Plot: What’s it about?
Max (James Roday) has intelligence to burn and can work with genetics like nobody’s business, but his love life lacks the needed chemistry. He is a nice person and has a lot to offer a woman, but he isn’t too smooth and without fail, all of his relationships have ended poorly, which haunts him to no end. He and his friend (Desmond Askew) have endless discussions about it, as his he thinks his buddy should move on, but Max is always nervous and refuses to even talk to most females. But when he sees the gorgeous Kate (Ali Landry), even he can’t hide his interest and thanks to her interest in genetics, a bond is sparked between the two. Kate is a journalist and she wants an inside look at the project Max is working on, so he agrees to talk with her of course, falls for her right from the start. But he thinks she is out of his league, so he resists hitting on her and when she ends up bitten by a lab animal, it looks as if all the romance has vanished. Some of Kate’s blood wound up on a sample disc however, which ends up being used in a cloning experiment, creating a second Kate. This new Kate offers Max a chance to have the perfect woman, but is this situation simply too good to be true?
The movie Weird Science is a lot of fun, but in this day and age, making your own woman isn’t out of the question. Now granted, we can’t just clone a gorgeous chick and implant thoughts into her head, but with genetics at such an advanced plateau, I knew it was a matter of time before Weird Science’s subject matter was revisited. And that film is Repli-Kate, which keeps things in the comic arena, but opts to shoot for romance more than crude laughs. I don’t think Repli-Kate will find the same kind of cult success as Weird Science, but it surprised me and turned out to be an enjoyable experience. Ali Landry of Doritos commercial fame has the main role(s) and is fun to watch, as she has to handle both her normal character, as well as the outlandish clone. The rest of the cast is decent enough, but Landry carries the movie and proves she has plenty of big screen talents, if given the correct role. A fun, often silly romantic comedy, Repli-Kate might have some flaws, but it is a good date movie and its even safe for the fellows. As such, I recommend this movie and since Spartan has issued a nice disc, there’s no reason to miss Repli-Kate.
Her appearance in a Doritos ad might have alerted the world to her presence, but Ali Landry has always been destined for fame, even being crowned Miss Louisiana in 1996. Of course, her stunning good looks make her screen presence enjoyable, but beyond that, this girl has some skills and she’s not afraid to use them. In Repli-Kate, she is able to show off her acting skills and show she can command the screen, but she never shies off from her sexuality, which is good news. In other words, she knows she looks good and can use that when she needs to, but she isn’t just another pretty face, not by any means. I hope to see Landry in more movies soon, hopefully some with higher level cast & crew involved. Other films with Landry include Outta Time, Beautiful, Soulkeeper, and Who’s Your Daddy? The cast also includes James Roday (Coming Soon, Showtime), Todd Robert Anderson (Blast from the Past, Don’t Try This at Home), and Eugene Levy (American Pie, Waiting for Guffman).
Video: How does it look?
Repli-Kate is presented in a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a solid looking effort, though the film’s low budget roots are evident. I found the image to be a little on the soft side, but still sharp enough on the whole, so no real concerns. The print is clean and compression is flawless, so no unwanted artifacts can be seen. The colors appear vibrant and bright, with no hint of errors, while flesh tones are natural throughout. I have no issues with the contrast either, as black levels seem accurate and consistent as well. A more than acceptable visual presentation, thanks to Spartan’s decision to make it an anamorphic widescreen edition.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio track here is about what I expected, given that this is a romantic comedy, perhaps the least audio driven of all genres. Although a Dolby Digital 5.1 track is found here, the material is driven by dialogue and low impact audio, so don’t expect a whirlwind of powerful audio elements here. The surrounds are visited to enhance the musical soundtrack, but aside from that, only a handful or so of scenes make use of the rear channels. This seems to satisfy the material however, as it never suffers and the front speakers handle the load rather well. The dialogue is crisp as can be and is never hard to understand, no problems whatsoever. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option, as well as English & Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary starts us off, with director Frank Longo, writer Stuart Gibbs, and producers Craig Perry & Sheila Hanahan on deck. With all four involved, the track never drags and we’re given a nice overview of how Repli-Kate was made, from concept to finished project. In addition to a total of ten deleted scenes, you’ll also find an alternate ending (with outtakes) and two alternate opening sequences, listed as director’s select scenes. This disc also includes some talent files, a selection of still photos, and the film’s trailer.
