THE 6TH DAY

* * ½

STARRING: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tony Goldwyn, Robert Duvall, Michael Rapaport, Sara Wynter

2000, 124 Minutes, Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode

Description: In the not-too-distant future, when cloning plants, pets, and human organs is accepted, a sinister corporation has begun illegally duplicating entire human beings. They mistakenly clone the wrong man; a man who is now the only one with the power to expose their evil. They desperately want to kill him, but he will do anything to reclaim his family and life. — Amazon.com

The 6th Day is an action movie with brains. Or make that more brains than your average action flick. It's not The Terminator, but thankfully it's not Universal Soldier - The Return either. Think a Total Recall-lite version of Gattaca and you'll have an idea of what Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest action flick is like.

Although there are a lot of scientific inaccuracies in The 6^th Day (just as there was in Gattaca), but that doesn't stop 6^th Day from being intriguing or thought provoking. There are some nice ideas and concepts in this movie, just a pity that they are never more fully developed - unlike Gattaca, the movie's ideas take backseat to the action.

If you're an Arnie fan, you'll find The 6^th Day to be more than adequate in the action stakes. While not as intense or violent as previous Schwarzenegger vehicles, The 6^th Day isn't anywhere as bad as, let's say, End of Days. The 6^th Day will actually have you discussing some of the more philosophical and ethical points it raises regarding human cloning such as would you have a loved one cloned when said person is dying of an incurable disease? Is human cloning ethical at all? And so on. (Like Blade Runner, The 6^th Day also brings up the question of what makes us human.)

Now, let's be honest: when last did you actually discuss an action movie you just walked out of (beyond a cursory statement that it sucked or was cool)?