The 6th Day (2000) DVD Review – UK

In the not too distant future man has created the ability to clone himself and although outlawed an organisation is secretly creating human doubles. When Adam Gibson meets himself he discovers a conspiracy and becomes a target for extermination.

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Runtime

1 Hour 58 Minutes

BBFC rating

Region

Regions 2/4

Sound

Dolby Digital 5.1

Aspect

2.35:1

Release year

2000

Details

Adam Gibson runs a helicopter charter company ferrying wealthy thrill-seekers up to the mountains for skiing and snowboarding. When high-profile businessman Michael Drucker hires his company, Adam thinks little of the standard background checks and confidentiality agreements that come with the job.

Drucker is head of Replacement Technologies, a corporation at the forefront of cloning science. From cloning fish to repopulate the oceans to offering "RePet" services that perfectly recreate beloved family pets, the company appears revolutionary. Rumours persist, however, that they may be breaking the "6th Day" law - legislation banning the cloning of humans.

After a violent incident on the mountain, Adam finds himself waking in the back of a taxi with no memory of how he got there. Returning home, he is confronted with the impossible: a perfect double of himself celebrating his birthday with his family. Realising he has been illegally cloned, Adam becomes the target of corporate assassins determined to eliminate the "mistake" and protect the secret at any cost.

Picture & Sound

The picture is bright and colourful with plenty of detail, and the CGI effects blend convincingly with the live-action footage. The bit-rate remains comfortably above average and both the daylight snow sequences and darker interior scenes are handled without artifacting or outlining. This is one of those big-budget transfers where the money clearly shows on screen.

While examining the packaging I nearly suffered a mild panic when the sound logo appeared to indicate only a stereo track. Fortunately this proves to be a misprint, as the disc contains a full Dolby Digital 5.1 mix complete with the familiar fanfare at the start. That said, the soundtrack is somewhat restrained for a sci-fi action film, with limited surround activity outside of the larger action sequences. Dialogue is generally clear, although the occasional Arnie mumble may require a slight nudge of the volume control. Once the explosions kick in, however, the mix finally opens up and delivers the goods.

Menu & Extras

The menus are animated and scored, and the extras are plentiful. The various featurettes explore the stunts, effects and futuristic gadgets in bite-sized segments, although they do feel somewhat fragmented and padded. Still, this Region 2 edition is far more generous than the comparatively barren American release.

Overall

This film has a definite Total Recall feel to it, from the corporate conspiracy themes to the identity confusion and futuristic gadgetry. While it never quite reaches the inventive heights of that earlier Arnie classic, the near-future world is convincingly realised and the cloning premise is intriguing enough to hold the attention.

That said, this is not one of Schwarzenegger's finest outings. It feels like a star slightly past his explosive peak, relying more on formula than freshness. Perhaps it was time to consider the unthinkable and explore that growing interest in politics. After all, Demolition Man joked about it first - Arnie for President!