Contains spoilers.
So the sequel we've
all been waiting for? Back to tight and claustrophobic, to demonic ravenous
inhuman zombies, to intense jumps and scares, and to Director Jaume Balagueró,
and Manuela Velasco reprieving her central role as investigative reporter, sole
survivor, eye candy and where we left her, newly appointed harbinger of death and
disease to all of mankind Ángela Vidal. But what about [REC]³? There's no blatant pretence that it
didn't happen; there's definite reference to Paco Plaza's slightly lighter,
more flippant and expansive wedding shenanigans, but we're under no illusion
that back with Balagueró, it's directly back to [REC] and [REC]² both in
storyline and a more serious and sombre tone and demeanour.
I personally liked
[REC]³. Ok, it was definitely quite the departure from its predecessors and by
trying to be a bit more adventurous and accessible, dallying with humour and
romance, it certainly lost that aura of stupefying dread and unnatural trepidation
that the series had cemented as its own. Yet we can't forget that after the
rather weary and formulaic [REC]² the series was in serious danger of falling
down to staleness before it had even stretched its legs, and at least [REC]³
injected a shot of adrenalin. [REC]⁴ is back to the formula; the quarantined
Barcelona apartment block is now a cranky old tanker far out to sea, the
situation the crew find themselves in, full of questions and uncertainty, and
once the maelstrom hits, both literally and metaphorically, things descend once again and very quickly to jumps, scares and lots of brutal carnage and
dying.
The third person
camera has quietly and without fuss, been retained from [REC]³, with
no attempt to try and force a narrative that dictates a camera should be kept
rolling under the most bewildering of circumstances. [REC]² ended with Ángela receiving the Medeiros slug unbeknown
to her SWAT team rescuers, and [REC]⁴ follows straight from this with her
transfer to the isolated remote tanker to be prodded and probed by a medical
team lead by Dr. Ricarte (Héctor Colomé). Whilst there's nothing too original
to the breakout and slide into pandemonium story on offer, Balagueró does
manage to recapture that original [REC] mood and tone. The narrative too, flows
coherently providing that all important immersive foundation that allows for the
intense cat and mouse chases, the desperate backed into the corner fights and
frantic decision making, to be exploited with conviction and investment.
The zombies of [REC]
don't hold back. Frenetic, vicious, hungry, they're the definition of
dangerous. A bite, or ingestion of contaminated flesh and the transition from
healthy human to blood crazed maniac is total and quick. They're fast too; 28
Days Later fast, with none of that Romero or The Walking Dead slowness, ponderous or
weakness. It doesn't take a horde to present a real problem, just the
one, and if not ready with an automatic weapon and a few mates, I'd say the odds of meeting one's grizzly gut ripping end is all but certain. There also seems to be more emphasis on infection, the
parasite, death and dare I say it more traditional zombie story, than the
religious and ambiguously supernatural preoccupation of the previous outings, and this does somewhat serve to lessen the foreboding
atmosphere. The objective is still horror and it still all works, but it's all
rather action-horror than unnatural horror-horror, and it's a little bit of a
shame. The slimy Medeiros Wrath of Kahn ear-slug alike, just isn't quite up there
with eerie, shadowy, spindly and utterly other-worldly Medeiros girl, and the zombies too, are always now kind of where they ought to be, or where they were left, rather than popping up discordantly.
It is a return to
the original, it is still a well fashioned roller coaster ride of terror, and yes
it's clear the director and team have learnt a lot over the years with a
feature richer and more polished. Yet possibly this extra shine; the clearer,
less ambiguous narrative and traditional third person [REC]³ camera work, has
all somewhat helped to take that something away that made the first truly
and astoundingly edgy, and unnerving. [REC] embodied shock and unpredictability
and [REC]⁴ is perhaps just that bit too safe; too obvious. It's also all rather
disappointing as a conclusion to the enthralling and baffling four part escapade, neither
providing any real or satisfying answers, nor any ambiguous or jaw dropping nuke
to ponder; the final five minutes rather a damp squib than an edifying bowing out. All this aside, [REC]⁴ is
a great zombie horror film, with suspenseful and shocking scenes, some great
zombie carnage and pulse pounding action; I just can't help but come away feeling a little
short-changed - 7/10.
Steven@WTD.
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