VOD Review: [REC] 4: Apocalypse (2015)

(aka REALLY?)
Release Date: January 2nd.
Country: Spain.
Rating: R.
Written by: Jaume Balaguero and Manu Diez.
Directed by: Jaume Balaguero.
Starring: Maneula Velasco, Javier Botet, Paco Manzanedo, and Hector Colome'.

We've desperately wanted a direct sequel to [REC] 2 ever since its credits rolled, and it left us hanging with the crazy, WTF?!? twist ending. Well, three years later we got a [REC] 3, but it had very little to do with the first two movies, and to say that it disappointed us is putting it lightly. 

Flash forward another three years, and here we are, finally getting the [REC] sequel that we've been waiting for since 2009... and again we find ourselves disappointed, maybe even more so than we were with [REC] 3. This was supposed to be a return to form to the things that made the first two movies so great, not a safe, uninspired, generic Infected movie... but here we are.

This review is not going to contain much in the way of positivity, so please pardon our negativity if you enjoyed this one.

If you'd like to take a look at our reviews of the previous [REC] movies to see how the series has progressed (at least in our eyes), here you go:

• [REC] 
• [REC] 2
• [REC] 3: Genesis

This review contains some SPOILERS for the [REC] series, so beware.

After the events of [REC] 2, Angela finds herself on a massive freighter in the middle of the ocean, a guest of a group of scientists who are eager to test her blood and see if she's infected or not. They're looking for a cure you see, and it takes infected blood to develop one, and if you remember the end of the 2nd movie, you know that Angela is pretty much screwed.

YEAH, YOU KNOW WHY.

When an infected research monkey escapes its cage and bite a cook, it's not long before the evil virus is spreading across the ship, and everyone is forced to fight for their lives against Tristana Medeiros' Infected cronies. When Angela eventually tests negative for the virus, the big question becomes where has that sneaky little Demon Worm gotten itself to?

ASK HIM. HE PROBABLY KNOWS.

The first [REC] movie was a Found Footage effort that was based around the exploits of a news crew recording everything that was going on around them, so the title made perfect sense. Same goes for the 2nd movie. Two movies later, they have still not returned to the Found Footage conceit that made those titles make sense, and yet they are still calling these things [REC]. That irks us a bit.

It also irks us that after disliking [REC] 3 as much as we did, that this sequel was no better. In fact, I think we may like [REC] 3 more now, because of this one. No, I'm sure of it.

We're not sure if Jaume Balaguero is bored with the whole thing, or if he's just run out of inspiration, but either way, it sure feels to us like his heart just isn't in this series anymore, and if it is, then it's definitely in the wrong place.

If anything [REC] 4 feels like a Spanish remake of one of the later Resident Evil movies, and not the continuation of the story that we came to love over the course of the first two [REC] films. That really makes us sad.

OH, YOU DIDN'T LIKE WHAT HE MADE FOR DINNER? GO AHEAD AND TELL HIM.

This movie is slow, overwrought, and it made us want to fast forward it far more than it ever should have. For about the first hour of its runtime, all we really get is a bunch of melodrama between characters that we don't give a shit about, and once the "good stuff" finally did kick in, it did very little for us. It didn't scare us, it didn't have us on the edge of our seats... it all just felt telegraphed and obligatory, like it was written by someone who had no idea what made [REC] 1 & 2 so special.

Every character in this movie is a bland stereotype, and that sadly includes Angela. You'd figure that at least she would be of some interest, kick some ass, or do something of note... but no. She just kind of exists to make us wonder if she's still possessed by the Demon Worm or not, and if she is, what she's going to do, and when.

It's good that this franchise is officially ending, because for us, it honestly died two movies ago.

THERE'S NOTHING TO SMILE ABOUT NIC. NOT AT ALL!

How this series went from being an intense, compelling tale of Demonic Possession, to a typical, uninspired bunch of zombie survival bullshit, we'll never understand. I mean, a worm? Infected monkeys? People wielding a boat motor like it's not heavy and cumbersome? That's what you've got for us? Screw that.

And let us not forget the final shot in the movie, and how cheesy it was. 

WE'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THESE MONKEYSHINES!

There's some gore to be had in this one, including a zombie monkey being fried to death, a bunch of Infected being killed with a boat motor, and all sorts of gun violence. That being said, [REC] 4 is the least gory movie in the series.

"HNNNNNNGGG!"

No, but never let it be said that Manuela Velasco doesn't wear a tank top better than most, because she does.

YEAH, THAT'S THE STUFF.

This series should have just ended with Part 2. At this point, even Part 3 would have been acceptable.

DON'T WORRY, MANEULA. IT'S ALL OVER NOW.

[REC] 4: Apocalypse is a pretty poor way to end a series that started out so great. We really hoped that this one would return the series to its creepy, effective roots and send it out with a bang, but no such luck. In all honesty, we recommend that you watch [REC] 1 & 2 and then pretend that parts 3 & 4 never happened... because they honestly don't belong in the same movie universe together. Quality wise, that is.

D+

[REC] 4: Apocalypse is available now on VOD.

Manuela Velasco is still as cute as a button. At least there's no debating that.