Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Multiplicity Blu-ray Movie Review

All Work and No Play Makes Doug Clone Himself.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 10, 2019

When did life become so chaotic? Shouldn't these fleeting years be fun? It's so hard to find balance: balance between family, work, and leisure, not to mention chores, projects, or maybe exploring that artistic side. Rather than fun, life is too often a strain. People get their priorities out of whack, sometimes by necessity, sometimes by choice, but the reality is that economics and biology -- humans have to sleep at least a few hours every night -- rule the world, not a person's heart and soul and wants and needs. Maybe science has the answer. Maybe if there was another "you" there'd be time to find that balance, sharing responsibilities by effectively doubling the hours in a day. That's all well and good until the other "you" realizes he or she has wants and needs, too, that he or she is not a slave or a robot. That's the idea behind Multiplicity, Director Harold Ramis' (Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day) oftentimes humorous, occasionally heartfelt, and obviously heads-up cautionary tale about science run amok, a center substance wrapped up around those aforementioned lighter qualities.

Going in.

Doug Kinney (Michael Keaton) is a loving husband and father who doesn't have time for his family. Work has him overworked and overextended, to the detriment of the time he should be spending with his wife Laura (Andie MacDowell) and their children. While on a particularly difficult job, Doug is approached by a mystery man who promises he can “change his life.” “We make miracles,” he tells Doug. That miracle is the miracle of cloning. Doug jumps at the opportunity to make another copy of himself. That guy can step in when he cannot, or doesn't want to, or wishes to spend his time away from work. The double is, at first, a big help. Production at work goes up, leisure time increases, and the family bond seems to be growing a little tighter, even as Laura goes back to work. But trouble brews when Doug's copy, who is every bit the same man with the same wants and needs, starts to spread his own wings a little too far. Can the real Doug reign in the fake Doug? Or will he seek out science, again (and again) to keep things working in his life?

Things begin to get interesting when Doug takes Laura out to eat to hash things out about their married life, to tell her that he's really not able to do his duties as a father without more of her help at home. She doesn't take it too well, obviously (she's been doing it ten years, he's been doing it one month), but the scene takes a turn for the humorous, and its first step towards cautionary tale, when Doug spots Doug 2 at another table with a female colleague from work. Number two is over there romancing the lady with a sob story about "his" deteriorating marriage in hopes that she'll invite him to bed. Consequences, man, consequences! But Doug doesn't think things through fully. His response is to bring yet another clone into the world but quickly realizes that three is worse than two.

Where the film goes is really not much of a surprise. Things don't work out quite as Doug had planned. Of course, he jumped at the thought of making the first clone, a spur of the moment choice at a low point in his life marked by high stress and higher demands on his time. It seemed like a good idea at the time, no doubt. Ramis and his team of screenwriters do an admirable job of filling in the story with a combination of pertinent ideas and humorous asides that all advance the story in some form or fashion, whether building Doug's stresses, exploring his relationship with the first clone, and the mess that results when a third, and a fourth, are introduced into his world. Ramis keeps the film balanced through humor and handling the heavy stuff with a sure, even hand, maintaining a consistent tone and pace that allows the film's lighter moments and social and existential commentary to compliment one another through the course of the film.

The reliable Michael Keaton shines as Doug, and as the three clones, pulling quadruple duty and infusing each one with a unique personality while still making sure there's enough of the original Doug in all of them to keep the story moving and the characters realistically defined. His performance is supported by some impressive visual effects that allows all of the characters to almost seamlessly appear on the screen. Keaton works his magic in these scenes, capably responding and gesturing to his other selves in different areas of the frame. It would be interesting to learn in what order, and when, these scenes were filmed, but regardless of how they were put together Keaton commands the screen at every opportunity, whether solo or with as many as three other versions of himself to act against. The lovely Andie MacDowell is terrific as the frustrated working mother who must work through the relationship she now has with as many as four different men, each of whom she believes to be her husband, which leads to several interesting, and funny, scenes in which she struggles with the seemingly out-of-nowhere personality changes in her husband.

Multiplicity Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This is a well-rounded pressed MOD (Manufactured on Demand) Blu-ray presentation from Sony. Multiplicity was, of course, shot on film, and the presentation's film-sourced credentials shine. The image maintains a pleasantly light grain structure for the duration, one that is texturally complimentary and reflective of the picture's origins; no major digital tinkering here. Details are exemplary. The picture appears stable and pleasing, revealing fine-point skin, clothing, and environmental textures with effortless complexity. The picture does become a little rougher-looking in the various effects shots where one or more additional copies of Michael Keaton (or another character, early in the film) appear on-screen at the same time, but such visual drawbacks, as relatively minor as they may be, are inherent to the source and not a product of the movie's transfer to Blu-ray. Colors are spot-on, boasting lavish greens on a golf course, fine-tuned clothing hues, and well-balanced skin tones. Black level depth is excellent, too. There are practically zero source or encode flaws to be seen. Fans couldn't have hoped for anything better on Blu-ray.

Multiplicity Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Multiplicity's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack remains a front-heavy experience for much of the duration. Music and effects alike generally hold steady along the front end, with elemental clarity more than adequate. The track occasionally folds in some surround integration, such as during the cloning process in chapter two (around the 19-minute mark) when music and machinery come together in a somewhat more harmonious and immersive sequence compared to the relatively straightforward and front-heavy elements that precede the scene. The track opens up again in chapter four during a peewee football game and at several other junctures throughout. It's balanced, one could call it, presenting every scene with a proper engagement, not frivolous volume and needless sonic excesses. Dialogue dominates the film, and it finds a good front-center location and excellent clarity.

Multiplicity Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sony's Blu-ray release of Multiplicity contains only the film's theatrical trailer (1080p upscaled, window box, 2:35). No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

Multiplicity Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Multiplicity might be Harold Ramis' most unsung film. It's a quality Comedy with a little heart and decent messages on family, time management, and science run amok. Keaton shines in the film and MacDowell is terrific as his wife. Sony's MOD Blu-ray is all but featureless but the video quality is top notch and the sound is fine. Recommended.