It is a pleasure to watch Schwarzenegger, back to his best in a good old-fashioned action thriller, without having to cringe in embarrassment over some bad lines or a worse plot.

This example of action extravaganza actually leaves room for a decent storyline and some credible acting from the Hollywood superstar.

He plays Adam Gibson, a charter pilot in a near-future America where genetic manipulation is rampant but human cloning is illegal.

Gibson heads home from work one day to find himself already with his family enjoying his birthday cake!

Presumed dead after a mix-up resulting from the fact that his business partner (Rapaport) took his assignment, he has already been replaced by a clone.

When those responsible, including billionaire Michael Drucker (Goldwyn) discover their error, it becomes necessary to erase one of the Adams.

That leaves Gibson running for his life from assassins, who have the unfair advantage of being re-cloned every time they die, as he tries to figure out how he can get his life and family back.

The film asks you to ask questions about bio-ethics and playing God and, surprisingly, it does so in a manner that's both intelligent and skilful.

The script has fun with near-future developments like life-size talking dolls, cloned versions of deceased pets and virtual girlfriends, while still addressing the legitimate issues involved in human cloning.

The result is a film that keeps moving without feeling as though it's dragging you along. It's genuinely concerned with delivering the goods and even manages to avoid action overkill.

Dominic Bloch