If there’s one studio that might have been better off following Paramount’s footsteps and sitting out this year, it’s Lionsgate. The studio best known for the “Saw” series doesn’t exactly put out the kind of material that the Comic-Con crowd eats up, and though they did dial it back a bit by moving to a smaller venue, none of their upcoming films really grabbed my attention. I expected as much from the new “Punisher” and “Saw” films, but I was really disappointed to discover that Darren Lynn Bousman’s “Repo: The Genetic Opera” might not be as cool as I was initially hoping it would be.
Punisher: War Zone (guests: producer Gale Anne Hurd and stars Ray Stevenson and Julie Benz)
For many, Thomas Jane was the perfect Punisher. He had the look, the talent, and most importantly, the love of the source material. So why isn’t the actor returning for the second film? Quite simply, because the script sucked. Or so says Tom Jane. This prompted Lionsgate to switch things up a bit, and instead of following up the first film with a sequel, “Punisher: War Zone” is now being referred to as a reboot in the same vein as “Batman Begins” and “The Incredible Hulk.” Producer Gale Anne Hurd describes this latest version of the Punisher as “ruthless, violent, vigilante justice,” and while that may be true, it doesn’t exactly make it good. From the footage that was shown, “War Zone” is definitely ruthless and violent, but it also looks a little campy. Ray Stevenson may physically embody the Punisher from artist Tim Bradstreet’s covers, but he also looks like a giant tool that deserves to get punched in the face just as much as the guys he’s brutally killing. Furthermore, Dominic West’s Jigsaw was also prominently featured in the new trailer, and all I can say is: Schumacher Two-Face. Yes, it’s that bad, so here’s hoping that West (who was phenomenal in HBO’s “The Wire”) delivers a good enough performance to detract from his silly appearance. Stevenson may be God in the eyes of “Rome” fans, but he’s got a lot more work to do before he convinces me that he‘s even half the Punisher that Jane was.
Saw V (guests: director David Hackl and stars Tobin Bell, Julie Benz, Costas Mandylor and Scott Patterson)
When all is said and done, this might just be the most pointless panel of the entire weekend. Seriously, does anyone even care about these movies anymore? I sure as hell don’t, especially now that the franchise has become so saturated with D-list actors that it’s impossible to take seriously. Add to that the fact that none of the cast members would dare say a thing for fear of incurring the wrath of the studio, and you have yourself one boring panel. Some people might be okay with watching the same movie over and over again, but I’m not one of them.
Repo: The Genetic Opera (guests: director Darren Lynn Bousman and stars Alexa Vega, Paris Hilton, Bill Moseley and Ogre)
“Repo” is one of those films that I’ve been dying to hear more about ever since director Darren Lynn Bousman briefly discussed it during the panel for “Saw IV” at last year’s Comic-Con. I’m not a particularly big fan of musicals, but I have a few favorites, and “Repo” looked like it might easily fit into that group. The fact that Anthony Steward Head was playing one of the lead roles also helped, but with his absence from the panel on Thursday night, all attention was turned to Paris Hilton, who not only crushed most preconceptions of herself in the media with a genuine and dare I say humble presence, but also showed that her existence in the film was more than just stunt casting. Of the three musical sequences shown to the audience, Paris’ bit with co-writer Terrance Zdunich was by far the best of the bunch. She isn’t a better singer than Head, or even Ogre from Skinny Puppy, but she definitely holds her own in a performance that may surprise more than a few people. She also earned the biggest laugh of the night when she responded to a reporter inquiring about her visit to San Diego with the following comment: “I love Comic-Con. It’s hot.”
Among other things discussed were the film’s runtime (which was cut from 145 minutes to a more economic 95 minutes) and Bousman’s eventual plans for the discarded segments, which he claims should show up on the DVD release. Though my impressions of “Repo” weren’t quite what I’d hoped, I’m still weary of passing judgment on a film that can’t properly be criticized without seeing it in its entirety. And with that, I’ll say this: “Repo: The Genetic Opera” is definitely different, but whether or not it’s any good remains unclear. I’m really hoping that seeing the film in its finished form will change my mind, because this is exactly the kind of film that Hollywood needs.
