Warning: Due to the ending of REC in particular, as well as the tightly related nature of the film series generally, it is impossible to meaningfully discuss ‘REC 3: Genesis’ without spoiling events in the first two films. If you have not seen these movies and still wish to, I strongly suggest you not read the review behind the cut at this time.

Suffice it to say you can trust us when we say that ‘REC 3: Genesis’ easily deserves our lowliest review grade of ‘Living Supremacist’.

REC 3 opens in a similar manner to the first two films, putting you, the audience member, in the position of an unseen viewer or archivist of a collection of ‘found footage’ concerning, well, what the mainstream media typically calls a ‘Zombie Apocalypse’.

However, differing somewhat from the first two REC films, we are presented with what is apparently a finished product, the video album of a wedding, which would seem to suggest that the ‘Apocalypse’ is overrated at best. As the movie progresses we again get parallel narratives, from the POV of the hired videographer (allegedly from the production company that makes the REC movies themselves, in this fictional universe apparently they didn’t hit it so big) and the digicam toting teenage cousin of the groom, who is concerned primarily with sucking up to the videographer and observing as much cleavage as he can through his camera lens.

But of course, to the experienced REC viewer, doom is obviously near at hand, as one of the relatives has a direct tie to the ‘outbreak’ from the first two movies, and a wound on his hand. Zombie movie cliche? I’m afraid so.

Sure enough, the ‘Infected’ relative runs amok, the ‘infection’ runs rampant, and before you know it the wedding is besieged on all sides by a supernaturally rapid, blood-spewing ailment.

Of course, having seen the first two REC movies, the seasoned viewer will know that this alleged disease is in ACTUALITY of supernatural origin, a cross between the Zompocalypse and demon possession.

Far more surprising than the carnage, mayhem, and gratuitous violence at this point is the shift in style and tone that follows: REC 3 dispenses with the cameras-eye-view and becomes.. well, pretty much just another Anti-Zombie movie. If you watch the trailer closely the death of camera POV wasn’t a secret, but still.. is this a REC for non-REC fans? Even stranger, whereas REC 1 and 2 played things very straight, serious and dour, REC 3 is a sort of black comedy, with lots of slapstick and more than a few references to previous Anti-Zombie films.

In fact, the mood lurches back and forth between gore, attempts at REC 1-esque tension and outright silly antics like impromptu wedding dress tailoring.. using a chainsaw.

Ok then.

Perhaps of more concern to the Zombie Rights movement is that whereas the first REC movie only revealed that the ‘Zombies’ are in fact thralls of a demonic entity (one which has LEGITIMATE GRIEVANCES against society and the Catholic Church in particular) REC 3 takes this religious angle a lot further. REC Zombies are now vulnerable to prayer, bible readings, holy water and symbols, etc. They can’t enter a church either, and the implication is clear: to be a Zombie is to be a heretic, an apostate, cast out from God himself.

Wow. That’s some grade A Anti-Zombie bigotry there. Zombies aren’t welcome in your church, eh, REC filmmakers? Such shocking intolerance.

There’s a long history of religiously inspired, and religiously-condemned, Zombies in European film of course; that’s why we have the ‘Euro-Zom’ tag for the blog. Europe tends to see a supernatural, even spiritual cause/blame behind Undeath that is generally lacking in the US. (For more examples, see the ‘Blind Dead’ films, ‘Demons‘, some of Fulci’s work, etc)

In almost Calvinist fashion, to be a Zombie is to be judged and condemned, even if you became a Zombie through accidental, unintentional or laudable and (in the movie narrative’s context) heroic means! Additionally, the line between ghosts/zombies/ghouls/poltergeists/what have you in Euro-Zom films is very fuzzy. The REC films are explicitly Zombie movies; no point in denying that when REC 2 has ‘Zombie’ listed as a role in the cast.

And yet, they are also explicitly cases of demon possession. Euro-Zom, ladies and gentlemen! It’s complicated.

We here at The Zombie Rights Campaign aren’t about to dictate religious doctrine to the world at large, but using religious beliefs to sanction, nay, demand the oppression of an entire segment of the population? Not cool. Not acceptable! Zombies are people too. Just because your religious beliefs hold differently that does not give you the right to hack them up with a chainsaw.

For shame. Really, seriously: for shame.

For this promotion of rampant intolerance in the name of religion, and graphic, disturbing Anti-Zombie violence throughout the film, The Zombie Rights Campaign is forced to give ‘REC 3: Genesis’ our lowest ranking, and brand it forevermore as Living Supremacist.

Avoid at all costs, Zombie allies. There’s no need to indulge this sort of theological hatred in the 21st century.

Tags: Movies, ZRC Reviews

This entry was posted by John Sears on Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 at 12:09 am and is filed under Zombie Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.