(Not So) Evil Clones

The idea of cloning, and its biotechnology of duplicating cells to create the exact same thing, has long been in science-fiction films. It’s the tried and true story device that is used to rattle us modern day audiences, who just aren’t as scared as monsters in the dark anymore, when compared to monsters we can create. I recall the immortal bit of dialogue, once deleted from theatrical prints of Frankenstein (1931) until nearly five decades after its release: “Oh, in the name of God! Now I know what it feels like to be God!”

Of course, a clone doesn’t regulate the idea directly to science, as films have used plenty of “clone” like doppelgangers, much like in this Tuesday Blu-ray and DVD release from Universal Home Entertainment of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, with Scott’s “evil clone”, Nega Scott. This retrospective weighs in on the pros and cons of having a little more of yourself to go around.

First off, not all clones are bad. Heck, like how Nega Scott helps Scott out in the end, who couldn’t use a bit more of yourself to help out in your daily life. Hilariously, Harold Ramis explored this in his 1996 comedy, Multiplicty. The film has Michael Keaton’s character of Doug, who feels caught in between a life with a wife, career, and kids, only to clone himself a few times to handle the work load. Don’t we wish we can do that? More comedic doppelgangers can be found in the cult favorite Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991). Bill and Ted send back into time, robotic versions of themselves, who only mess up and force them to play a game with Death. Epic backfire, dude.

But not all clones are doofuses. Take a look at The 6th Day, an action-oriented sci-fi yarn starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, a few years before politics were in his future. His character of Adam Gibson was cloned to erase him in a cover up, only to use his clone to help himself out. See? Now that’s what I’m talking about. The film even features advanced cloning technology that mirrors that sheep that was successfully clone, when Gibson’s dog died, he clones to so his kids won’t miss a beat with her.

With films like these, cloning can be a bit more productive and useful, than as seen in more destructive manners like in Clonus (Parts: The Clonus Horror), Star Trek: Nemesis, Alien Resurrection, or the Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle, Replicant. C’mon science, get with it. There’s too many girls we want to date. There’s too many awesome Blu-rays to buy. There’s too many inconvenient jobs to do or articles to write, and Jon needs a break.

No word on a Blu-ray of Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, but some of the mentioned titles are on DVD now, with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World coming to Blu-ray and DVD, November 9th from Universal Home Entertainment.

What’s your cloning wish or favorite clone-based film? Comment below!