[REC] 3: Genesis (Frank’s take).
The banal bloodbath of the creepy continuation in the [REC] movie series is extended as it does not disappoint in the cheesy realm of shapeless shock cinema. The nonsensical and nauseating [REC] 3: Genesis is the tedious third installment emanating from the 2007 Spanish horror show that surprisingly gave a refreshing gruesomeness to the perverse plotline involving creaky conspiracies and decrepit apartment housing. True, the corrosiveness of the original movie had its share of clichéd convolution but the gimmick of its gory gumption was somewhat imaginative in trashy inspiration.
As with the majority cheap-minded chillers (particularly vapid ones that manage to successfully coast on the borderline effectiveness of over-the-top grisly sensationalism) the need to exploit the following chapters that promise the embellishment of over-saturated grossness is an inevitable notion. Whatever disarming charm that was scored with the original [REC] blueprint will undoubtedly suffer in the aftermath of its copycat creepers.
Holy matrimony can be something of an unpredictable savage ritual—a nice and caustic analogy that fits the gross-out goings-on in Plaza’a hedonistic horror show of exchanging “I Dos” amid the perilous presence of zoned-out zombies. Unfortunately for the salacious satire embedded in the rancid [REC] 3: Genesis, the horrifying hedonism feels empty-minded and gets lost in the shuffle of exaggerated and recycled slaughterhouse sentiments. Plaza’s ambitious mixture of wedding bliss and religious themes that are combined with cannibalistic carousing assembles a demonic disjointedness that never registers in its formulaic frightfest.
In comparison to other spooky undead vehicles that spoofed high concepts of societal quirkiness in morbid messaging such as Night of the Living Dead and even the robustly ridiculing Shaun of the Dead, the blood-stained antics of [REC] 3: Genesis is just a lazy reminder that any creep-and-peep showcase can needlessly multiply into various aimless sequels thrilled to overstay their wretched welcome. The outrageousness and senseless slayings simply are flat, detached and lifeless much like the walking wasted zombies that invade the exchanging wedding vows of the periled married couple. Basically, [REC] 3: Genesis is a baseless sinister sideshow without any solid punch to its video-taped tapestry of terrorizing.
The freakish festivities are recorded on a wedding video showing the special moment when Clara (Leticia Dolera) and Kodo (Diego Martin) tie the knot in front of their glassy-eyed guests. The elegance and radiant imagery of these Spanish elitists basking in the glory of their polished and privileged lifestyle is soon interrupted when an infected visitor (victim of a strange bite prior to the nuptials) takes a chomp at another individual. Soon, all hell breaks loose as chaos ensues. Running and screaming wedding guests are scattering all over the place as flesh-eating fiendish zombies are chasing them on a wicked whim.
In particular, Clara finds herself in the middle of the carnage as she declares war on the flesh-feasting foes looking to spoil her dream day. The gimmick of a petite “bridezilla” going bonkers on the ravenous cretins that ruined her ceremony is a mild hoot-and-a-half before the worn out gag runs out of stream. The lame campiness of Clara’s proclamation (“This is MY day”) while wielding the obligatory chainsaw as she routinely decapitates her human-hunting nuisance spells desperation for writer-director Plaza and co-scriber Luiso Berdejo that the innovative creativity is drained beyond belief.
The dependable inclusion of the clumsy camera-held recordings to capture the craziness from the two preceding films is even pared down in this inept installment that leans more on the traditional steadiness of a stationary movie-shooting camera which defeats the raw purpose of the raucous spontaneity.
Sadly, what started out as a promising outlandish slice-and-dice diversion now has morphed into a silly-minded faceless fright farce merely going through the motions. Incredibly, there is talk of extending this meager Spanish horror film franchise to a [REC] 4 sequel.
In Biblical terms, one might consider vacationing in downtown Sodom and Gomorrah in an awkward effort to gain a suntan as opposed to sitting through another sluggish session of zombie zapping in Plaza’s over-indulgent [REC]-klessness.
[REC] 3: Genesis (Magnet Releasing)
1 hr. 20 mins.
Starring: Leticia Dolera, Diego Martin, Ismael Martinez, Alex Monner, Claire Baschet, Jana Soler, Dolores Martin, Sr. B, Emilio Mencheta
Directed by: Paco Plaza
MPAA Rating: R
Genre: Horror/Mystery & Suspense/Drama
**NOTE: In Spanish (with English subtitles)
