Review: "Repo Men"

When I first heard of this film in a 'Coming Attractions' article I was convinced, yet another remake was going to make it's way into our local cinemas. However, it was only when I saw the trailer that I realized it wasn't a revamped version of the 1984 action film starring Emilio Estevez, but something somewhat different.

Set in the not-too-distant future where illness, or rather, organ failure isn't a concern, you simply purchase it on credit. However, failure to remit payment before the ninety-five day delinquency period "The Union" will send it's skilled and aggressive repo men to collect their product. Former soldiers Remy (Jude Law) and Jake (Forest Whitaker) are the company's best, cold and unsympathetic, until unforeseen circumstances suddenly put Remy on the other end of the scalpel. Unable to function in his duties and no income to pay for his new heart, Remy resigns himself to his fate and goes on the run with a beautiful nightclub singer in the same dire straits.

The metropolis' futuristic atomosphere is reminiscent of Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner", dark, desperate and devoid of any emotion. Remy and Beth (Alice Braga), both machine for the most part, are ironically more human than anyone else in the film. During the course of the film, our hero's newly acquired emotional overload paves the way for our protagonists plight and leads them to transcend their own state of affairs and help all runners, in attempting to bring down the 'Union'. For all the gore hounds there is plenty of carnage in the fight sequences, in particular the films climax, which was rather unrelenting.

Not a totally unique idea, reminded me a bit of the 1976 sci-fi epic "Logan's Run", but still a good and entertaining film...oh yeah, and a killer twist to boot. If you are a sci-fi/action junkie than this is your film, but if you're squeamish and have a sensitive nature, then I suggest you find a warm and fuzzy flick because this ain't it!