 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Repo! The Genetic Opera
- Review Date: November 4, 2008
- R
- Genre: Horror
- 2008
Common Sense Media says
Gory, goofy musical is bloody and bombastic.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this offbeat horror movie/musical -- which is set in a near-future where people can buy plastic surgery and genetically engineered replacement organs on credit -- is extraordinarily violent (in some cases, the organs are repossessed). Livers, hearts, viscera, and entire spinal columns are pulled from unwilling victims, in many cases while they're still living. Paris Hilton appears in the film, which may attract teens' attention; but unless your teens have a strong stomach, they may not wish to see Ms. Hilton in special-effects makeup that makes her look like her skinned face is visible, with flayed musculature and blood showing over the bones of her skull. There's also plenty of strong language, some drinking, and brief topless female nudity.
What's the story?
In a near-future mega-city, the population has been ravaged by a series of plagues that induce massive organ failure. The GeneCo Corporation has amassed a fortune (and political power) by giving people the replacement organs they need to live -- at a price. When GeneCo clients fall behind in their payments, GeneCo dispatches the Repo Man (Anthony Head), a doctor/thug who removes the organs in question in fatal ways. The Repo Man keeps his work a secret from his ailing daughter Shilo (Alexa Vega), but Shilo's being approached by the head of GeneCo, the ailing Rotti Largo (Paul Sorvino), who has a plan for her to take the reins of the company instead of his squabbling children.
Is it any good?
REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA began as a stage play musical; the screen version is bigger, bolder -- and bloodier. The plot combines elements of The Little Mermaid (Shilo, confined to home by illness and a protective father, longs to see the world outside) and King Lear (the dying Largo tries to find a suitable heir for his corporate kingdom), along with a subplot revolving around drug and surgical addiction and an opera singer (Sarah Brightman) who owes her very sight to Largo's corporation and goodwill. But the songs aren't particularly memorable, and while Repo! The Genetic Opera is trying to put a 21st-century spin on the goofy, giddy operatic style of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, this movie is gory and grisly where its inspiration is campy and clever.
But many of the performers are game, especially in their musical performances; Head, for one, has a reedy tenor that sounds not unlike David Bowie, and the operatically trained Sorvino has a rippling, rich baritone that makes his musical numbers pulse with power. Director Darren Lynn Bousman wrings every possible penny of production value out of his budget -- the Blade Runner-inspired future mega-city is an eye-popper -- but the comic-book style graphic interludes that set up the story and show viewers establishing flashbacks are so static and long that they become a bore. Bousman also doesn't do much to shape the material or the performances in a clear way, choosing instead to let the hammering, droning songs propel the film from one moment of special-effects gore to the next. The people behind Repo! The Genetic Opera unquestionably have plenty of passion; regrettably, they could have used a bit less passion and a little more thought and judicious editing.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about who this film is meant to appeal to. Horror movie fans? Musical fans? Do many people like both genres? How does a movie become a "cult classic"? Families can also discuss the film's messages. Is it meant to be taken seriously? Do you think healthcare corporations put profit before patients? What happens when people can't pay for life-saving medical treatments? Is there a danger of too much financial and political power being in the hands of one corporation?
