The 6th Day
By Randy White,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
A decent movie for teens, if they can endure it.
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The 6th Day
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Based on 2 parent reviews
What's the Story?
In this sci-fi action thriller, cloning is a reality -- but while food and pets can be cloned, it's illegal to clone humans. Helicopter pilot Adam (Arnold Schwarzenegger) learns that someone's been breaking this law and, after surviving what should have been a fatal accident, returns home to find a clone of himself. Now he must dig deeper into the mystery and find out who's responsible for the clones and what their mission really is.
Is It Any Good?
For a movie that claims the sanctity of human life seriously, THE 6TH DAY is gleefully homicidal. Clones and non-clones are dispatched left and right, as though dealing out death were part of a devoted father's everyday responsibilities. In regard to the ethical quagmire of human cloning, the movie makes almost no sense. Adam is horrified by the very possibility of such an unnatural practice. And yet, by the movie's end, he has formed a partnership with his clone (a role previously occupied by his murdered buddy), proving that narcissism is the ultimate form of friendship.
But The 6th Day doesn't entirely lack cleverness. In one scene, Adam visits a RePet franchise and is told that, via the miracle of cloning, he can have his dead dog back new and improved. And there's the family fridge that automatically notifies users of dwindling supplies. There are also a few cool effects scenes, with remote-flown helicopters and amniotic tanks full of "blank" human forms, waiting for DNA infusions. For teens and adults happy to sit through any Schwarzenegger vehicle, this is an okay movie, but those seeking coherence and a touch of plausibility should look elsewhere.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about cloning, in terms of what is possible and real today, and what the future of cloning might be.
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 27, 2001
- On DVD or streaming: March 27, 2001
- Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger , Michael Rapaport , Robert Duvall
- Director: Roger Spottiswood
- Studio: Columbia Tristar
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Run time: 130 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: strong action violence, brief strong language and some sensuality.
- Last updated: June 20, 2023
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