Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Play: Darren Smith, Terrance Zdunich
Screenplay: Darren Smith, Terrance Zdunich
Producers: Mark Burg , Daniel J. Heffner, Oren Koules, Carl Mazzocone
Starring: Alexa Vega, Anthony Head, Paul Sorvino, Sarah Brightman, Paris Hilton, Bill Moseley
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 98 min
Country of Origin: USA
Toronto After Dark Film Festival
One cannot go into the film making process with the intent of making a cult classic movie. One should just make a movie as best as they can and if it organically evolves into a cult hit over the years, then fine. Trying to artificially create something that needs to age and ferment on its own just doesn’t work. So is the obvious case with Repo! The Genetic Opera. Not to mention it just has a whole slew of other problems beyond its over indulgence in ambition.
The essential idea of Repo! is that in the near future, people are able to buy synthetic body parts and organs from a private company known as “Geneco”. Payment plans can be worked out for the less fortunate in society. However, if one doesn’t make his payments on time, Geneco is legally allowed to send a repo man to track the defaulted party and repo the implanted organ by any means necessary. Should that require ripping a spine from a woman’s back in a darkened alleyway, then so be it. So hey, what a fantastic and original idea! Unfortunately, this idea is totally abandoned almost immediately with a cliche-ridden, relationship story and a couple of uninteresting side stories regarding sibling rivalry and drug abuse that seem to go nowhere. At least nowhere worthwhile. Oh, and did I mention it’s a rock opera? Cool right? Nope.
The music. Being a rock opera, the music is arguably the single most important element to get right within the movie. It goes sour pretty quickly and the whole thing feels and looks like an “Evanescence” music video – which actually wouldn’t be a completely bad thing if it was memorable in the slightest. The backing music itself isn’t bad if you’re into that kind of thing. Personally, this writer actually is into bands like “Evanescence” and Rob Zombie. But when your music coordinator claims that’s it’s really something new and there’s a bit of all genres mish-mashed together to create something unique, that’s a big strike against the film when it’s anything but new and unique. Still, the music itself is kind of catchy and could work on some levels.
Then the actors open their mouths. It’s not that any of them are terribly bad singers. In fact, quite the opposite. Sarah Brightman obviously has siome pipes as do a lot of the other actors. Hell, even Paul Sorvino giving his voice a go is kind of fun; even if he isn’t exactly Pavarotti. The problem is the dialogue and “melodies” the characters are forced to utter. Everything just falls completely flat and in some cases is downright hair pulling. Keep in mind that this is not a musical; there are really only one or two actual songs. The rest of the production is an operatic eperiement in which characters sing their lines of dialogue with tempo and tone. More than entertaining, it just sort of becomes annoying after a while – though that’s certainly a question of personal taste. However, an astute assertion by Dr. Nathan over at Quiet Earth is that when a person can’t remember one single bit of catchy lyrics after a 2 hour movie filled to the brim with music, your production has got some problems. And I have to admit, I can’t remember a single line. Ouch.
The film is certainly not a total disaster. The set designs and style are actually quite awesome. The mood trying to be set with how things are lit and stylized is quite impressive. From ominous crypts and graveyards to grandiose stage sets and secret laboratories. There’s even some neat CGI work used to create the look of a downtrodden, futuristic city. As the film opens, a spectacular camera in flight
swoops over the city’s upper reaches of it’s highest buildings. Think Blade Runner for the goth crowd. I gotta say that the almost 100% of this movie looks fantastic. Particularly during the last act in which the climax of what story there is reaches a crescendo in the confines of a small opera house. The choreography and style coupled with the exquisite costuming really is something to behold.
Alas, the praises end there. While the aforementioned gothic crowd is probably going to find a whole slew of things to latch on to, as a film fan, there is some severely lacking story and musical elements that weren’t hashed out. To be sure, it’s obvious that a lot of heart and passion went into making the film (and probably a lot of fun as well), but sometimes heart just isn’t enough. In fact, it would have been fun to see some hearts removed. Instead, we get Paris Hilton sing-bickering with her siblings.
Click “play” to see the trailer:
Links:
IMDb profile
Official Site
Flixster Profile for Repo! The Genetic Opera
Great review. I’m glad to finally hear a review that isn’t making allowances for the fact that the film is simply different.
