Written and directed by Danny Dones, co-written by Phillip Cordell, a gang of outlaws defend their hideout until they discover a shocking secret about who they are and what they’re up against. Now it’s a race against time as they look for a way to escape certain doom at the hands of the Clone Cops. Starring: Allison Shrum, Quinnlan Ashe, Schyler Tillett, Ted Welch, Henry Haggard, Rashad Rayford, Phillip Cordell and Ravi Patel.
Going for that low-fi, 1980s, underdog, slightly cheesy vibe, is always a good starting point but it’s more difficult to do right than it may seem. Trying to capture that balance of silly yet effective is extremely tricky and Clone Cops doesn’t always succeed. The way that it moves, and the style of the dialogue are tapping right into that nostalgia but it takes a long time to settle in, and its story interestingly gets distracted with morality.
It’s not a bad avenue to explore, where true humanity lies, but with Clone Cops going for something fun and light, it tends to get in the way rather than adding to the film. That’s why when things get more creative and chaotic in its later moments, it finally clicks into a good rhythm, it’s just a shame it’s a bit too late. Another part of that is the effects and sound work, it’s hard for the action to really kick in when it feels theatrical rather than dangerous.
Another similar timing issue is with the characters, it feels like we only finally get to know them and the group builds a stronger connection as the finale arrives. They’re great characters, portrayed by an enjoyable group of actors, but their chemistry needed to get going earlier to help pull viewers into this ragtag bunch’s story more strongly. One of the unexpected standouts is Rashad Rayford as Freddy because he’s such a straightforward, sweet and naive guy that he’s immediately entertaining to watch.
Whereas Schyler Tillett’s Kinder doesn’t really come out of his shell until towards the end of the film. He had a lot to offer and it’s a shame he doesn’t dive in earlier. The same could be said for Allison Shrum’s Cipher, and the two of them make for a good pair, they only needed to get their teeth into this story earlier on. Victoria Keum Jee and Justin Tarrents as Clone Cops’ Hunger Games style commentators are a good addition but the personalities of their characters feel slightly weak, making them more of a distraction.
Danny Dones’ directorial style is quite simple, especially using a lot of virtual elements. That’s part of the problem, when it’s constantly moving away from its leading characters, it can’t connect with them as strongly. In the same way that it uses violence but doesn’t embrace it. The imagination kicks things up a gear in the later scenes when things start to fall apart in a fun way, but unfortunately, the rest of the film can’t quite manage to capture that same energy.
Clone Cops has a really great concept, but everything doesn’t quite come together. It struggles to get things going and is missing a quirky energy or unusual charm to really blend everything well. However, in its final scenes, it finally gets into a good rhythm and simply has a good time. So, while it may not be quite hitting all the right notes with its effects work, or driving home the action, it has all the right intentions.
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