Monday, September 3, 2012

[Rec] 3 :Genesis (2012) Horror Demon

[Rec] 3 : Genesis (2012) - QUICK HIT! Not a full review but some initial thoughts after viewing this film. Demonic dogs, now that could be really scary. Cujo on a grand scale with a dog in a shelter infecting all the other and then their escape into the world? Oh wait that has very little to do with [Rec] 3. In fact reaching back to the first of the series we are reminded that the dog of the apartment building was taken to the vet with some new new form of rabies, but we later find out that the whole thing started with a possessed girl, then in the second  film of the series we learn it is a new form of demon possession. One person infects another through bites but all who are infected are demon possessed. So the dog was possessed in the first film and this is the connection to [Rec] 3 : Genesis. The vet Uncle Victor (Emilio Mencheta) who worked on that dog was bitten and comes as a guest to the wedding of his niece Clara (Laticia Dolera) to Koldo (Diego Martin).
  After some introductory shots establishing the wedding and some of the guests, as well as the couple camera people, Adrian (Alex Monner) a camcorder holding cousin who is recruited by professional videographer Atun (Borja Glez. Santolalla) to get some candid shots we see the wedding, and the reception where the action will take place. The hand held POV of the first two films is purposely ended in this film. A more traditional film starts up shortly after the action starts in this on. There is even a death of the camcorder scene so the audience will understand we are transitioning from one format to another. It seems like a good decision to stop this as we are always wondering why the cameraman always keeps filming even though in such a dire situation no one in their right mind would. Sure they always trot out, "the people should know" lines but really is that convincing? I would be more impressed if they said, "Hey, I am gong to sell this footage for thousands of dollars if I live through this.". When the film transitions to the standard format it is welcomed.
  The plot is simple enough to set the stage for some crazy infected action, when Uncle Victor sways on the railing above the dance floor suddenly a wonderful party comes crashing to a halt. He immediately raises from his fall and bites his wife when she comes to check on him, all hell breaks loose. Too quickly the bitten turn into demon possessed infected and a bit too fast the party in a chaotic fight for survival. The guests scatter and in the confusion Clara and Koldo are separated. Koldo and the camera toting men end up barring themselves into the kitchen. The escape is harrowing but effective but always someone else is lost in the effort. That is the thing with this type of film. We know that just about everyone is going to get killed at some point it is just a matter of who and when.
  Clara survives also and is smart and lucky enough to get to the PA system to tell her new husband that she is alive and will see him again. Each senses that the other is alive and this really is a love story with the priority for each newlywed to be reunited with the other. Koldo knows where Clara is and now heads towards her. She on the other hand has to flee and a good section of the movie is their attempts to get find each other. In this fight for survival and reunion each has many close calls and gruesome encounters. In fact one of the high points of the film is the special effects, chainsaws and bites are bloody goodness. The gore and also the humor make this film an enjoyable watch. Mixed in with the blood and guts there are several funny pieces, not laugh out loud funny but enough humor to make it interesting along the way.  So the two love birds cut and slash their way until they are finally reunited.
  After the couple is reunited I was a bit dissatisfied by the ending, it was a bit too predictable. One could argue that it could end no other way than it did. The government closed the parameter around the wedding and so we know that leaving will not be easy. In a change from the earlier films the priest who performed the wedding figured out that the crisis was a demon infestation and come up with a novel way to counter it. Certainly this franchise is set up for at least one more episode. In the end though, even with the blah ending I was quite entertained by the film. I look forward to whatever comes next.
Rating (5.7) 5.0 and up are recommended, some more recommended than others.

2 comments:

  1. I'm so ridiculously curious to see what direction 4 will take...

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  2. Yeah since I think the title they are going with is [Rec] Apocalypse I am guessing the general public will be ravaged in some way. Although I think the small stories work a lot better so I hope they contain the plight in the apocalypse to a smaller setting.

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