I know there's been discussion of this "last" installment in the franchise, but I don't see a thread for it, so here goes.

If you're not familiar, [REC] and [REC] 2 are pure classics...two of the very best horror flicks I've ever seen in terms of sheer intensity.  They were written and directed by the team of Juame Balaguero and Paco Plaza.

[REC] 3 Genesis followed, and was Paco Plaza's work.  It was shunned as it didn't follow the serious nature of the first 2, and was only half found footage.

Now we have Juame Balaguero's installment, and it too has been shunned for being...well...for just not being all that good, and completely forgetting the found footage angle.

There are several problems here, as far as I'm concerned.

First of all, moving this to a ship at sea is rather foolish, especially when the reason given was to completely isolate the virus, but then they have a graveyard staff on board that can't handle shit, let alone something of this magnitude.

Second, once we get to the ship, it's serious dullsville for 30 or more minutes.  Dialogue, acting, and story is weak here, and it's seriously tough to stay afloat.

Third, the virus completely loses its evil or Satanic angle and is replaced by pretty much fast moving, classic zombies.

Finally, the found footage look is almost completely lost, except for a few video surveilance shots.

All in all is this a terrible movie?  No, in fact, the last 30 minutes is quite good.  But there was so much riding on this and so much hope that this would get rid of the bad taste Genesis left on the franchise, it was going to have to be really good, and that, it is not.

Grade - On its own, I'd give this a B.  But, being the final entry in the [Rec] franchise, I have to give it a C.

Finally got round to watching this.

It was very disappointing. It reminded me most of Peter Jackson's Braindead...a totally over the top splatter fest that bordered on the comical. The raw, intense genius of the first two is long gone. After the last two films, you wonder whether they just got lucky.

It's hard to think of another series that's gone from such a great start to such an ignomious finish.

The incredible tension and immediacy of the found footage, with the visceral fast action of the zombies plus the creepy Satanic aspect they introduced in 2 was a perfect combination.

Very odd stuff. It;s like they were embarrassed by their own brilliance,and have tried everything in their power to make themselves into hacks. Really, really odd.