So, I've been holding off of the U.S. remake, Quarantine, for months now, waiting for Netflix to ship the original Spanish film [REC]. I still haven't seen the U.S. remake, but it's hard for me to believe that it could be better or even on-par with [REC]. Manuela Velasco's performance as the reporter pulled me into the movie from the very start. There is no way Quarantine's Jennifer Carpenter could do this like Manuela Velasco. Carpenter is clunky, gangly, awkward, and, well, just not very likable in my opinion. Velasco, on the other hand, pulled me into the reality of the movie, causing me to laugh and care.Admittedly, the film is fairly generic and follows the zombie genre closely. It isn't until the end, when a twist is thrown in, that the movie claims its place in the horror genre, but don't let that stop you; it still packs punches with heightened action throughout. Too bad it is only the last fifteen minutes or so that really sent chills down my spine, but I think this is the effect they were going for. It made me think of Audition, which is 75 minutes of tame drama, then 15 minutes of shock--though, [REC] does not go for heavy gore in its ending, and like I said, it isn't a tame drama throughout. For some, the movie may become monotonous (especially if you watch a lot of zombie/survival movies), but trust me, the ending is worth it!
Ooops... tacked the following on the wrong film:
ReplyDeleteThis was one of my favorites of last year, mostly due to the roller coaster construction you pointed out and the ending is just spectacular (what the hell is that thing doing with that hammer?!?). If you haven't seen it, yet, check out Deadgirl for a unique take on the zombie genre.
No doubt, Bo! That thing creeped me our in a way I haven't been in some time. I'll definitely check out Deadgirl.
ReplyDeleteI actually liked both films equally, Carpenter really isnt that bad in the remake, and it retains much of the look and feel of the original while adding a few nice little additions to stretch out the runtime a bit longer. Thumbs up to both in my book!
ReplyDeleteCarl - I'll be giving the remake a shot sometime in the future, but just answer one question for me: Did the remake retain the same ending?
ReplyDeleteThe ending is the same in practice, but not in theory.... the explanation of the situation alters, and it's close to the impact of the original, which I give it high marks for, but so much of the additional material in the remake paints broad character portraits that make it feel like a movie, and not a documentary. Still, one of the better remakes.
ReplyDeleteBo/Carl - I've added Quarantine to the queue based on your remarks!
ReplyDeleteBo = right
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