I actually remember 2 small lines from Repo! and only because they made me laugh so hard I almost spit out my gummi bears.
“You put it in the gun like a battery/Then you stick it, in your anatomy.”
and
“I’m gonna find a hole and f#$^ it, and if I can’t find one I’m make it” *stabs some poor girl in the gut.*
absolutely terrible. What a joke.
Agreed. This movie was pretty much unforgivable shite. Two stars is two too generous.
“Keep in mind that this is not a musical; there are really only one or two actual songs.”
I’m sorry, but I must strongly disagree. Even if the songs aren’t memorable, as you claim, there are certainly several “actual” songs in the movie: “I Didn’t Know I’d Love You So Much,” “Chromaggia,” “Legal Assassin,” “Infected,” “Seventeen,” to name a few.
“The rest of the production is an operatic eperiement in which characters sing their lines of dialogue with tempo and tone.”
First of all, it’s spelled ‘experiment.’ Second, I’m guessing you’ve never seen any modern rock/pop operas, because that is what they sound like. Even straight out Broadway musicals have songs that are almost nothing more than people talking with music in the background.
The musical structure (in particular the lack of memorable tunes) is only one problem of several in this film.
I’m assuming you liked it Eli, I’d love to know why.
“First of all, it’s spelled ‘experiment.’ “
Funny thing about that – one, I know how to spell experiment. I was typing during a bumpy bus ride and must’ve pushed a couple of keys incorrectly. Second, I’m not even sure why I made that statement. An operatic experiment? That doesn’t make any sense at all and I’m sure not what I meant at the time (and still not sure what I meant). Third, the sentence right after that doesn’t make much sense either. It’s obvious I shouldn’t write reviews with no sleep on an all night bus trip.
Having said that, I know exactly what a pop rock opera sounds like (I think that was my intent with the sentence) and what it’s supposed to be. If it’s a good opera it sounds nice; catchy; melodic. This one just falls flat. The backing music isn’t bad if you like that sort of music (Evanescence-esque). But the singing dialogue is pretty awful.
Though at the same time I admit that myself and Kurt seem to be in the minority in this opinion judging from the critical reviews I’ve read. Still, it will be interesting to see reviews from other critics who aren’t simply fan boys at a genre film festival.
You know what? This is a movie that either you hate or really like. People have their own views about it so stop trying to argue your points because it is not going to convince one or the other to change their mind. If you don’t like the type of music or the genre of this film then it is easy to write a review showing that you don’t like it, but it’s gonna piss other people off. Likewise for if someone really loves this film, there would be dozens of comments about what was wrong with it. The fact of the matter is that this movie has a specific group of followers and is not directed toward all audiences. A friend of mine related it to Rocky Horror Picture Show (please don’t bother me about them being different, I know they are). RHPS has a specific group of followers and not everyone likes it.
As for the music. A lot of it seems like a script put into words and I didn’t like the music as much until I got the soundtrack and listened to the songs separate from the movie. They are much better then. Also, I think some of the music was supposed to be kinda bad. For example, the scene where the Largo kids are singing “Mark It Up,” I kinda cringed, but it seemed like an intentional thing. And most importantly, realize that the people that made this movie are the same people that mad SAW, give them some slack.
I would very much disagree with the statement about the music being like Evanescence, unless it is in relation to Blind Mag (I can kinda see that). The majority of the more rock/metal songs are more like Nine Inch Nails than Evanescence.
It’s not a bad movie, it’s not a great movie, but it is a good movie. How can a movie not be good if Paris Hilton’s face falls off?
Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion Spike. And of course the movie is directed at a certain audience. So you think I should not review a review and argue my points on why I didn’t like it? “Ella Enchanted” isn’t really marketed to my demographic either, but I can watch it and make critical accusations or lauds for it.
“Supposed to be kind of bad” = mission success.
I really wanted to like the movie, but in the end I was dissapointed. Settings are great and beeing more on the dark side of life (black is beautiful!
