ALL SCI-FI

Bud Brewster · Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 4:17 pm Post subject: Replicas (2018)

I haven't seen this one (and based on the info below, I probably won't), so I'll cheat and borrow the info from Wikipeida.
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Replicas is a 2018 American science fiction thriller film directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff, and written by Chad St. John, from a story by Stephen Hamel. The film tells the story of a neuroscientist who violates the law and biomedical ethics to bring his family members back to life after they die in a car accident. It stars Keanu Reeves, Alice Eve, and Thomas Middleditch.
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Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 9%, based on 43 reviews, with an average rating of 3.3/10.

The website's critical consensus reads, "Equal parts plot holes and unintentional laughs, Replicas is a ponderously lame sci-fi outing that isn't even bad enough to be so bad it's good."

On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the film has a score of 18 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "overwhelming dislike". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale.

Variety's Joe Leydon criticized the film for its "cavernous plot holes, risible dialogue, and ludicrously illogical behavior", while Charles Bramesco of The Guardian wrote, "After what may be one hundred hours, the film does not so much end as it stops, the score's wrapping-up tone an evident substitute for closure or resolution." Review cite Ciné Binger called the movie a 'DUD' with a rating of 0%, and further stating "This movie wastes the opportunity for great filming in what would have been a thought provoking plot/theme".
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Box office

As of January 31, 2019, Replicas has grossed $4 million in the United States and Canada, and $3.9 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $7.9 million, against a production budget of $30 million.

________________ Replicas Trailer #1 (2017)

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Mike Cervello · Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 3:49 pm Post subject:

It’s more for hardcore sci-fi fans than the average moviegoers. Since it is made in Canada by Lionsgate like the second version of the Outer Limits was made in Canada, it looks like Lionsgate was inspired to make this a film from an Outer Limits episode on artificial intelligence from the Canadian Outer Limits series.

But, the premise is being considered for making real artificial intelligence in development right now.

Bud Brewster · Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 7:54 am Post subject:

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Despite the horrible reviews and poor box office, I've placed this movie on my Netflix list. Hopefully my low expectations will help me appreciate whatever good aspects the film may have.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Mike Cervello · Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 10:10 pm Post subject:

I purchased it on iTunes and saw it twice. Science Fiction is a hard sell in the USA. People in this country don’t seem to like movies about space, technology, and the future. In my generation, I grew up with Issac Asimov, Star Trek, Irwin Allen, and black and white sci-fi movies and series. I never outgrew it.

If you have NetFlix, I highly recommend the NetFlix Lost In Space re-imaged series. I was very impressed with it. They changed some things around from the original. But the changes worked for me.

Bud Brewster · Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 10:41 am Post subject:

Mike Cervello · Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:10 pm Post subject:

Comic Book sci-fi is more science fantasy than fiction. Old school science fiction had more foundation in real science and less on fantasy. Do you know why DC Comics did away with Superman being able to fly so fast around the world he could travel through time? NASA disproved it to DC Comics. DC Comics also did away with Superman having such a great density that he could defy gravity and nothing could penetrate his skin. A physicist disproved that as well and told DC Comics a real life model of Superman being that dense is a pulsar or neutron Star. Superman would be one giant magnet that would attract everything to him, including light.

Mike Cervello · Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:12 pm Post subject:

Look at the Captain Marvel movie, if Carol Danvers absorbed all that energy, why didn’t she burn to a crisp or atomize?

Bud Brewster · Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:27 pm Post subject:

Bud Brewster · Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 10:00 am Post subject:

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Well folks, I just finished watching Repicas, and it is definitely a terrific science fiction movie! I simple don't understand the the critics' negative comments, like this one from Wikipedia's "critical response" section.
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"Equal parts plot holes and unintentional laughs, Replicas is a ponderously lame sci-fi outing that isn't even bad enough to be so bad it's good."
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Wrong, wrong, wrong! Shocked

I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire movie, and the climax is absolutely wonderful! I have no idea what "plot holes and unintentional laughs" the bozo who wrote that was referring to. Rolling Eyes

I especially admired the way the movie initially makes us think Keanu Reeves' character is seriously misguided in trying to "bring back" his family by creating copies of them. I was convinced the story was going to spiral into increasingly unpleasant consequences from his desperate actions.

But shortly after the "new family" is awakened and the minds of the mother and two kids have been "imprinted" onto their brains, we see them fall right back into their normal routines — completely unaware that they are newly created copies of the dead family.

When that happens it quickly becomes clear to the audience that these are simply "new" humans who deserve to live, and they possess all the admirable qualities of the fine family that Keanu tragically lost.

When Keanu eventually tells his wife that she's a clone, she doesn't start whining things like, "I'm not human!" and "I'm not the real me!" She's intelligent enough to accept the reality of her unusual nature and be grateful that she and her kids are able to resume their happy lives, of which they all have detailed memories!

The only two possible "plot holes" I noticed involved (1) a puzzling aspect of the final scene with the family on the beach, and (2) the very last scene in which the villain's basic nature seems to have been altered by Keanu in some unspecified manner.

However, both of those scenes don't strike me as "plot holes", they're more like plot elements that weren't spoon-fed to the audience, thus giving us interesting things to ponder. In other words, we're invited to work out the explanations for these puzzling elements, using clues which the movie provided.

Ladies and gentlemen, I submit that this is indeed a "thinking man's science fiction movie".

For the record, the fact that this movie failed so badly is proof that Mike Cervello was right about what he said in his post above.

Mike Cervello · Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2019 1:16 am Post subject:

Glad you liked it. I have seen it now three times and enjoy it. Good film.

Bud Brewster · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2022 2:02 pm Post subject:

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By gum, I'd forgotten that I can stream this wonderful movie on Netflix, and this discussion has put me in the mood for it again! Very Happy

By the way, Mike, why haven't we heard from you in several years? All Sci-Fi has never needed members like you more than it does now! Shocked

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)