Repo Men

A subprime market in human organs is at the center of the odd plot propelling filmmaker Miguel Sapochnik's grim, futuristic action flick Repo Men, in which a greedy corporation called The Union sells body parts to terminally ill patients who can't afford them and then sends collectors, armed with knives and drills, to reclaim the purchases from defaulting customers. The focus here is on Remy and Jake (Jude Law and Forest Whitaker), who gleefully knock out their targets with stun guns and slice them open to extract hearts or spleens (the operations are shown in gory close-ups). Complications arise when Remy suffers an on-the-job accident and awakens to find that the company has implanted its best replacement heart in his chest—leaving him liable, of course, for the cost, after which he naturally falls behind in his payments. Taking up with Beth (Alice Braga), a sultry singer in similar circumstances, Remy goes on the lam, with Jake in hot pursuit. Repo Men turns truly goofy near the end, when the fugitives break into The Union's headquarters with the aim of destroying computer records and bringing the whole operation to its knees. One of the silliest (and most gruesome) thrillers to ever grace the silver screen, this is not recommended. [Note: Featuring both the theatrical and unrated director's cut versions of the film, DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Miguel Sapochnik and writers Eric Garcia and Garrett Lerner, deleted scenes (9 min.), a visual effects featurette (6 min.), “The Union Commercials” fake advertisements from the film (4 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)