*regarding clones*
Cloned Craig: You're here, we're here. I have to rely on faith there's a reason.
Original Tracy: But aren't you even curious? I mean, it's not like this happens every day.
Cloned Craig: I should hope not. Otherwise, things would get pretty dicey down at the DMV.
Cloned: The Recreator Chronicles begins on an island with Frank Miller (John de Lancie, Star Trek: The Next Generation) and his wife Elizabeth (Laura Moss) fixing to call it a night in their beautiful woodland cabin. The raging, midnight thunderstorm in the Adirondack Mountains produces a lightning bolt which strikes the home's septic tank outside. This reignites an old experiment by a scientist who used to live there. We reach the opening titles and are introduced to Tracy (Stella Maeve, The Runaways, Accused at 17), Craig (Alexander Nifong, Pretty Little Liars, Glee), and Derek (J. Mallory McCree, We Need to Talk about Kevin) on their way to the island for a hiking and camping trip the next day. Tracy has to use the bathroom after the long canoe ride to the island and has issues with letting loose outside. Naturally, she finds Mr. and Mrs. Miller's house. What happened the previous night (clones of Mr. and Mrs. Miller killing their originals) is intercut with Tracy making her way inside the empty house.
Eventually, Tracy, Craig, and Derek all go to the house to use the bathroom, shower, and hang out, since the Millers seem to be gone. The Millers' clones return, the three teenagers flee, and a chase ensues in the woods. It's there where we learn of the teenagers' clones, which save them during all the madness.
Shot in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains, Cloned: The Recreator Chronicles is an independent film with spectacular production quality (you'd think they had Hollywood's vast resources). According to director Gregory Orr, the idea began with the concept of three kids going into the woods and six of them coming out. Where does one take it from there? Any number of directions; and a director of less experience and talent may have failed where Orr succeeded.
Where do Orr and his cast and crew succeed? In taking a well-written script and translating it to an interesting movie. It's as simple as that. Yes, the concept of cloning isn't exactly an original one, but it's used effectively here to drive home the movie's underlying theme of "replacement." Like most good sci-fi, it uses a scientific concept (one of which may be completely viable in the future) to assist in telling a story relevant to today's society. While we're not yet being replaced by clones of ourselves (or genetically altered, superior humans in general), you don't have to look far and wide to see people losing their jobs because of faster computers and automated systems. Cloned looks at this from more of a bio-tech perspective than a completely technological one, but its message isn't lost.
Stella Maeve, Alexander Nifong, and J. Mallory McCree make for a great ensemble. They also demonstrate good range. It is a pleasure to see John de Lancie again, as well, since I imagine a portion of this movie's fan base will remember him from his iconic role on the various incarnations of Star Trek.
Overall, I'd highly recommend the movie, not just for its concept and message, but more importantly because of its entertainment value.
