Doug Kinney never has enough time to do what he wants to do, his life is frantic and his family life is strained, then one day he gets the chance to have himself duplicated.
It would seem that a lot of complaints about this film are about it being a waste of a good premise, well for sure Multiplicity is far from being a comic masterpiece, but to say it doesn't deliver laughs set amongst its charming romantic heart, is a touch unfair I feel. What we get here is four Doug Kinney's, each one having their own driving personality to make it real easy for the audience to distinguish which is which. So, with Michael Keaton delivering four excellent performances as the Dougs, the comic relief flows pretty much all through the picture.
However, director Harold Ramis is guilty of staying safe with the material to hand because from the off the conclusion is never in doubt, the feel good factor is evident even as the Dougs are chaotically imploding. But is that really a reason to do the film down? Well no as far as I'm concerned, Multiplicity is a tidy fusion of sci-fi comedy and romance that isn't taking the science literally.
For Doug number 4 alone, with his skiing skills and pizza fetish, this film deserves 7/10, whilst Keaton deserves a far higher score indeed.
Multiplicity
1996
Action / Comedy / Romance / Sci-Fi
Multiplicity
1996
Action / Comedy / Romance / Sci-Fi
Plot summary
Construction worker Doug Kinney finds that the pressures of his working life, combined with his duties to his wife Laura and daughter Jennifer leaves him with little time for himself. However, he is approached by geneticist Dr. Owen Leeds who offers him a rather unusual solution to his problems - cloning.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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Keaton on top form in a very charming and enjoyable sci-fi comedy picture.
multiply this
In some ways, "Multiplicity" seems like low humor, but still comes out quite funny; maybe we expect a little too much from Harold Ramis. Featuring Michael Keaton as an overworked dad who gets himself cloned - only to have his clone get cloned to the point where there are four of him - it's silly but the good kind of silly. I think that overall, it shows that Michael Keaton really works best in comedy (see "Night Shift", "Mr. Mom" and "The Dream Team"). And since this one has Eugene Levy on board, you know that you're in for something good. Pretty cool. Also starring Andie MacDowell and Harris Yulin.
"Me want pizza!" Yeah, maybe so...
It's me again
Michael Keaton returns to the light comedy genre he was known for back in the 1980s before he went all dark knight on us.
Doug Kinney (Michael Keaton) is an overworked construction supervisor for a company that takes him granted and only cares for the bottom line. The people who work under him constantly mess up or turn up late. He is being pressured to work at the weekends, as his boss tells him. We have a saying if you do not show up to work on Saturday do not bother to turn up on Sunday.
This leaves him with little time with his wife Laura (Andie MacDowell) and the kids and his wants to go back to work as the kids are now old enough.
Doug encounters a scientist, Dr Leeds on his latest job at the Gemini Institute which is involved in cloning. Doug ends up with three versions of himself but they are not all like him in intellect or personality. The clones are supposed to make life easier for Doug who thought he could spend time relaxing but in fact complicates it.
Keaton does well interacting with the various versions of himself but the comedy is strained and not particularly funny.