Rogue Cinema - Repli-Kate (2002)

Repli-Kate (2002) - By Danny Runion
Posted on Thursday, July 01 @ Mountain Daylight Time by Duane

Imagine taking the Brundle telepods from The Fly, crossing them Weird Science and Multiplicity, and then throwing Ali Landry into the mix. That pretty much describes what you get with Repli-Kate. A shy geneticist accidentally clones a beautiful reporter and teaches her to act like a man who loves football, beer, and sex. It's only later that he realizes, in typical-movie fashion, that this wasn't a very good idea. It isn't that funny or for that matter bad. It just exists. The gags seem worn out from being in other movies, and at most the plot should have been a skit on SNL.

What can you say when the biggest star in your movie co-starred in Armed and Dangerous? Eugene Levy is still trying to prove to the world he can make movies without Jason Biggs and without the word "American" in the title. Unfortunately, Levy acting as an ego-maniacal college researcher with no idea of his field of study is another tired idea that needs to be put to sleep.

Ali Landry pulls off her character and the clone better than Haley Mills did with twins in The Parent Trap. Of course, Ali in various states of undress can't be bad. She definitely isn't hard on the eyes, and there are some laughs when she's acting like a man obsessed with football and sex. She does have more skill as actress than you'd think, and I'm hoping she manages to escape a career that ends up like that of Kari Wuhrer.

Repli-Kate isn't raunchy enough for the Porky's or the American Pie fans. It was trying to be a comedy that was just a bit naughty, but unfortunately, they didn't realizing taming down a movie with this kind of plot only makes it seem even flatter and less funny. The kernel of the story could have been a really funny idea if they'd had the stomach to make it as a slob comedy.

National Lampoon hasn't had a very good track record with its movies for the last 20 years or so. Unfortunately, Repli-Kate is a message comedy that only seems interested in tired gags and a supposedly profound message that's repeatedly beaten into our heads. Unfortunately, the message is one we all know already and for that matter didn't need a movie based around. I happen to think Repli-Kate is another attempt to punish the world for not recognizing the intrinsic humor of Van Wilder, which was released like a plague of cicadas upon an unsuspecting populace.