about an hour and forty minutes going through the motions and boring the hell out of you, employing every "thriller" cliché in the proverbial law book along the way, and then just...ending. There's nothing there, it leaves you empty and bored; neutral to the whole mess. That's almost worse than hating it - at least a film has accomplished something if it's invoked an emotion as strong as hatred. But no, Godsend is nothing, nay, nada - a mere blemish on the face of the genre. Not even Deniro can save this one. Godsend doesn't pass Go, it simply lies there, limp and lame, waiting for a better film to stomp it's ass flat.I use the word "thriller" so cautiously because this really isn't that much of a thriller. I don't know what to call it, but there's a whole blasted army of 'em now, all with the same stupid, convoluted plot lines and little kids running around acting like they're possessed by evil spirits and whatnot. I'll just stop now...why waste a good review on a half-baked movie? Avoid this one.

Can a clone be a normal kid too?

If you've seen Robert DeNiro in Angel Heart (1987) and you've seen The Omen (1976), Damien--Omen II (1978), you pretty much got this movie figured out.
This film might make you think twice about raising a child for 18 years, especially a clone.
If you don't like cruel and mean-talking children, don't watch this film.
DVD includes in "Special Features", 4 Alternate Endings.

I got an idea!

Here's my idea...instead of cloning that little kid, why didn't the producers just clone a better movie? I didn't bother seeing this one at the theater, but thought I'd give it a whirl in the ol' DVD Machine. To be perfectly honest, it wasn't ENTIRELY terrible; just mostly terrible. There were a few "jumper" moments that surprised me, plus there's about 10-15 minutes of quality footage towards the end. The acting, however, is downright horrible. I don't know if Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos were bad actors or bad parents. Kinnear especially seemed to go from overly affectionate father one minute to yelling, accusatory, borderline violent father the next over seemingly minor infractions from Adam II (the cloned one). DeNiro may have turned in the worst performance of his life, which is saying quite a bit considering that he's made a lot of crap over the last few years. The ideas presented in the movie about cloning and its effects, both morally and physically, aren't really explored to the extent that I would have found satisfying. Overall, the movie is far from great, but if there's nothing else on, it's worth 102 minutes of your life. Just don't expect too much.

Good, but not as good as it could have been

Godsend is about a family who loose their only son in an accident the day after his 8th birthday. His parents are distraught after losing their only child but on the day of his funeral, a man tells them of an illegal method using cloning to bring back their dead son. The parents decide to do this, although the day after his brother died, he starts to get weird visions.Before I saw Godsend, I read quite a few negative reviews which put me off seeing it. However, in my opinion, Godsend is quite good and quite scary, but not as good as it could have been.As the film could have better, the good idea for a storyline was wasted. It had good actors (i.e Robert DeNiro, Greg Kinnear etc.) but they were wasted on a story with plot holes. The main story idea was built on well, although there were a lot of predictable outcomes and ideas that you have seen many times before in films such as The Sixth Sense and Stir Of Echoes.My main opinion of this film was that it was scary (especially Adam's dreams) and the main idea of the cloning was good and the acting was o.k. I am pleased that I watched this film although disappointed because it could have been made into an original and very scary film.