) it got me there. But for the rest? The “talking” was awful, dumb lines throughout the whole movie and the songs were almost shit. I kinda liked Sarah Brightman and kudos for trying something different. But for me the goal was not achieved. I watched it at a fantasy festival and the crowd was pleased so I got a bit of the positive vibe and even with that I gave only 5 out of the 10. After a few days and a little diskussion with myself I disliked the movie even more (especially the songs and the performance of Paul Sorvino which I didn’t liked from the beginning of the movie). After rewatching the trailer and some clips I don’t feel any need to watch the movie ever again. Settings, Sarah Brightman and the experiment on the positive side: 3/10. And I am a part of the “certain audience” or at least I feel that way. 
Nothing is more embarrassing than an audience so desperate to like something that they can not see awfulness right in front of them. Yes, indie cult wannabe films can suck just as hard as studio funded blockbusters or Rom Coms.
I hold Repo extra accountable because they had a fabulous idea/concept/world and they fucked it up so bad.
As they say on the internets -> EPIC FAIL.
Am I an ass for bashing a film considering I don’t go out and make films myself? Perhaps. But really, the reaction of many audiences to this film (cheering, fist pumping, ecstasy) is completely at odds with my experience to the thing (See also: Transformers, which is at the other end of the budgetary scale). I just saw bad filmmaking and sloppy execution with REPO, and what got my back up is the free pass the audience seemed to give it.
@ Nothing is more embarrassing than an audience so desperate to like something that they can not see awfulness right in front of them.
Yes!
And also that’s exactly how I feel about Behind The Mask.
Fair Enough Rusty. We’ve been through that before and I may be guilty. But damn, the execution of that film was pretty solid to me, whether or not they cribbed from Wes Craven’s scream.
I think this is a pretty fair review, actually. A few of my friends could just NOT stop talking about REPO, so after a few months I finally decided to give it a try. Everything they said about the movie was positive, so I went into watching the movie with a good attitude. I WANTED to like it, and I still couldn’t get past the bad dialogue and even worse lyrics.
Some of the melodies are sort of catchy, but the lyrics suck. Next time hire a lyricist!
I also had a big problem with the end of the film. It seemed to just…end, with no real resolution to any of the plot/subplots it had somewhat developed in the beginning.
“The majority of the more rock/metal songs are more like Nine Inch Nails than Evanescence.” – Spike
Are you f–king kidding me? The music was awful, and even without the annoyingly repetitive and structureless “lyrics”, it would still be generic garbage. If you honestly think that chunky riff sludge + synth drumkit = industrial, your standards are pretty low. And comparing any of this to “Nine Inch Nails” is f–king blasphemy. I’m pretty sure Trent Reznor would NOT want to be associated with the watered down Hot Topic Bubble Gum Pop-Goth
“Opera” that is Repo.
The Evanescence and Avril Lavigne stabs from the reviewers are more than justified because that’s exactly what it all sounds and looks like. Even the fact that Ogre from the band, Skinny Puppy, plays Pavi Largo still can’t lend enough credibility or talent to make this dolled-up piece of “wannabe-cult classic” sh*t float. I will admit, the concept was interesting, and as a an actual MOVIE with SPOKEN dialogue and a cohesive plot, it could’ve been great, but as a MUSICAL, it just sucks.
I went into this movie knowing nothing about it except that it was a musical and Anthony Stewart Hall was in it, which is why I wanted to see it in the first place. The first time I watched it I thought it was pretty good. The second time I watched it I wondered what was wrong with me the first time, because it was amazing. I have since watched it over a dozen times, and it only gets better and more in depth with each viewing.
I like to be objective, so I watched it from the perspective of someone who thinks it is a lame, goth-lover’s fantasy filled with cliche story lines and sophomoric concepts. From that experience, I can understand why someone might not like it, but it blows my mind how much people can downright actively hate it.
I’ve watched 1000′s of movies in my life, and I have a pretty good barometer when it comes to assessing whether something is pretentious crap or whether the people involved truly believed in what they were doing and put their hearts into it, and Repo! is full of heart.
The themes of overcoming inherent obstacles and battling inner demons and the fear of life that comes with loss are things I can deeply appreciate, and this movie nailed the concepts beautifully, and without pretense or apology. So many movies these days think they have to find some cleverly pretentious way to get their points across that it was refreshing to watch something going straight for an emotional core.
