CBCP hits human cloning in comedy film ‘Repli-Kate’

In its latest movie review, the Catholic Initiative for Enlightened Movie Appreciation (Cinema) of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) rated the American comedy film "Repli-Kate" as "morally acceptable." However, it vigorously opposes and warns of the possible dangers of human cloning.

Repli-Kate stars Eugene Levy as scientist Dr. Jonas, and Miss USA titleholder Ali Landry in a dual role as a beautiful journalist and a cloned human named Kate.

In the movie, Kate was cloned accidentally but the new Kate was programmed to "think like a man indulging in sex, sports and beer more than in feminine niceties."

"In Repli-Kate, the clone is not aware of social conventions nor of the moral implications of its acts and like a robot is open to be programmed according to the whims and caprices of its creator," the CBCP movie review board said.

"All clones," it adds, "despite their outwardly perfect appearance, turns out to be disasters of some kind."

Cloning advocates, according to Cinema, claim that cloning could benefit humanity, but considering the web of moral and ethical questions it raises – issues on gender-bending or genetic tinkering – geneticists should think twice before venturing into the controversial area of human cloning.

Cinema said that at the end of the movie, one may ask "what happens now to the clone?" or "does the clone have a soul?"

"Those are exactly the same questions that will haunt us when some scientists play God and produce a human being out of a science lab," the group stressed.

The movie, though, got an "average technical assessment".

Two Chinese films were also recently reviewed by Cinema — "Unfaithful Concubine, Game of Love," set in China, and "Bone Twister," set in Hong Kong.

An erotic drama,Unfaithful Concubine was rated "morally disturbing" with "below avererage" technical assessment.

"The film could be unsettling for its frequent nudity, mostly uncalled for, and drug abuse that might be taken out of context by the audience," Cinema ruled.

"Apparently, the perceived evil and wrongdoing in the film is not seen from a Christian perspective so that pre-marital sex and extra-marital affairs are presented as either amoral or acceptable. All these make the film suitable for the mature audience," Cinema explained.

The film, it added, also needs tighter editing as there are many prolonged scenes, like tableau-like shots of ceremonials, which may bore one to death.