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Godsend (2004)

Godsend
"This film's been about as much of a Godsend as a flaming sack of dog-crap on my front porch!"

Starring:

Greg Kinnear
Robert DiNero
Rebecca Romijn Stamos

Released By:

Lion's Gate Films

Released In:

2004

Rated:

PG-13

Reviewed By:

Adam Mast

Grade:

D


Godsend is a confused fusion of several superior thrillers (The Bad Seed, The Ring, The Omen, The Sixth Sense etc.) This is all too bad really, for somewhere buried deep inside this halfbaked tale of cloning is an interesting idea. Alas, a silly, convoluted screenplay and mediocre execution stop this picture dead in it's tracks.

In Godsend, Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos play Paul and Jessie Duncan, a happily married couple who, along with their eight year old Adam (played by Cameron Bright), seem to have the perfect life. When a horrible tragedy claims the life of their son, Paul and Jessie are presented with a unique opportunity that is both intriguing and unethical. Through the aid of a passionate doctor (played by Robert DeNiro) and the miracle of science, Adam is re-born by way of cloning. With this process comes severe consequences. Not only are the Duncans forced to keep the life of their re-born son secret from their loved ones, but the new Adam begins to have terrifying visions once he exceeds the point at which the original Adam died. Could these visions actually be memories of a past life? This is one of the many plot elements that Godsend clumsily tries to juggle.

The idea of cloning is hardly far-fetched these days, but the rushed, underdevolped and derivitive fashion in which Godsend unfolds make it far from compelling.

All things considered, the acting isn't too bad in Godsend. In fact, Greg Kinnear is quite good even if the proceedings do get incredbily silly (most notably a lame altercation in a church towards the end of the movie). And I must admit, it was kind of fun watching Kinnear get in DeNiro's grill. Stamos is also effective as a grieving mother. This is some of her best work and even though the swelling score tarnishes her effectiveness, she puts forth a valiant effort.

Try as he might, Robert DeNiro never really worked for me. He is one of my all time favorite actors, but the mad scientist routine wore thin quickly, and I knew inside the first act that this was a man with a hidden agenda. In his defense, it is a horribly written character. He does better with it than anyone else probably could have. Young Cameron Bright plays up the creepy factor as Adam and while he has his moments, he never achieves the dramatic depth of say, Haley Joel Osment. But then again, the processed screenplay is very restrictive. It doesn't really afford him the opportunity.

Rather than putting an emphasis on the whole "don't play God" scenario, Godsend treads into familiar waters. We get all these nightmarish sequences in which Adam has freaky visions. This allows the film makers to startle the audience with cheap scares. It didn't scare me in the slightest. In fact, if anything, it just gave me a big headache. And the entire dull experience is punctuated by an ambiguous ending that just felt tacked on.

Godsend is a very messy movie. There's far too much going on, and I really found myself laughing at stuff that was supposed to be profound. Perhaps if the film would have been more focused. The backstory giving insight into DeNiro's motivation is just ridiculous. In fact, it is his character's past that really brought to mind shades of The Ring.

It also doesn't help that Godsend asks more questions than it's willing to answer. There are plenty of movies that I've enjoyed that thrive on a lack of explanation (The Ring and Mothman Prophecies just to name two), but what they lack in sensibility, they more than make up for in style. Those movies sucked me in. Godsend just sort of spit me out.

Godsend isn't smart enough to be considered good science fiction and it's not scary enough to be considered a good thriller. It's just one cliche after another, and by about midway through, not only was I not engrossed, but I really didn't care where the picture was headed. And a little subtlety would have been nice. I mean the kid's name is Adam. Give me a break! And how about the big "Pandora's Box" line? Whatever!

Simply put, this is a dumb movie about intelligent subject matter. Somewhere out there, there's a great film about cloning waiting to be made. This wasn't it. Godsend; Cool title, interesting premise, bad movie.

:: zBoneman.com Reader Comments ::

Goodness!

Goodness!

