IN JANUARY 2003, the US-based Clonaid organisation, which was established by the Raelian religious sect, announced the births of two cloned children to the world's media.

Scientists immediately cast doubt on these bold claims while religious leaders once again condemned experimentation on cloned human embryos.

The subsequent debate over the issue of human cloning has been intense, not least in the United States Congress.

Godsend is a psychological thriller borne of the fear surrounding cloning and its potentially life-changing benefits.

When their son Adam (Bright) dies on his eighth birthday in a freak car accident, Paul and Jessie Duncan (Kinnear, Romijn-Stamos) seek comfort wherever they can find it.

Prior to the boy's burial, the grieving parents are approached by renowned fertility specialist Dr Richard Wells (De Niro), who offers the Duncans a tantalising opportunity: the chance to bend the laws of nature and clone Adam.

Dr Wells's proposition stirs up a storm of legal, moral and ethical dilemmas.

Jessie wants her son back at any cost, regardless of the implications, Paul is fearful of the implications of tampering with nature.

After much soul-searching, the couple reluctantly accept the doctor's proposal and agree to the terms of his Faustian pact.

Paul and Jessie sever all ties with family and friends and move to the close-knit community of Riverton, where Dr Wells has established his Godsend Fertility Clinic.

Stem cells carrying Adam's DNA are secretly implanted in Jessie's womb and nine months later she gives birth to a bouncing baby boy.

The new Adam seems perfect in every way until his eighth birthday, when the lad's personality changes drastically.

He begins suffering from terrifying nightmares and shocking mood swings.

As Adam's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic, his parents realise the terrifying cost of their selfish actions.

Nick Hamm's film is a cautionary tale for our times that begins strongly, then sadly veers towards the preposterous as screenwriter Mark Bomback contrives a final reel twist that is pure hokum.

Director of photography Kramer Morgenthau works closely with Hamm to create some genuinely spooky visuals and Brian Tyler's orchestral score is suitably atmospheric.

However, the overwrought theatrics of the final 20 minutes completely undermine the picture, exacerbated by some embarrassing over-acting from De Niro.

Youngster Bright is impressive, evoking the dual sides to his character's tortured psyche, but Kinnear and Romijn-Stamos have little to do other than look grief stricken.

DAMON SMITH