![[Rec]²](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/sash/4FyxwxECzL-U1J8.png)
In 2007 the Spanish film REC vaulted to the top of the horror heap with its unique blend of claustrophobic tension and reality TV format. Telling the story of a ghoulish infection run amok among the tenants of a Barcelona apartment building and the efforts of a first responder unit, accompanied by a television documentary crew, and their quest to deal with the outbreak and keep from being killed, the movie was not only a pure "white knuckler" but the buzz it generated among genre fans made Hollywood sit up and take notice, creating an English-language shot-for-shot remake set in Los Angeles named Quarantine.
I thoroughly enjoyed REC, but strangely preferred the American remake because it stuck to the original's script with one exception – the cause of the infection. The Spanish put a religious spin on the virus that, at the time, seemed like a feeble turn in what was otherwise top-notch story telling. Quarantine eschewed this in favour a firmly scientific explanation which seemed far more plausible. That is, until the inevitable time rolled around for the sequel.
It's here that REC 2 transforms itself into a spectacular piece of scriptwriting, and in a way that could never be emulated should the makers of Quarantine opt for another shot-for-shot remake.
Writer/Directors Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza (the creators of the first film) seize their supernatural explanation with gusto and transform it into an integral component that lends a far greater depth of terror than could otherwise be obtained had they opted to make the source of the infection grounded in the corporeal world. The end result is a sequel that is surprisingly better than the movie that spawned it, similar to the way James Cameron's Aliens bested Ridley Scott's Alien.
Set mere minutes after the conclusion of REC, the sequel tells the story of a SWAT team that is sent into the sealed-off building to try and find the original first response crew and the source of the outbreak. But all is not what it seems and, as things unfold, this is where the pure genius of the director/screenwriters come into play.
Like the first, REC 2 follows the same formula relying on hand held and helmet mounted cameras which, this time, make large passages play out like a first-person shooter. The movie also includes a number of twists as it weaves the story lines of three groups of protagonists into one. And just as the original managed to put a new spin on the zombie/infected genre, they've thrown huge elements of author William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist into the mix for what must surely be the world's first possessed, infected, zombie, cannibal holocaust (yes, you read that right).
Simply because this movie was made outside of Hollywood shouldn't allow people to think that the Spanish are immune to the temptations of turning this into a multi-film franchise. I felt almost certain that because of the way it was written, it would be neigh impossible to create a follow-up to REC, and I'm happy to say I was wrong. However I once again find myself hoping Balagueró and Plaza will call it a day and go out on a high note. Strangely though, after seeing the genius that is REC 2, I have a feeling I'm going to be wrong yet again.
I thoroughly enjoyed REC, but strangely preferred the American remake because it stuck to the original's script with one exception – the cause of the infection. The Spanish put a religious spin on the virus that, at the time, seemed like a feeble turn in what was otherwise top-notch story telling. Quarantine eschewed this in favour a firmly scientific explanation which seemed far more plausible. That is, until the inevitable time rolled around for the sequel.
It's here that REC 2 transforms itself into a spectacular piece of scriptwriting, and in a way that could never be emulated should the makers of Quarantine opt for another shot-for-shot remake.
Writer/Directors Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza (the creators of the first film) seize their supernatural explanation with gusto and transform it into an integral component that lends a far greater depth of terror than could otherwise be obtained had they opted to make the source of the infection grounded in the corporeal world. The end result is a sequel that is surprisingly better than the movie that spawned it, similar to the way James Cameron's Aliens bested Ridley Scott's Alien.
Set mere minutes after the conclusion of REC, the sequel tells the story of a SWAT team that is sent into the sealed-off building to try and find the original first response crew and the source of the outbreak. But all is not what it seems and, as things unfold, this is where the pure genius of the director/screenwriters come into play.
Like the first, REC 2 follows the same formula relying on hand held and helmet mounted cameras which, this time, make large passages play out like a first-person shooter. The movie also includes a number of twists as it weaves the story lines of three groups of protagonists into one. And just as the original managed to put a new spin on the zombie/infected genre, they've thrown huge elements of author William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist into the mix for what must surely be the world's first possessed, infected, zombie, cannibal holocaust (yes, you read that right).
Simply because this movie was made outside of Hollywood shouldn't allow people to think that the Spanish are immune to the temptations of turning this into a multi-film franchise. I felt almost certain that because of the way it was written, it would be neigh impossible to create a follow-up to REC, and I'm happy to say I was wrong. However I once again find myself hoping Balagueró and Plaza will call it a day and go out on a high note. Strangely though, after seeing the genius that is REC 2, I have a feeling I'm going to be wrong yet again.