![[Rec]²](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/sash/4FyxwxECzL-U1J8.png)
This is much more of a hybrid genre film than the original, as the surprising diabolic possession angle inserted at the end of [.REC] is elaborated on here, pretty much swamping the traditional zombie action to take center-stage.
Personally, I was not overly bothered by this change in direction – after all, demons are far more interesting than mere zombies! Besides, even if this introduces several logistic flaws (how can possession be transmitted, or why was rabies even considered as the official threat in the first film?), one is immediately thrust into the proceedings this time around, as a SWAT team infiltrates the infected building to ostensibly control (and film for purposes of study) the zombie plague until the Health Official accompanying them is revealed to be a priest – and a fairly unhinged one at that – assigned the task of elevating a blood sample from the original possessed girl! This, of course, sends the men off the deep end, especially as they start falling prey to it all, where the most vociferous of the lot is the quickest to crack under the strain (preferring to blow his own head off rather than succumb to the evil he is fighting); by the way, for inexplicable reasons, the 'takeover' seems to occur at an even faster rate in this case.
The action-oriented stance taken by the film likens it to ALIENS (1986); however, this results in the audience not having anyone in particular to root for unlike Manuela Velasco from the first film. Incidentally, her character turns up here towards the end – a fact which, though procuring its own set of narrative flaws, elevates the film considerably (especially since she is involved in the delightfully nihilistic, if predictable, conclusion). I say elevates because the mid-section is bogged down by a subplot revolving around a trio of annoying camcorder-carrying kids (the sheer amount of cameras on display, to give us as complete a view of the proceedings as possible, is contrived to say the least!), one of whom is even possessed. Even so, one of the film's creepiest moments depicts an infected man locked inside a room protected by a rosary bead who assumes the voice of a frightened little girl to induce the oblivious kids to release him!
A final word goes to the proposed prequel and second sequel in the [.REC] franchise, in that I hope they can duplicate the standard of quality shown in the original and sustained here.
Personally, I was not overly bothered by this change in direction – after all, demons are far more interesting than mere zombies! Besides, even if this introduces several logistic flaws (how can possession be transmitted, or why was rabies even considered as the official threat in the first film?), one is immediately thrust into the proceedings this time around, as a SWAT team infiltrates the infected building to ostensibly control (and film for purposes of study) the zombie plague until the Health Official accompanying them is revealed to be a priest – and a fairly unhinged one at that – assigned the task of elevating a blood sample from the original possessed girl! This, of course, sends the men off the deep end, especially as they start falling prey to it all, where the most vociferous of the lot is the quickest to crack under the strain (preferring to blow his own head off rather than succumb to the evil he is fighting); by the way, for inexplicable reasons, the 'takeover' seems to occur at an even faster rate in this case.
The action-oriented stance taken by the film likens it to ALIENS (1986); however, this results in the audience not having anyone in particular to root for unlike Manuela Velasco from the first film. Incidentally, her character turns up here towards the end – a fact which, though procuring its own set of narrative flaws, elevates the film considerably (especially since she is involved in the delightfully nihilistic, if predictable, conclusion). I say elevates because the mid-section is bogged down by a subplot revolving around a trio of annoying camcorder-carrying kids (the sheer amount of cameras on display, to give us as complete a view of the proceedings as possible, is contrived to say the least!), one of whom is even possessed. Even so, one of the film's creepiest moments depicts an infected man locked inside a room protected by a rosary bead who assumes the voice of a frightened little girl to induce the oblivious kids to release him!
A final word goes to the proposed prequel and second sequel in the [.REC] franchise, in that I hope they can duplicate the standard of quality shown in the original and sustained here.