As the title suggests, [REC]3 is the third installment in the Spanish zombie horror film series of the same name. However, while part two was a direct sequel to the first, part three, is more of a side story taking place with different characters around the same time that one and two are happening.
For Clara and Koldo, it is their big day. They are going to become husband and wife. And while all that goes perfectly well, the reception proves to be a nightmare. Their uncle, a veterinarian, had been bitten by a dog he thought dead that morning. The dog mentioned in the first film? Probably. During the reception he appears drunk, throwing up and eventually falling over the edge of the balcony. But it’s when he sits up from his crash and bites out his wife’s throat that things really take a turn for the worst.
Soon other infected people crash through the windows and in seconds the reception quickly become a blood bath. Clara and Koldo are separated and each is determined to find the other. Even if it means all their friends and family that are with them must die to do it.
The film opens with the found footage style that the first two films followed, however, when things get crazy they abandon this style and go for a regular horror film look, which really improves things. It makes me wonder why they even bothered with the found footage style in the beginning. When the film picks up and the zombies attack it gets pretty good, but the twenty minute found footage build up of the wedding is pretty boring.
This isn’t a great zombie film, but it proved to be a lot of fun. It had a lot of things going for it. At one point Koldo dawns a medieval knight’s armor that he finds in a crypt and uses that to help him fight zombies. At another point Clara finds a chainsaw and declares “This is my day!” and goes to down on a whole bunch of zombies, decapitating a few and nearly sawing one in half longways. The film also has some really great gore moments that are sure to make you squirm or smile depending on how you view these things.
The other thing that really works for this film is the whole zombie outbreak during a wedding idea. It’s certainly never been done and it also adds another level of horror and emotional distress to the main characters as every zombie they come across is either friend or family. There is a particularly intense scene when Clara runs into her mom who has turned.
I think the film might have been better had it not tried to tie itself to the [REC] series. It certainly continues the mythology established in the first two films, what with the zombies being demonic possessions. A couple times in the film you see the zombies reflected in mirrors as demons and when the priest begins to recite Genesis from the bible the zombies are stopped dead in their tracks left twitching and harmless. However, it mostly feels like it’s a completely separate film that is just riding on the [REC] name. Not that this would be a first in the world of zombie films. (I’m looking at you Zombi 2!)
SPOILER (highlight text to read): The thing that really bothered me was the ending. I was really starting to like Clara and Koldo (especially Clara) and for them to have such a dark ending made me sad. Clara was a bad ass enough character that she should have survived even with a severed limb. I think the moral of this film is: If you truly love somebody you’ll do some really stupid things to be with them.
The film is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen format and 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. Spanish language with English subtitles. Once the film stops trying to be a found footage film it looks great. The gore effects look really good.
Deleted Scenes: (23 min.) Most of this is more boring footage from the wedding and most of it is more alternate scenes than deleted scenes. Mostly these aren’t very interesting. Outtakes: (3 min.) Outtakes on a horror film are really strange. Some these are okay.
This film seems to have gotten a lot of really bad reviews. However, the film is not that bad. Does it stand up to the first two [REC] films? Maybe not, but zombies at a wedding has never been done and you’ve got some good character and fun gore in here, and really, what more do you want from a zombie film?
Sony Pictures presents [REC]3: Genesis. Written by Luiso Berdejo, David Gallart and Paco Plaza. Directed by: Paco Plaza. Starring: Diego Martin and Leticia Dolera. Running time: 80 min. Rating: R for strong bloody horror violence and some language. Released: November 6, 2012. Available at Amazon.com.