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AGE
Go for it if you want an awesome musical
Great music, decent storyline. There is some nudity, which kind of ruins it for me. But it's easily skip-able. Quite a bit of cussing. "Zydrate" (an anesthetic in the movie) is pretty clearly abused, but it's not real, so i can't say it poses an issue. Lots of blood and gore, again, depends who you are and what you're used to. I wouldn't let my kids watch it if i had any, 17+
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AGE
This slasher-musical hybrid is very entertaining. In a dystopian future, a mass organ failure occurs, causing a company called GeneCo to offer organ financing. Led by GeneCo's presence in this future becomes so prevalent, it causes a worldwide addiction to surgery, not to mention a GeneCo-made painkiller called Zydrate. People called graverobbers illegally obtain Zydrate from corpses and sell it on the street. A girl named Shiloh lives in this dystopian world and has a blood condition inherited from her dead mother, and is sheltered from the world by her overprotective father. But...Shiloh is curious to explore the world of GeneCo, and won't turn back. There's much more to this awesome world, but I can't spoil anymore to the story. Yes, Paris Hilton is in this movie, but don't let that fool you - she's really good in Repo! Also, there are some other surprisingly good actors in this flick, namely Ogre from the band Skinny Puppy (as Pavi Largo, the guy with the weird face), Alexa Vega, known to many as Carmen from the Spy Kids trilogy (as Shiloh), and Terrance Zdunich, a relative unknown who has worked with the art in many, many movies (as the Grave Robber). In terms of content, Repo! obviously deserves an R for good reason. This is the bloodiest musical film I've ever seen, MUCH MORE SO than Sweeney Todd. While there are many scenes comparable to a slasher flick (eye gouging, throat slitting, an impaling, and lots of stabbing) there's also a lot of surgical gore. Intestines, spinal columns and hearts are all repossessed graphically. Other than the violence, this is tame for an R-rated film. A woman bares her breasts to the camera briefly, and there are a few scenes of suggestive dancing (mostly "grinding"). The word "c**t" is used once (and it's considered by many to be more offensive than the f-word), and there are about 5 or 6 f-words, not too many for an R-rated movie. Finally, there's much talk and use of an addictive futuristic painkiller called Zydrate. Overall, Repo is a bombastic and awesome musical, but it's not for kids.
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AGE
Psh best movie ever.
This movie is dark, gorey, has horrible role-models, shows the danger of too much power in the hands of one person, what happens when over protectivism in a parent goes too far, death, depression, and sex. It's the best frickin' movie ever. But remember, even if you think a movie sounds horrible, it doesn't nessecarily mean it's horrible. Either way, it's my favorite movie. The message and plot are amazing, and the music kicks a**....pardon my language.....watch it!
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AGE
I watched this movie with my 6 year old and he said he liked the song "addicted to the night" best. he also said that it made him feel 14. after the movie he was like whooooooooooo. lets watch it again.
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AGE
Can they handle it?
Personally, I loved this movie, but it all depends on your tastes.
This film is almost entirely comprised of very adult-like themes (drug addiction, medical issues, murder, etc.) and is - in the broadest sense - a slasher film. The plot is extremely well conceived and carried out, but sometime the acting can seem a little gimmicky. The songs are great, and Alexa Vega (Shiloh) and Terrance Zdunich (Graverobber) were amazingly cast and played their parts well.
A lot of the content really isn't appropriate for children, but it mostly depends on the individual child. Most other kids my age wouldn't be able to handle this movie unless they had a strong stomach and had a mature outlook on things (especially the adult issues in this film) and could watch it without it squicking them or causing them to continually question everything because they don't understand it. Using the typical age stereotypes, I'd say this is appropriate for older children (but could also be watched by more mature tweens).
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AGE
Depends who the kids are.
I saw this movie last year, and it instantly became one of my favorites. The music is amazing, the acting is fabulous, and the casting couldn't be any more perfect. Alexa Vega/Shiloh is a great role model for girls. You can't really rate this based on age since it sort of takes a certain mentality to watch it. Like, a 17 might be able to stomach it, while a 25 year old can't bear to watch it. There's really not much wrong with it. It's a good movie and it doesn't get the credit it deserves. I'd say watch this over the knock off "Repo Men"...
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AGE
Addicted to the Knife
Hilarious, great play and now a great movie. Despite Paris Hilton being in it (which, i don't think she's that bad, House of Wax didn't bomb because of her acting, despite the claims.) it's a very dark comedy about an interesting future with the Repo-Man at your door.
Worth buying/renting.
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AGE
Best Operetta Ever!
This is my favorite movies, I watch it with my 5 year old niece all the time. It is great... I don't consider any of it to be inappropriate, nothing that I wouldn't show to my children. It is a story of people paying for not keeping up with their payments for 3 or more months and getting their organs repossessed. It has a miraculous ending... Not many people would like it, though. It is a musical, and moves kind of slowly in the beginning, and is very gory.
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| Studio: | Lionsgate |
| Director: | Darren Lynn Bousman |
| Cast: | Alexa Vega, Anthony Head, Sarah Brightman |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Run time: | 92 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 7, 2008 |
| DVD release date: | January 20, 2009 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | strong bloody violence and gore, language, some drug and sexual content |
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