Godsend

Robert De Niro grows a beard, and picks up a pay cheque for his troubles in this uneven and desperately plodding thriller, which, despite an intriguing premise, rarely threatens to engage. Pushily directed by Nick Hamm, Godsend focuses on Paul Duncan (Kinnear) and his missus, Jessie (Romijn-Stamos). An apparently happily married couple, they live for their only child, Adam (Bright). After the youngster is killed in a car crash, Richard Wells (De Niro) a famous scientist approaches them with a staggering proposition. Using illegal but revolutionary methods, he offers to clone their child and give them back their son. Overcome by grief, the Duncans naturally agree, but they're unprepared for the consequences when Adam II gets beyond the age where his predecessor bought it in the crash.

A hot potato of a subject matter if ever there was one, the topic of cloning isn't done the justice it deserves in this hamfisted drama which metamorphoses into a schlock horror by way of a cautionary, heavily moralistic, tale. Although Godsend starts out promisingly enough, the story lacks focus, sacrificing all the ethical and moral dilemmas of its central tenant in favour of cheap, gimmicky shocks. Disjointed and frequently crossing over into the realm of the nonsensical, Godsend is a missed opportunity.