Review of Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) by Ryan M — 16 Apr 2011

2.0/10.

"Repo: The Genetic Opera" is one of the worst musicals ever to hit theaters. Directed by "Saw II" helmer Darren Lynn Bousman, the film is a hybrid of "Saw" and "The Sound of Music", with visually ugly and narratively clumsy results. This movie is a mess from start to finish, hoping to catch our attention with talented actors in bad roles, bad music that never had potential, and CGI that might just look pretty if this disaster could have gotten the "gothic horror" look right.

I have nothing against musicals. There are even times when I love them. For instance, "Repo: The Genetic Opera" aims for "Sweeney Todd" like territory. It intends on being macabre, howling mad, and bat-shit crazy in its stylistic elements. It might as well be. There's at least some inspiration thrown into this film, although it's a sad, sad day when a movie can't embrace its own flaws. "Repo" knows not of how bad it really is.

The plot concerns some sort of dystopian future, in which Organ Failure has been rectified through a service in which we can all get transplants. However, if you don't pay up, then you get hunted and slashed by the Repo Man. But who IS "the Repo Man"? As it turns out, it's the father of the film's central character, Shilo. Our heroine wants to get out of the house, although when she does, she is sucked into a seductive and dark world; in which she will soon perform in the popular "genetic opera".

This film is being called a "definite cult classic". I can't imagine anyone intelligent liking this film, for it has far too many flaws, and I really can't enjoy anybody who's at least 50% SANE being entertained by it. This is not an insult to those who liked it, but there's so much to despise here. It's a musical without good musical numbers, and that alone should be enough to turn most people's heads the other way.

What happened to these actors? What happened to this damn genre? All "Repo" wants to be is a harmless rock-opera which features gore flowing freely. Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd" did that well. In fact, it did that masterfully. And "Repo" could have done it well too, if it weren't so darned bad. It's bad enough to be unwatchable. And yes, it's a musical in which every word uttered comes out sounding like pure nonsense. It's what bad musicals tend to become. So yes, "Repo: The Genetic Opera" is by all means worth a good skip, because I don't want you to waste as much time as I did on this thing. I'm a decent person; or at least a better person than those who participated in this gory, violent, visually bland gothic trash. Save this one for the Hot Topic crowd.