Spooky 'Godsend' lacks element of surprise

By Margaret A. McGurk
The Cincinnati Enquirer

GODSEND (PG-13) Two and One-Half Stars (Fair-to-Good)

Dr. Richard Wells, played by Robert De Niro, persuades a couple to clone their son Adam, who was killed in an accident. Lions Gate Films

Cloning and genetic manipulation are the tools of Satan in this particular fantasy about a child brought back from the dead, so to speak, thanks to the research "genius" Dr. Richard Wells (Robert De Niro).

He offers his illegal services to Paul and Jessie Duncan (Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos), young parents newly devastated by the accidental death of their 8-year-old son.

Paul is reluctant, but Jessie is desperate to have her boy back, so they agree to sever ties with home and settle near Wells' remote clinic. A cloned embryo leads to a healthy baby who grows up normally until he turns 8.

That's when he starts having terrible nightmares and hallucinations. He seems to snap in and out of consciousness, as if possessed by a split personality.

But, ooh, let's not give it all away.

The movie, written by Mark Bomback, does that job just fine all by itself. Once the spooky visions are in play, the plot starts twisting this way and that without ever coming up with any meaningful surprises. Nasty business comes to light — speaking metaphorically only. So much of the movie takes place in deep shadows it sometimes seems the family lives in a house without electricity.

Kinnear and Romijn-Stamos both give solid, convincing performances, and Cameron Bright as the troubled child is exceptionally effective. De Niro, on the other hand, seems to be operating on cruise control.

Director Nick Hamm, a British TV and stage veteran, shows a nice appreciation for horror-movie conventions, which is both good and bad news. His scary scenes are neatly crafted — even subtle, by genre standards — but horror fans will always be able to tell when something bad is about to happen.

Rated PG-13 (violence including frightening images, a scene of sexuality, some thematic material)