Repo: The Genetic Opera is a musical that opens to a future world where a pandemic that causes organ failure has decimated the population leaving only a few million to try and live on. But there's a problem, those people are dying of organ failures too. A company rises boasting a cure for this death; genetically grown organs to replace your dying ones, at a price of course. This is where we see one of our main characters, the Repo Man. He's a masked servant to GeneCo., stalking victims who can't keep payments and literally cut the organs out while they're alive; he's also Shilo's dad. Shilo Wallace is seen reading in her mother's mausoleum after removing a gas mask; she has the same immuno-supressing blood disease that killed her late mother. In this same graveyard we meet the Gravedigger who pretty much narrates this story; he shows us what Zydrate is and also a literal body pit under the city. Rotti Largo and his kids are introduced soon after, Amber Sweet (played by Paris Hilton, don't worry, she ends up losing her face so its cool), Luigi and Pavi Largo; all four of whom are completely nuts. Blind Mag is a secondary main character, her story helps further the one about Shilo and Repo Man. Without telling you too much; this is one of the best written musicals I've ever seen and an instant cult classic in my opinion. Definitely a BUY if you're into a dark tragedy that you'll watch over and over.
Now that you know that, I'll tell you about Repo Men. Directly from IMDb:
"In the future humans have extended and improved our lives through highly sophisticated and expensive mechanical organs created by a company called "The Union". The dark side of these medical breakthroughs is that if you don't pay your bill, "The Union" sends its highly skilled repo men to take back its property... with no concern for your comfort or survival. Former soldier Remy is one of the best organ repo men in the business. But when he suffers a cardiac failure on the job, he awakens to find himself fitted with the company's top-of-the-line heart-replacement... as well as a hefty debt. But a side effect of the procedure is that his heart's no longer in the job. When he can't make the payments, The Union sends its toughest enforcer, Remy's former partner Jake, to track him down."
Let's compare then. Both have Repo Men. Both have a major company pulling the strings. Both have artificial organs with payment plans. Both have consequences carried out without remorse for the people who do which is death. Differences between the two are that Repo is a musical with substance and Repo Men is a typical action movie with guns blazing while trying to stay alive. Really. That's all. Good job Repo Men, you guys are totally original.
-Armand
