Repo Men is a sci-fi thriller set in a not-so-distance future in a world that could possibly become our own if the balance of power is tipped towards corporations over governments. In this world, a corporation known as “The Union” manufactures and sells prosthetic organs at astronomical prices, forcing all but the most wealthy of individuals to pay off their organ over time, allowing the company to charge interest. It is very much the same process as buying a car; if you do not make your payments, your car gets repossessed. The consequences for not coming up with the payments on a artificial organ results in the forceful repossession of that organ. Essentially, the “Repo Men” are a group of individuals with combat experience and the training required to quickly remove organs without regard for the patient’s life.
Repo Men is a must see for the sci-fi enthusiast or anybody who enjoys movies that draw connections to our world. I found myself contemplating the idea of repossession in the contexts of human life. Society is held together by sets of rules that must be enforced if progress can be made. If The Union did not collect on their contracts, there would be no reason for clients to go to the trouble of raising the money to make their payments in a timely manner. The company would be unable to sustain itself, causing the market for artificial organs to die. This would then make survival impossible for those in need of organs, where as in the implemented system of repossession the company can give people who would otherwise already be dead a chance at life. Just a thought…
I would give Repo Men a 7 out of 10. The flow of events felt erratic at times, and there were several instances in which major plot twists were spoiled by blatant foreshadowing. Having said that, the characters were well developed, each having their own connection and history with The Union. The leads played their parts quite well; I have never been a Jude Law fan, and I was pleasantly surprised with how well he played the brooding bad ass that he becomes in the film. The action in this film is as gory as a movie about retrieving organs from unwilling donors should be, but the fight sequences have an almost eloquent feel to them. Needless to say, Repo Men is an interesting film that shows the price paid to maintain order within a society, making it well worth the price of admission.
