Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

I'm one of those people who went into this wanting to love it, even though I had already read tons of mediocre reviews. Even with this predilection to enjoy it I will say it's fairly mediocre, though not without merit. Directly adapted from the stage musical and set in an unknown future, Repo! The Genetic Opera musically tells the tale of the corrupt organ donar company Geneco and its effects on Shilo (Alexa Vega), a teenager with an incurable blood disease, and her overprotective father Nathan (Anthony Head), who quarantines her away while secretly employed as a Repo Man. Geneco's policy is to cheaply organize organ transplants and cosmetic surgeries, but if anyone skimps on a payment, his or her body part will be repossessed in a violent mode that usually ends in death. The head of Geneco, Rotti Largo (Paul Sorvino) holds a secret regarding Shilo's mother, who died in childbirth, and entices Shilo to disobey her father's wishes and leave the house.

She meets the Geneco spokesperson and opera singer Blind Mag (Sarah Brightman) but ends up amidst unruly Zydrate addicts (a drug gathered from the dead bodies of people who've had surgery... I think). She has to figure out who to trust while discovering the truth about her family and her disease. Simultaneously, Largo's children have been fighting to be named his successor but they're all pretty inept. Luigi (Bill Moseley) has anger management issues/homicidal tendencies, Pavi (Nivek Ogre) is constantly stealing people's faces to wear as his own, and Amber Sweet (Paris Hilton) is addicted to cosmetic surgery and Zydrate. It all culminates at the Geneco Genetic Opera, a grand affair with lots of climactic confrontations. And every single word of the film is sung (I was a little surprised by this; I didn't realize it was literally an opera since that term is sometimes used loosely).

Ok, first the good: Visually, it was really lovely. These guys did not have much of a budget, to be sure, but the dismal futuristic setting was truly impressive and well-executed. It moved back and forth between cool, seedy exteriors and lush, detailed interiors. I really enjoyed the comic book-style sequences sprinkled throughout to show flashbacks in a way more interesting than putting everything in black and white or something. A cool technique. I was digging the costumes as well, composed mainly of Victorian-inspired women's wear and slick men's wear: lots of lace and corsets and dark colours and thick fabrics, mmm. The performances were ok. I really liked Anthony Head, who is quite fit for his age and sang very well, shifting between the ruthless Repo Man and caring father with flair. Alexa Vega was all right but wasn't always able to negotiate singing her more conversational lines without awkwardness. I liked Terrance Zdunich (the co-writer) as the narrator-type Graverobber character.

The not-so-good: The plot was confusing and sort of thin. Some of the ideas were really interesting but the execution and various layers did not always work out. The construction wasn't as dramatic and well put-together as the writers seemed to think, based on the placement of certain songs. Which brings me to the music: it was... ok? I'm impressed with anyone who can write an opera because man it must be hard! But the music itself often strove into the Evanescence side of things, heavily laden with exaggerated gothy guitars and laughably angsty lyrics. But sometimes it was pretty good. The main problem was, I honestly couldn't tell if they were being campy and over-dramatic on purpose or not. I thought a lot of it was funny but was unsure if I should be laughing at how silly and sometimes lame it all was or how actually purposefully funny it was, if that makes sense. It just sat on that line.

Final verdict: Repo! was just ok. I couldn't help liking it for some things, especially with my fondness for idiosyncratic, darkly comedic musicals and anything set in the future. As much as I wanted to love it, it really missed the mark in some places. Apparently it's meant to be part of a trilogy, in which this is the middle film. A sequel or prequel is being talked about but I'm not sure this did well enough to warrant them getting more funding. I'd probably still see either one, in a desperate attempt to foster more weird musicals being made into movies and with the hopes they do a bit better the second time around.

2.5/5

Also: I don't know who their graphic design people were, but the promo posters are absolutely awesome, as well as plentiful. Excellent, eye-catching propaganda-type silkscreen style. Check it out.