Godsend DVD Review:

Adam Duncan (Bright) had just turned eight when tragedy struck and took Paul (Kinnear) and Jessie’s (Romijn-Stamos) only child from them. Hearing of their loss Dr Richard Wells (De Niro) approached them and offered a way of bringing Adam back. By using some of Adam’s cells, Wells could clone an exact duplicate of the Duncan’s child so they could start again. Eight years later their new son has reached the age where he previously died and he is starting to remember things that he hasn’t even done.

Does a clone inherit more than just the genetic material of the original? Can memories be passed on? That is the intriguing question that Godsend poses but the meandering script just doesn’t push the premise to any interesting conclusions.

The idea of human cloning and what it could mean to medical advances and the human genome is one of the most controversial subjects that it gripping science today. The ethical implications of what some scientists are trying to achieve could have extremely positive and disastrously negative on the way we live today. This fascinating subject is dragged kicking and screaming into the doldrums of mediocrity, as the screenplay does nothing to surprise or hold your attention. In fact the film doesn’t really end it just stops leaving many unanswered questions.

The cast do their best with the material. It is easy to forget that Greg Kinnear is a fine dramatic actor, as he becomes better known for his lighter, more comedic roles. He does what he can with the character of Paul but the role just isn’t challenging or fleshed out enough to really push his talents. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos fairs better with Jessie however. She plays the grieving mother, riddled by gilt and desperation extremely well and really tries hard with the lacklustre material. Cameron Bright is also good as Adam. There is something slightly unnerving about the character, as his stare seems to cut right through you with truly evil motivations. There is something about a child villain that makes you feel even more scared.

The big question the film raises is “What is Robert De Niro doing in this movie?” He is one of the greatest actors of all time but he seems to be on autopilot for the entire movie. There is absolutely nothing here to challenge him but the crime is that it seems like he isn’t even trying, with only one scene that shows any amount of his talent (and you can see that in the trailer).

Godsend takes a very interesting subject and makes it into a very average movie. Overly predictable and giving you no sense of completion, you would expect more from an accomplished cast and a respected director in Nick Hamm. It does make you ask the question “Are we watching the real Greg Kinnear, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Robert De Niro?”

Star Rating = * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, this is a very good transfer. The picture quality is sharp throughout which highlights the different filming styles used to make the differences in time and mood noticeable throughout the movie. The sound is also good, with a strong emphasis on dialogue and the surround sound coming into its own during the nightmare sequences.

BONUS FEATURES

Director’s Commentary

Godsend helmer Nick Hamm provides a very informative and technical commentary track for the movie. Covering every aspect from the film including casting, editing, story and character development and the controversial scientific aspects of the plot, this is a good track from a filmmaker who is very passionate about his movie. He is also joined part way through by director of photography Kramer Morgenthau to talk about the look of the movie and they reveal the techniques used to differentiate between the different time periods and the mood of the film.

Alternative Endings (49.39 mins)

With optional commentary by director Nick Hamm and writer Mark Bomback, these four alternative endings reveal the different ideas that both Hamm and Bomback had to end the film. Each of them was shot in their entirety and we can now see Richard becoming the head of the family, Richard approaching another couple, the original ending and an ending that takes the film full circle. The commentary track explains why each of these was discarded and the original reasons behind them.

Cast Interviews (16.03 mins)

Greg Kinnear, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Cameron Bright and director Nick Hamm talk about the plot, the issues it raises, their thoughts about cloning and working with Robert De Niro. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos reveals how this is a very different role for her and director Nick Hamm explains the reasons behind making the movie and how he approached casting it.

Director’s Video Diary (19.40 mins)

For the entire month of April (2004) Nick Hamm made a video diary that detailed the run up to Godsend’s release in the US. He takes us to the LA Press Junket with the US media. We watch him record the DVD commentary before the movie is even released. He reveals the marketing for the movie, including a controversial website and he takes you to the glittering premiere at the Chinese Theatre in LA. This is an interesting insight into the final aspects of launching a movie.

TV Spots (1.14 mins)

Watch the two promotional TV adverts that ran in the UK

UK Theatrical Trailer (1.27 mins)

You chance to watch the promotional trailer used in the UK.

Storyboards

View the original hand drawn storyboards for the ‘Attic’ and ‘River’ scenes and then compare them to the completed sequences.

Trailers

Previews of Two Brothers, The Clearing, Man on Fire, The Day After Tomorrow and I, Robot

OVERALL

Pathé has done a great job with the transfer of Godsend to DVD. The extras are very good especially the video diary and the informative and insightful commentary by director Nick Hamm. This is another fine example of how to transfer a movie onto DVD, even if the film isn’t that great there are still people who did like it and why should they miss out on a good DVD treatment.

DVD Star Rating = * * *

Jamie Kelwick

Site Contents Copyright© The Z Review, unless used with permission.This site has no intention to infringe on the rights of the film owners of Godsend and intellectual copyright holders of the movies mentioned herein & hold copyright over the movie, characters, merchandise & storyline.