[REC] 3: Genesis (2012)

April 23, 2024 8:24 AM

[TRAILER] Newlyweds (Leticia Dolera, Diego Martín) watch their wedding reception descend into chaos and carnage when their guests become infected by a virus that turns them into hungry zombies.

Also starring Ismael Martínez, Àlex Monner, Sr. B, Emilio Mencheta.

Directed by Paco Plaza. Screenplay by Luiso Berdejo, Paco Plaza. Story by Luiso Berdejo, Paco Plaza, David Gallart. Based on characters by Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza. Produced by Julio Fernández for Canal+ España/Filmax. Cinematography by Pablo Rosso. Edited by David Gallart. Music by Mikel Salas.

43% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes

Not currently streaming in the US, but it is on Shudder in the UK, and Prime in many other countries. JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (6 comments total)

I don't normally post a movie that isn't streaming in the US, but a) you're not missing anything and b) seemingly everyone except Americans can stream this. I saw it via the Blu-Ray set, but I'll tell you straight out, you can skip the last two.

A lot of people were mad at the time that this came out that it went in a more comedic tone. That didn't disqualify this in advance for me. After all, wasn't Evil Dead 2 a pivot into comedy? That isn't, in and of itself a problem.

What is a problem is that the filmmakers really misunderstood what the appeal of their series was. They thought people loved the possession/zombies hybrid lore and the flair in their filmmaking skills. They thought they could take those things, pivot into a new story with new characters and a new tone and it would be bold, but a winner.

The thing is, what people actually liked was the immediacy and brutality they brought to the found footage format by bringing it to a zombie story. They liked the way the first sequel picked up the story literally moments later, the relentlessness.

When they dropped not just the characters and scenario we knew, but the found footage format, they were toast.

This isn't bad, really. The beginning sequences setting up the wedding video are pretty fun. (Love love love the trial version watermark.) The initial outbreak during the wedding is handled quite well. But the sentimental will-the-couple-survive? engine for this one is just so alien to the tone of the originals. (Evil Dead 2 got away with pivoting to comedy because it was still true to the appeal of elaborate terrible things happening to Bruce Campbell; it was still sort of the same deal.)

Once they get past the initial setup, after which time they drop the found footage, it's just a mid-budget zombie comedy set at a wedding. There's nothing special to it at all. It isn't garbage and it has its moments. But it doesn't feel of a piece with the first two movies at all, and that's a huge disappointment.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:34 AM on April 23 [2 favorites]

I have nothing to add. You sum up my thoughts better than myself. It's, like, fine? It would fare better as an unrelated zombie feature.
posted by mrphancy at 9:11 AM on April 23

I liked the first REC a great deal, haven't seen the second. So I wasn't invested enough in the specifics of RECness to be bothered by the changes. And I actually had a real fun time with this one.

(Which means it must have been streaming in the US at some point. I don't remember where or when, but I definitely saw it. Poor bride. Her special day goes to shit, and finally she has. had. enough.)
posted by Naberius at 11:11 AM on April 23

chainsaws are for amateurs (CW: absurdly gory)
posted by elkevelvet at 12:18 PM on April 23

I hadn’t even known there was a REC 3, but I guess it hardly matters.
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:34 PM on April 23

I thought part three was a bit of a letdown, and the shift in tone was jarring. I got the feeling the director was using this film to flesh out his resume, as if to say, "No, look. I can make conventional Hollywood-style films too! Please fund my next project!"

Part four was even worse, especially that corny conclusion with the fish, so I completely agree: just stop watching after the first two installments. I actually liked part two the best.
posted by abraxasaxarba at 11:32 AM on April 25