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Created Jan 27, 2009 09:48PM PST • Edited May 27, 2010 10:08PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Perfect 5.0

   “From the makers of ‘SAW’” This quote made me very skeptical of this film being I’m not a SAW fan and think the series is garbage. That’s right, I said it, I’m a horror nut and I hate SAW. This musical, yes it is a horror musical, is a fantastic piece of art that is what comic adaptations should look like and not the recent recycled garbage that has been shown (see: Frank Miller’s “The Spirit”). With a fairly unknown cast, unknown at least to this reviewer, Repo! comes alive in one unforgettable show that will hopefully be recognized in the near future and win some awards too. While Sweeney Todd is a great film, Repo packs a gut wrenching punch for gore hounds, music lovers, and even art nuts.
   
   

   Repo! The Genetic Opera follows three different storylines that all twist together by the end of the film in a big bloody showdown. Based in the “not-too distant future”, a deadly plague is causing organ failure to all bringing mankind to its knees. A company, GeneCo, discovers that by transplanting new organs into the body, the plague cease to be a threat to that person. After some time, GeneCo begins financing plans for organ transplants so that “everyone” can afford to live. However, if the patient is unable to make payments, they are visited by the Repo Man whose sole job is to “reposess” the organs that belong to GeneCo with no anethstetic! While the Repo Man is “taking care of business” we turn away from him to focus on the head of GeneCo, Rotti Largo. Largo is like every other leader of a plagued civilization in which he seems trustworthy at first but the more you find out about him, the sneakier and scummier he becomes. By the end of the movie, you wouldn’t trust this guy as fafr as you can throw him but that’s not what makes him uniqe from the other head of crooked corporations. It’s his kids…..he’s f&#$ed up, deformed, sick-minded, greedy kids. Leading the group of misfits is Luigi (Bill Moseley), a very violent man who will stop at nothing to take controlling power of GeneCo when Rotti dies. Then there’s Pavi (Nivek Ogre), a seriously warped mind who literally has to put his “face on” everyday. If you ladies think you put a lot of time into looking good, that’s nothing compared to what Pavi does lol. In all of his deranged qualities, Pavi thinks that he should become heir to the GeneCo throne, do you see a pattern here? Then finally we have Amber Sweet (Paris Hilton, hey sit back down!) who is the spoiled rotten brat who thinks crying to daddy will fix everything. She goes through surgeries like they’re underwear (oh wait it’s Paris Hilton, she probably doesn’t wear any) and wants to be the head honcha of GeneCo. While the kids don’t really play a major role of the film, which is sad because they’re all fun to watch, they always make sure they’re noticed when they’re on screen. Now to talk about the main focus of Repo!, 17 year old, terminally ill, Shilo Wallace (Alexa Vega). Shilo is like every other 17 year old girl, she wants to go out and see the world and experience new things. Unfortunately for her, a blood disease and a very protective father keep her at home, for the most part. Shiloh sneaks out every now and then to expand her bug collection until one night when Rotti Largo reaches out to Shiloh and speaks of a cure to her disease. Will Shiloh go against her father’s wishes and seek out this cure? Why has the head of a major corporation contacted this “nobody” of a girl? What is to become of GeneCo’s future? All is explained at the Genetic Opera!

4. Acting

   Very Good 3.5

   Since the movie is done in Opera fashion, 98% of the film’s lines are done in song. While this may turn some off, if you give it a chance, you find yourselves feeling for the characters more this way than you would if the lines were just spoken like every other movie. Anthony Head as the Repo Man has one of the best voices I’ve ever heard and while he comes across as a cold hearted killer at first, you find out through song and story that there is so much more to him and his cause. Alexa Vega does a great job summing up her rebellious adoloscence in the punk-ish song “Seventeen” featuring Joan Jett! Bill Moseley doesn’t do a whole lot of singing in the movie but when he does open his yapper, it’s a guaranteed laugh. The real show stopper in this, in my opinion, is a tie between Paris Hilton (hush, let me explain) and Sarah Brightman as Blind Mag. The character of Amber Sweet is Paris Hilton through and through. A spoiled brat who thinks money will get her through anything but the appearance of Amber Sweet and the sound of her voice as she sings makes you completely forget that it’s Paris Hilton you’re watching and listening to. I’m not all too familiar with Sarah Brightman but she definitely got my attention in this movie. Her appearance is mildly disturbing at first but the more you see her, the more beautiful she becomes.

5. Male Stars Very Good 3.5

6. Female Stars Very Good 3.5

7. Female Costars Very Good 3.5

8. Male Costars Very Good 3.5

10. Film

    Perfect 5.0

    I have never seen anything like Repo! before. Visuals to costumes, it’s all an A+. The costumes were somewhat reminiscent of Blade Runner, Dark City, and Sin City but were all fairly original in my opinion. Aside from the images of the dark city itself, I have to again acknowledge Blind Mag. Her costumes and make up were flat out amazing. Each dress she wears is falmboyant with tassles and huge shoulders but the dark colors give it a grim appearance. The only other wardrobe design I’d like to acknowledge is the Repo Man outfit. The long black slicker with the chain linked operating gloves and the mask/helmet with lights inside is like something out of a nightmare. I know I wouldn’t walk down an alley with a guy wearing that outfit. Repo! moves at a magnificent pace and never bores you with unecessary scenes or dialogue. Being the movie is all done in song, it would be difficult to say “Was that line really needed?” but I can say that you will never ask that question when you’re watching Repo! The music is flipping fantastic. The majority of the songs are hard rock songs but the actors “sing” the lyrics beautifully and not SCREAM them to the point of being incoherent. The songs are catchy, the lyrics are sung crisp and clear and you may just find yourself singing some of the songs to yourself after watching it.

11. Direction Perfect 5.0

12. Play Perfect 5.0

13. Music Perfect 5.0

14. Visuals Perfect 5.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Obscene 5.0

    “Oh yes there will be blood” if the film boasted the fact that it was made by the same people who made SAW, what would you expect? There is quite a bit of blood and guts being spilled throughout the film but it’s not to the point of absurdity and it’s even better because there’s usually singing during the bloodshed or odd puppet work lol, inside joke. Sex is a factor, it’s quick but it’s there. From a flash of boobies, to quick glimpses of the GraveRobber spending a “Night in Paris”, you gotta be fast to see the sex. Language is far from being harsh aside from just about all of Bill Moseley’s lines lol. What else would you expect from the guy?

17. Sex Explicit 5.0

18. Violence Monstrous 5.0

19. Rudeness Vile 5.0

21. Reality

    Fantasy 5.0

    Repo! the Genetic Opera is a great piece of fantasy art and should be praised for many years to come. Although it is a great story with enjoyable characters, it’s hard to find anyone to relate to except for Shiloh, the adoloescent teenager who is sick of being “bossed” around by her father. While I see the resemblence of people addicted to plastic surgery to that of the people in reality with the same problem, I couldn’t really grasp any of the other characters and where they were coming from. Then again, I found myself too busy enjoying the movie instead of trying analyze every aspect of it. Hopefully you will too.

22. Circumstantial Fantasy 5.0

23. Biological Fantasy 5.0

24. Physical Fantasy 5.0