Repo! The Genetic Opera - The Movie Discussion

[ChronoGrl]

Originally Posted by Roderick Usher

I'm with you. I dig musicals. I've been in musicals.

I'm also a gorehound and fan of dystopian future scifi stories, so this one had me primed from the get-go. But this film just fell flat for me.

The songs were really bad. Painfully, laughably bad. And the story? Ugh.

Everyone who gets gutted (and the gore is spectacular!!!) is a character who just appeard on screen at that moment to be killed. We never have a chance to feel any hint of fear because we don't care about the people being killed.

AND... it's a movie about a Repo Man who rips organs out of people and there isn't a single lead character with an organ in danger of being reposessed!:confused: :confused: :confused:

That's just bad story-telling

You should ALWAYS have your antagonist in direct conflict with your protagonist.

And every bit of connect-the-dots exposition was handled with TEXT on screen in those comic-book panels. TEXT ON SCREEN? You can't be more creative than that? That's lazy writing.

I really wanted to love this, but it was so poorly concieved that I ended up hating it.

Agreed. Of course, Mags' organs were up for repossession, but, quite frankly, they should have developed her character more and her relationship to Nathan and Shiloh. I thought that her character was interesting, but needed some SERIOUS fleshing out.

And you're right - There was DEFINITELY not enough conflict with the Repo Man.

And you're right about the songs; they WERE laughably bad. And the music too. I felt as though this was written for a seventeen-year-old, BY a seventeen-year-old. Seriously. The writing was so incredibly amateurish I could have done better in middle school (the song "Seventeen" in which Shiloh rebels was just... pedestrian).

I needed to sympathize with Shiloh, but I found her pathetic when she was supposed to be interesting and unbelievable when she was supposed to be rebelling. I would have either severely cut down her roll or pay attention to the rewrite.

And what's REALLY shocking is that the movie should - SHOULD have focused on our antagonists - The Rotti children. They should FASCINATE the audience. But instead their musical numbers were frenetic, short, and poorly-written.


My boyfriend brought up a good point, too - This play took itself too seriously - I would have been FINE with the over-the-top operatic drama if there was some tongue-in-cheek esoteric theatrical nods to it.

[milktoaste]

Originally Posted by newb

So I guess what I'm trying to say is.....don't go on my word...but I watched this movie for 5 minutes and turned it off after the first song.

Thanks guys, it sounds to me like I'd do the same thing as Newb.

[jenna26]

I'm actually in the minority here, I really liked it. Not because it was just great, because it really wasn't....it had all kinds of problems (many that have been mentioned here, I agree the music and writing both were often very weak, I also REALLY didn't like some of the casting). But I would be lying if I didn't admit that I had an absolutely great time. For me, very flawed, but unique and fun despite it all.

I saw it yesterday.
Man this could've been a cult movie if they just had gotten some memorable songs in there. Just like Sweeny Todd.
The rest I really liked.

[Hilti88NYC]

I thought it was great fun. Bought it on bluray.

You people need to ease up.Its a musical horror and meant to be fun,so why dont you tight asses loosen up and enjoy it for what it is.

People are just never pleased.

[Papillon Noir]

First off, it's an opera and not a musical. There's a difference. A musical is a theatrical narrative with some singing and dancing. An opera is an art form where singers and musicians perform a dramatic work. Even the ending culminates in a traditional opera house to remind you of what you are experiencing, an-opera-within-an-opera. Repo has recitative sections for plot and aria sections to show emotion, and it even has a Greek Chorus (Graverobber). It also has both tragic and comedic elements similar to the style started in the Baroque period.

I know not all of the songs are perfect, but I don't think they are terrible. They are really all different as each one is it's own little art scene. They don't really transcend into one another the way a musical would. The storyboarding connects it together and I think updates the opera, otherwise you'd be looking at 3 hours instead of an 1 1/2hr like a traditional opera to get all that backstory. Also, the characters are as fleshed out as they needed be. This is not a regular narrative and they rules are just different.

Now, I know not everyone will like Repo, just because the subject and ambience of the film seem to give it an automatic cult status. It really applies to a very specific audience. You will either hate or love this movie, there really is no middle ground. I was lucky enough to see this in the theatre and it's a whole different experience. You really feel like you're in a opera house, much different than my tiny TV at home. I also really liked the cast, I thought they all did an amazing job.