If it were'nt for Tina Fey this would have been one of the worst weekends for movies in a long time. Envy and Godsend tied for the worst Tomatometer rating of the year- 3%. When you beat Johnson Family Vacation and the Whole 10 yards you're done something. I couldn't believe how bad Godsend was, they should have called it Godawful. Not to mention Flaws of Attraction. Again Tina Fey was the weekends savior. If anyone knows how she got that scar on her sexy face - please respond.

Grady Paulson, Orange CA

Bobby

Bobby

I've been eagerly anticipating this film for a long time, it seems like I've been seeing the trailer off and on for quite some time. It really looked like it was going to kick ass, I'm sorry to read that it was such a dud.

Carlos

Carlos

A great premise for a film that just didn't pan out. Strange that kid is always getting cast in freaky kids returned from the dead films. Unless I'm mistaken he's the one that wanted to get some of that Nicole Kidman in Birth, which was a much better movie, too bad it chickened out at the end.

Freddy B

Freddy B

DeNiro is our finest actor, this is hard to dispute. And like all actors he chooses bad projects that misfire. I don't know which is worse to see him in a film like this where he is underwritten and hasn't the ad-lib ability to dig his way out, or to see him in a film like Analyze This where he cries. That one made me put a few bullets in a pillow myself

Act of G

Act of G

I'll tell you what the Godsend is here - Rebecca Romijn is no longer stuck with that goomba Stamos - I don't have to heat that creepy perverts name tacked to the end of Becky's name no more - that's a Godsend. Never mind this piece of crap movie. Would that we could clone about 10 thousand Becky Romijn's - let us all nibble on the Lettuce. Look at me with the comedy here, I'm comin' after ya Boneman - nice job with the fag piece - damn near soiled myself there - that was good.

What up?

What up?

Is it just me or has this been the most piss-weak year in film for years. It seems like the first of the year is always loaded up with the clinkers, and then by this time or year there's enough class acts out there that you could at least put together a best-of list for the first half of the year. I mean you know it's an off-year when Hell-boy is looking like a Godsend - pardon the little joke there, but seriously I don't think there's more than 4 movies that have any business considering themselves Oscar contenders. And one of those is Touching the Void and that's what a Documentary. So far I say Gibson's got a lock on it - talking about Godsends.

The Pastor

Adam

Adam

To the last post,

Yeah, it has been a surprisingly weak year for movies, but there have been some terrific smaller pictures. You just have to seek them out (check out Intermission if you get a chance). In addition to Intermission, The Passion and Touching the Void, there were treasures in the form of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Kill Bill Vol.2. With any luck, the outstanding Super Size Me sill get a wide release, and go check out Napolean Dynamite when it opens next month.

BJ

BJ

It's practically unfathomable how a movie with this fascinating a premise, decently cast with DeNiro, Kinnnear who's fast earning his stripes and Romijn whose acting is stll confused with fancy lettuce (I'm kidding - she's just coming off of a decent turn in the Punisher) can render a movie with the lowest composite rating on Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer, it's out-doing Envy and the Whole 10 Yards and that's remarkable in that you'd think you'd get an auto matic 15 just for having DeNiro show up. I haven't seen it, because I try to save my Mad money for films I'm alot more certain that I'm going to like. I just seriously can't imagione what made this film suck this badly - someone expalin it to me?

Mr. Bindle

Trivia-man

Trivia-man

Name the films where Robert DiNero played Satan and Al Pacino played Satan?

If you can answer this - leave a trivia question for us.

Too Easy

Too Easy

Robert DiNero - Angel Heart

Al Pacino - Devil's Advocate

Yoyo Shartwz

Yoyo Shartwz

This movie...sucked!!!!!!!!!!! It had to meaning it had to answers, it was scary. My friend sweated through my shirt, wet and all. It had to many questions left unanswered. So please tell me what is the ending all about, is the dad dead, the boy retarted? Who knows, this movie gets a F- in my book!~ Lucy Pino

faiybreaddiva

faiybreaddiva

ok i didn't really get the end of the movie could anyone explain???? what happened with the Adam kid being pulled into the cupboard????

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