Repo! vs Repo

I’ll be the first to admit that when I saw the previews for Repo Men that was more than a little put off by its similarities to Repo! The Genetic Opera. Considering that I loved Repo! I just did not care if I ever saw Repo or not. I saw the loud outcry online of Repo! Defenders (including the director and one of the actors) accusing the Jude Law film of copyright infringement. A solid case could be made for that considering Repo! was originally pitched to Universal before Lionsgate picked it up. Universal liked the premise, but not the musical aspect, so they passed on it.

They claim that it is based on the novel Repossession Mambo. Unfortunately this does not really save them from the allegations. Repo! was a stageplay in the late 90s. Mambo was not published until sometime in 2009.

Now, I am not here to make a decision on this matter. Having seen both films, I thought it would be a good idea to review one side-by-side with the other.

The plots are very similar. They both take place in a future where people have had to resort to expensive organ transplants to live. In Repo Men the organs are mechanical in nature, in Repo! they are designer organs. In both futures these organs are expensive and require a payment plan. Miss a payment and the item in question will be repossessed.

The repo men in both futures are nothing more than hired killers (legal assassins?) What would any story be like without having one of these killers have a change of heart, or otherwise end up on the outside of his world? That’s where the bulk of similarities lie. Repo! is about a father trying to protect his daughter from the world, and himself. Repo Men is more of a twisted bromance/romance. Both contain enough social commentary to be thought provoking. Look at the world now and compare it to the world 20 years ago. The advances we have made make these futures all too likely.

The casts of both films are great. Jude Law and Forrest Whitaker are great as a duo of ne’er do wells turned professionals. Liev Schreiber is great as the two-faced boss. The music is also an added bonus to this: bloody killing sequences paired with mambos and swing music.

In Repo! the cast and music are the key. Varying styles of music come together to create a rock opera unlike anything released. Sarah Brightman, Anthony Stewart Head, Nivek Ogre, Bill Moseley, Paul Sorvino, Alexa Vega, Paris Hilton, and Terrance Zdunich are all part of the chemical equation that made this movie enjoyable.

I recommend Repo! The Genetic Opera because it is a unique fun-filled horror rock opera. Repo Men is saved only by the twist ending that I will not spoil here.






Last Quote: The Runaways

Today’s Quote: “The Repossession Mambo? Sounds kinda fruity!”