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Columbia TriStar Home Video presents

The 6th Day: SE (2000)

"I'm not going to have some freak of science sleep in my daughter's bed."- Adam (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Rapaport, Tony Goldwyn
Other Stars: Michael Rooker, Sarah Wynter, Robert Duvall
Director: Roger Spottiswoode

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for strong action violence, brief strong language and some sensuality
Run Time: 02h:03m:25s
Release Date: 2002-01-22
Genre: sci-fi

Style
Grade
Substance
Grade
Image Transfer
Grade
Audio Transfer
Grade
Extras
Grade
A- B+B+A- A-

 

DVD Review

There's nothing like a good ol' Arnold Schwarzenegger action film. If the guy's not taking an unwanted stab at comedy (the questionable Twins, Junior or Jingle All The Way), it's a pretty safe bet that said film will feature a fair amount of spectacular set pieces, a few nifty villains, and enough quotable taglines to make for a decent way to spend a couple of hours. Action-friendy director Roger Spottiswoode (Tomorrow Never Dies) does not disappoint with this one, and though it takes a little bit too long to reach it's predictable finale, it is pure testosterone-fueled Ahnuld. Two Ahnulds, actually .Set in the near future ("sooner than you think" according to the opening credit sequence), the world has made major advancements in the science of cloning. Human cloning is technologically feasible and possible, but world outrage has decreed the passage of the biblically-titled "6th Day" law, which has put a criminal ban on the practice. Ahnuld is Adam (get it?) Gibson, a self-professed "old school" kind of guy who runs a whisper-jet (think CG helicopter and jet combo) charter service with his buddy Hank (Michael Rapaport). Adam is sort of a neo-Luddite, and he is dead-set against many of the sophisticated advances that the future holds, such as the clever RePet service, which allows the cloning of a dead family pet. A scheduled charter with ultra-powerful, but mysterious, multi-billionaire Michael Drucker (Tony Goldwyn) is the necessary start to a chain of events that eventually ends up with Adam coming face to face with his very own clone (shades of Total Recall!) upon arrival back home. A trio of menacingly nasty killers, led by Marshall (Michael Rooker), do their best to try and eliminate the real Adam before he can expose the clandestine conspiracy of underground human cloning that has far-reaching implications. Raise your hand if you think Ahnuld is hard to kill? In a nutshell, Ahnuld and his clone kick some major bad guy butt along the way. Being set in the near future, The 6th Day can conveniently interject futuristic hi-tech conveniences into the fabric of what looks like everyday life, and the impressive visual effects here make these accoutrements look not only natural, but thematically believable. Either that or I'm just a sap for good looking sci-fi films. Anhuld's whisper-craft is a hip mutation that finds its way into a couple of pivotal actions sequences (natch!). Guns don't fire bullets, but instead emit some type of cool blue laser; that does make gun battles a little more visually interesting. Don't forget the abundance of the requisite flat-panel computer monitors, auto-pilots for cars and sexy holographic images (I want a Virtual Girlfriend NOW!), which give the world of The 6th Day the necessary futuristic feel without going too far into the tacky jumpsuited realm of Logan's Run. Things like the aforementioned RePet (check out the eerie infomercial and TV spot included as extras on disc 2), or the Sim Pal Cindy, which is a damn creepy animatronic doll that grows real hair and talks, are the type of little inventive details that make this big, bloated thriller just that much more fun.I imagine you might even be able to sift through the wonderfully mind-numbing explosions and chases to wrestle with some of the, at times heavy-handed, cloning questions raised in the screenplay from Cormac and Marianne Wibberly. But what's the point in that? This is a noisy good time, and why wreck it with too much thinking? Did I mention I want a Virtual Girlfriend NOW?

Rating for Style: A-
Rating for Substance: B+

 

Image Transfer

 One
Aspect Ratio2.35:1 - Widescreen
Original Aspect Ratioyes
Anamorphicyes


Image Transfer Review: As with the 2001 single disc release, this 2-disc set features a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Colors are bright and vivid, and as with a lot of sci-fi themed films, there is a preponderance of ethereal blue light, especially in the cloning lab, that looks unusually sharp. I noticed some ringing in spots, but nothing too drastic. Fleshtones look natural, and black levels are dead on, and provide detailed contrast. The source print appears to be pristine, as there were really no noticeable blemishes.

Image Transfer Grade: B+
 

Audio Transfer

 LanguageRemote Access
DS 2.0French, Spanish, Portugueseyes
Dolby Digital
5.1
Englishyes


Audio Transfer Review: A big, noisy movie needs an equally big, noisy audio transfer, and the 5.1 mix provided here is more than adequate. Making full use of all available channels, especially the rears, with a blend of helicopters, gunfire, squealing tires and Trevor Rabin's techno score. Excellent directional imaging spread across the fronts really makes for an engaging sound field. Dialogue is crisp and well-mixed.2.0 surround tracks in French, Spanish and Portuguese are also provided.Thumbs up to Columbia TriStar.