Can someone please give me a productive criticism of why they think the music/lyrics are so bad? I think they’re brilliant, SO much better then most music/lyrics in the world (I listen to a WIDE variety of music), and the emotional depth of both the meaning behind the songs and the gusto put into them by the actors are at times breathtaking. Especially ASH in Night Surgeon.
And for those who don’t get it, the brothers are SUPPOSED to be exaggerated and ridiculous, and for the person who said Paul Sorvino was a bad actor, I am truly baffled. The nuances of his sinister performance blow most acting out of the water. I’ve rarely seen someone outside of the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman hold so many layers in his facial expressions.
Everyone has a right to their opinions, and I know not everyone will like the same things I like, but if you’re going to tear something apart, please try and be more focused than “it was shit” or “god, that sucked”.
Side note: the review on this site was better stated than most negative reviews I’ve read, though many of the follow up comments were typical in their broad sense of vagueness.
REPO! is playing at Minneapolis Uptown tonight at Midnight. And mentalfengshui, that was a really well thought out and correctly written comment. Thanks for popping in and leaving your two cents. While I disagree it’s nice to see a properly put together argument from a new comer. Cheers!
They are having a burlesque troupe accompany the show as well.
Thanks Andrew James. I always enjoy a good debate between two people who have different views. It’s how people learn from one another, and it helps with either solidifying your own point of view, or being opened to a point of view you hadn’t previously considered. It’s when people begin mudslinging that I become irritated and defensive.
Thanks for providing a forum based on discussion rather than disembowelment of personal views.
By the way, The Godfather is also my pick for the movie everyone else loves that I don’t care for (though Million Dollar Baby is a close second). Plus, I love Starship Troopers, PT Anderson, Robert Downey Jr, Naomi Watts, Kate Winslet, Amy Adams and Natalie Portman, and I hated House of the Dead.
So you see, for all the haters out there, just because two people disagree on one particular passion doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of common ground left to stand on.
And AJ (can I call you AJ?), out of curiosity, what kind of music do you generally like? And what about the sounds of Repo! do you think makes it fall flat? I ask because as I’ve grown more and more familiar with the music, I’ve grown more and more impressed with the precision given to each and every line in relation to the emotion it’s portraying, as well as the attention to detail in giving each character his or her own personal musical style, which is then intermixed and weaved throughout the film as everyone interacts with one another. I’ve never seen a musical so thoroughly integrated with the emotional and mental states of the characters.
Is this just my personal opinion based on subjective experience, or is this from my limited exposure to musicals/operas? (I’ve seen quite a few, but by no means am I an expert.)
Can you offer me what you would consider superior alternatives so I can watch them and draw a comparison?
@ So you see, for all the haters out there, just because two people disagree on one particular passion doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of common ground left to stand on.
Now just figure out a way to cut out the pompus self congradgulation.
Sorry, did I strike a nerve? Is there something wrong with bringing attention to a positive way of communicating in place of the negative attitude many people in discussion forums drive towards? How is anyone supposed to go about the exchange of ideas without highlighting their personal opinions? I made a broad statement about an inherent truth; that people can disagree on some things and still agree on others, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary found within the average message board’s vicious verbal battlefield. How does that equate to pompous self-congratulations? You made a personal attack directed at me because I pointed out an alternative to personal attacks. How is that helpful or productive?
I wasn’t saying, “I didn’t attack anyone, hence I’m better than you.” I was saying, “See? There ARE alternatives to the knee-jerk spewing of spite directed toward people with different opinions than your own, and you may find you’ll get more out of an interaction if you reign in your desire to pounce and scathe.”
Sorry if I was unclear.
With that said, do you truly think it’s pompous to express what you see as positive aspects of yourself, or should everyone strive for passive, humbled, self-effacement?
And before you throw my own words back in my face, yes, you did strike a nerve for me. Why is it that a person can’t be straight forward about what they think without being insulted or accused of some sort of superiority complex?
Sorry everyone. This is a forum about Repo!, not about the politics of social interaction. So please, feel free to ignore this and get back to the topic at hand. I just wanted to clear up my intentions.
But in my defense: It’s not my fault…Rusty started it!
(side note: in my original post I put Anthony Stewart Hall as the reason I wanted to see it. It’s Anthony Stewart HEAD. My mistake.)