Repo Men

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Remo D
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Repo Men

Post by Remo D »

Okay, time to weigh in on this year's mini-controversy... was it just a wild coincidence, or is REPO MEN a blatant ripoff of REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA without the opera?

We know that the opening premise is nearly identical--the only difference is that in this new film, "The Union" supplies ARTIFICIAL organs ripe for live repossession when the payments fall into arrears.

And yet... and yet... Paul Naschy wrote EXORCISMO before THE EXORCIST came out. BAD DREAMS was never intended as a Freddy cash-in. And the "body switchers" of the 1980s weren't watching each other THAT closely. No, I'm prepared to chalk it up to one of those amazing but uncomfortable coincidences--though they share the same starting-off point, I can safely declare that the plots and characters of REPO! (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and REPO are not at all similar.

Besides--how could REPO MEN find time to rip off the OPERA when it was busy ripping off everything ELSE under the sun? But before I start "ripping" into REPO, let me just say that the casting was fine and that Jude Law, Forest Whitaker and (especially) Liev Schrieber brought what they could to the table, making this more entertaining than it had any legitimate right to be. And there's plenty of gore, but that's a real "so what?" issue here.

Okay... a professional "repo" who sees the error of his ways once he becomes the quarry he once sought? Maybe that wasn't meant as a riff on LOGAN'S RUN, but I couldn't help but think of that throughout. And once the premise is set, the film comes to a crashing halt as the filmmakers try to find something to actually DO with it (enter Alice Braga as the singer that commands Jude Law's obsession and inspires him to "rescue" and run off with her--you know, so we can have all sorts of extra complications).

But even worse than the result of trying to DO something with this story is the utter chaos brought about by trying to come up with an ENDING!

Okay... they try for FIGHT CLUB (let's blow up the magic machine in the conveniently-identified "Pink Room" so we can wipe out everybody's accounts! Too bad, too, as the actual activity inside the Pink Room is genuinely intense and should have been deployed in a worthier project!). They go for OLDBOY (my eyes widened and my jaw slackened as I realized that they were actually going to attempt to recreate the famous "hallway fight!"). They throw in a little PULP FICTION (hypo!). Naturally, a touch of SHAWSHANK. And everything just goes so wonky-silly-cliched-familiar that you wonder if any screenwriter could truly be that lazy... ah, but there's a reason for even THAT--which I can't share with you unless you really want me to.

Therefore, please stand warned.

SPOILER

SPOILER

SPOILER

SPOILER

SPOILER

etc. etc. etc.

...it's because the entire climax and finale of this movie is a shameless, blatant, flagrant, bloody ripoff of freaking BRAZIL!!!!!

No, this is no ripoff of REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA. But it's still one of the biggest ripoffs I've ever seen in my life. The American viewing public has rejected this one soundly--but I never would have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes.
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...and I don't even have a dog!
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Evil Red
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Post by Evil Red »

I can't belive I just read this, being that I NEVER read anyones' reviews before seeing a movie, but... since I'm so disgusted that (and I used the exact same wording a few weeks back) that it's Repo! The Genetic Opera without the opera... I'm safe. I'm not going. But, what the fuck?!?!

I read your spoiler. What. The. Fuck. I didn't see that one coming! Jesus.

Now I wanna go see it again!
I made the Devil do it.
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mickey brown-eye
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Post by mickey brown-eye »

I was very curious about this movie, especially since seeing Repo! (Picked it up because the fella from skinny puppy is in it:metal:).
My wife and Step-Daughter both really liked Repo! and as I was giggling at the previews of the man show version of Repo! (AKA: Repo Men) they looked on in disgust and horror.
It is very funny to hear that it was a mash up of ripoffs. There is something satisfying about the Indie low budget oddball gothic, musical, horror winning in a fight against Hollywood (especially when there are some good actors in it).

BTW, It is cool to see Logan's Run and Brazil mentioned...anywhere :p
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mickey brown-eye
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Post by mickey brown-eye »

Evil Red wrote:I didn't see that one coming!
That's what she said
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mickey brown-eye
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Post by mickey brown-eye »

You know...this kinda sounds like a Michael Bay movie...
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