I had great hopes for this film, I really had. It starts off great, and you have to admit that the script for this film is quite original. At least the first half of it. Warning people that are offended by SPOILERS in advance, I will discuss plot-points that may not be fun to know of before viewing the film.
Zachary, spelled correctly, is where the film starts to fall. As soon as the cliché ghost story elements of it takes off, you're in for something you've seen many times before. Come on! This is so lame you're asking yourself if the original writer was fired because of "creative differences" and then replaced by Ehren Kruger to finish the job. The film now changes from cloning-thriller to split-personality horror without the horror. Everything goes wrong here, trust me. The DVD has four alternate endings to prove it.
Should I have had the power to influence the director's choices before final cut, had I been given the chance, I would have preferred a variation of ending number three here! Why not just have the father strangle the damn kid? Can I say that? Nothing against Cameron Bright, he was great, so was the rest of the cast, but did they read the whole thing before they signed on? I don't know. Having father strangle son and then go directly to end credits would be a totally satisfying way to end it. Think about it! They go through all the trouble of cloning their dead son and then watches him grow up to be a freak, sneaking up behind his parents scaring them and killing classmates left to right. I'm telling you, this should never had been done and the only way to make it right would be to slip that rope around his neck. The funny thing is that even this feels like a bad cliché.
Having said that, what did I like about it part from the first 40 minutes or so of the film and the terrific cast? How about the music! This score is sooo great! I love this!! Brian Tyler is the most competent guy on the crew here. Fantastic! Brians music set to the opening credits by the VFX crew really got me!
In short: Great film, great cast, great music, great VFX opening credits but not so great script. Did they do test screenings at all?
Zachary, spelled correctly, is where the film starts to fall. As soon as the cliché ghost story elements of it takes off, you're in for something you've seen many times before. Come on! This is so lame you're asking yourself if the original writer was fired because of "creative differences" and then replaced by Ehren Kruger to finish the job. The film now changes from cloning-thriller to split-personality horror without the horror. Everything goes wrong here, trust me. The DVD has four alternate endings to prove it.
Should I have had the power to influence the director's choices before final cut, had I been given the chance, I would have preferred a variation of ending number three here! Why not just have the father strangle the damn kid? Can I say that? Nothing against Cameron Bright, he was great, so was the rest of the cast, but did they read the whole thing before they signed on? I don't know. Having father strangle son and then go directly to end credits would be a totally satisfying way to end it. Think about it! They go through all the trouble of cloning their dead son and then watches him grow up to be a freak, sneaking up behind his parents scaring them and killing classmates left to right. I'm telling you, this should never had been done and the only way to make it right would be to slip that rope around his neck. The funny thing is that even this feels like a bad cliché.
Having said that, what did I like about it part from the first 40 minutes or so of the film and the terrific cast? How about the music! This score is sooo great! I love this!! Brian Tyler is the most competent guy on the crew here. Fantastic! Brians music set to the opening credits by the VFX crew really got me!
In short: Great film, great cast, great music, great VFX opening credits but not so great script. Did they do test screenings at all?