The only other Pang Brothers film I had the misfortune of watching was The Eye, which I was told was a must for Asian horror fans, being bewitching and suspenseful. However, one hour into the film I was so bored I couldn't have cared less about where it was going that I turned if off.
So I approached Re-Cyle with caution. In the first half an hour I was pleasantly surprised - the direction wasn't uninteresting like The Eye at all. There was some good cinematography, effective subtle use of suggestion to employ chills and uncertainty, and even the soundtrack was well used.
However, from the point where our heroine goes into the 'other world' the whole thing collapses. The imagery is too reminiscent of Silent Hill to be original, there are more Ringu-like girls with long hair creeping around, and the undead zombies have such laughable makeup they could have walked off a Romero set.
The main problem with this film is not its ideas but their execution. It's a great idea that for every killed or abandoned creature there is a world that they go to to live out their uncared-for lives, but the way the Pang Brother put this across is so cheap and naff that I was laughing and cringing in my seat. Scary babies, zombies, and following a map to get 'out' made the whole thing turn into some 90s computer game. As well as this, the end sequence with its poignant and tearjerky flashbacks and cutesy music was so cheesy I'm surprised my DVD player didn't turn into a wheel of Stilton.
Overall Re-Cycle is not a bad film, but it's certainly not a good one either. If you prefer the classier and more subtle Asian films like Uzumaki, Sorum and The Isle, this won't be for you. It's far too heavy and stodged down by pseudo-meaning, cliché and over the top visuals. However, if you happen to own several Lord of The Rings box sets, some Star Wars costumes and never miss a Stratovarius gig this may be for you.
So I approached Re-Cyle with caution. In the first half an hour I was pleasantly surprised - the direction wasn't uninteresting like The Eye at all. There was some good cinematography, effective subtle use of suggestion to employ chills and uncertainty, and even the soundtrack was well used.
However, from the point where our heroine goes into the 'other world' the whole thing collapses. The imagery is too reminiscent of Silent Hill to be original, there are more Ringu-like girls with long hair creeping around, and the undead zombies have such laughable makeup they could have walked off a Romero set.
The main problem with this film is not its ideas but their execution. It's a great idea that for every killed or abandoned creature there is a world that they go to to live out their uncared-for lives, but the way the Pang Brother put this across is so cheap and naff that I was laughing and cringing in my seat. Scary babies, zombies, and following a map to get 'out' made the whole thing turn into some 90s computer game. As well as this, the end sequence with its poignant and tearjerky flashbacks and cutesy music was so cheesy I'm surprised my DVD player didn't turn into a wheel of Stilton.
Overall Re-Cycle is not a bad film, but it's certainly not a good one either. If you prefer the classier and more subtle Asian films like Uzumaki, Sorum and The Isle, this won't be for you. It's far too heavy and stodged down by pseudo-meaning, cliché and over the top visuals. However, if you happen to own several Lord of The Rings box sets, some Star Wars costumes and never miss a Stratovarius gig this may be for you.