Audio Transfer Grade: A- 

Disc Extras

Animated menu with music
Scene Access with 28 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai with remote access
Cast and Crew Filmographies
1 Original Trailer(s)
3 Other Trailer(s) featuring Spiderman, The One, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Production Notes
Isolated Music Score with remote access
1 Documentaries
Storyboard
1 Feature/Episode commentary by Trevor Rabin
Packaging: Amaray Double
Picture Disc
2 Discs
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual

Extra Extras:
  1. RePet Infomercial and TV Spot
Extras Review: Columbia TriStar has loaded all of the extras (except for the commentary, of course) on disc 2. If you are even remotely fascinated in watching behind-the-scenes footage, then you will want to take a peek at these goodies. Maybe not much re-watchability on these features, but interesting, regardless.Disc 1:CommentaryHere's an unusual treat, but maybe not for everyone's tastes. Composer Trevor Rabin provides a scene-specific (as it were) commentary on the musical elements used in the film. An isolated 5.1 track features the score, along with occasional interjections from Rabin, who chats about the various instrumentation used to set particular moods, among other things. Rabin also touches on the comparisons of film scoring with that of performing "live," as he did as a member of the band Yes. He talks about "being sick and tired" of playing Owner Of A Lonely Heart 600 times, but how a film score is fresh, new and once it's done, it's done. Like a painting. These are the type of commentary tracks rarely heard that make me glad to have a DVD player.Disc 2:The Future is Coming (15m:30s)This Showtime Special EPK features most of the primary cast and production principals, combining actual film footage with some behind-the-scenes shots. A lot of the interview snippets are fluffery, but there are some cool production footage clips from the Virtual Girl and underwater infusion lab sequences.On The 6th Day Nine separate segments, each detailing an individual visual effects element of the film. If you're a effects geek, this should entertain you:Another Way to Fly (4m:40s)Combining the final footage and behind-the-scenes, this section looks at the animatic "moving storyboard" for the development of the film's futuristic whisper-craft.Finding Sim Pal Cindy (7m:47s)One of the creepier parts of The 6th Day is the Sim Pal Cindy doll, and here we learn how Amalgamated Dynamics created and built the robotic puppet. Still creeps me out.The Art of the Chase (6m:01s)Focusing on the work of the 2nd Unit, this section highlights the big car chase sequence, and features a cross-section of the final footage that shows the stunt from few different angles.Over the Cliff (3m:27s)Did you ever wonder how complicated it is to drive a car into a gorge? That sequence, and all of the detailed safety precautions, are outlined here. Virtual Girlfriend (4m:30s)Using a combination of blue screen and motion control work, the creation of the film's memorable Virtual Girlfriend is detailed in this piece. Features original, working print and final composites. I want one.In the Tank (6m:32s)Here the impressive 85,000 gallon infusion lab tank sequences are the focal point. The production team's safety and communication procedures, as well as some new underwater camera housings are featured.Free Falling (3m:15s)The advances in film "high falls" have progressed to the use of a highly sophisticated piece of equipment known as a "Descender." This allows for more elaborate and visually mind-boggling cinematic leaps, in conjunction with varying camera speeds.Detonation (3m:39s)This section allows you to marvel at the design and erecting of the massive building that is destroyed near the film's climax. Not necessarily informative, but it blows up real good.Enhancing The Look (7m:59s)The 6th Day features over 700 effects shots, including dual Ahnulds, and the visual effects team discusses how motion control cameras really work. A number of examples comparing computer enhanced shots vs. original shots, as well as final composites, are also featured here.Storyboard ComparisonsThree segments of the film are given the split screen treatment to allow comparisons between storyboards and the final product. The scenes are:Car Chase (4m:09s)Whisper-Craft Crash (1m:20s)Cloning Tanks (2m:21s)RePet Infomercial and TV SpotAs partially featured in the mall sequence, this is a chance to see the eerily surreal RePet TV spot (:30s) and the slightly longer infomercial (2m:35s) in their entirety. Cool.AnimaticsAnimatics are moving storyboards, and combine traditional storyboards with CG animation, and helps the director pre-visualize the scene. So essentially these are CG animated test sequences of:Snowy Mountain (2m:35s)Rooftop (3m:17s)Theatrical TrailersThe 6th Day, Spiderman (a teaser), The One and Final Fantasy: The Spirits WithinAlso on disc 2 are filmographies for the primary cast and crew.Excellent.

Extras Grade: A-
 

Final Comments

This flick got panned during its theatrical run, and that may have been a bit harsh. All the major components are here for mindless escapism. Its got Ahnuld. It's in the future. Its got lots and lots of action and cool effects. So what if it's a little long?Recommended.

Rich Rosell 2002-01-22