“The 6th Day” is not exactly the wondrous joyride of special effects and involved plot twists that the trailers make it out to be.
True, the special effects are more than apparent, however, this film is just a simple action flick that draws all its power from the special effects. The story, however complicated and thought-provoking it may seem, is full of holes and hollow characters.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the very action star who seemed to light up the screen years ago in films such as “The Terminator” and “Total Recall,” did not exactly make a strong comeback in last year’s religion-based thriller “End of Days,” so it seemed “The 6th Day” was going to be his golden horse, returning him to stardom.
However, he never looked, sounded, acted or even shot bad guys worse than in this film.
And what seems to be the worst part about it is that there are two of him in the movie. That’s right: The plot centers on Schwarzenegger’s character, Adam Gibson, and his attempts to get his life back after his clone, illegally produced by a corrupt, high-tech corporation, takes over.
Gibson is presented with the classic action-hero opportunity: to rid the world of the bad guys nobody else knows about and simultaneously save himself and his family and friends. The question is: How long will this plot coincide with action stars like Schwarzenegger?
It seems movies like this are dying out, and that is a good thing. “The 6th Day” provides entertainment but is unfulfilling. This definitely isn’t one of Schwarzenegger’s more memorable films.
The special effects in this movie seem to be its only strength. The act of cloning humans looks great and practically surreal. The fighter jets that Gibson and his clone fly are outstandingly futuristic, yet as real as they come. As for the rest of the special effects, most of which are involved in the graphic violence that constantly surrounds Schwarzenegger’s character and his friends, they are traditional but great. They do cause some flinching.
The dialogue and, for the most part, the script, altogether prove that there can be cornier lines and catch phrases than have appeared in Schwarzenegger’s past films; and this is not a good thing. Some are funny for about one second, but then the immaturity of the joke hits and it brings the movie down.
One of the most confusing qualities of the action flick is the presence of great actors opposite Schwarzenegger, namely Robert Duvall (“The Godfather,” “The Apostle”). Also starring is Michael Rooker (“The Replacement Killers,” “Days of Thunder”), Tony Goldwyn (“Nixon,” “From the Earth to the Moon”) and Michael Rapaport (“Higher Learning,” “Cop Land”). These actors begin to make up for the lack of substance in the movie.
For the most part, “The 6th Day” brings a lot of visual entertainment, but without the filling that most good action films have. Even Schwarzenegger’s old flicks had some heart, but this one, like “End of Days,” is lacking.
