Repo! The Genetic Opera Running Time: 97 minutes Rated: R Stars: Anthony Head, Alexa Vega, Paris Hilton, Paul Sorvino, Nivek Ogre Directed by: Darren Lynn Bousman Tucson Dates - Jan 9-15, 2009 at The Loft Cinema DVD Release Party - January 23, 2009 at Chandler Cinemas

"Zydrate comes in a little glass vial."

That line is from one of the catchiest songs in the movie Repo! The Genetic Opera.

The movie begins with the setting, shown in comic-book style. Years into the future, a disease sweeps the world, causing massive organ failures. Millions die. A hero known as Rotti Largo (Paul Sorvino), head of the company GeneCo, steps up with organ financing, saving countless lives.

Here's where the setting takes a twist for the macabre as Repo Men are introduced: Legal assassins that repossess your organs if you miss a payment.

Now that we have the setting, it's time to introduce the heroine: Shilo Wallace, played by Alexa Vega, a 17-year-old girl with a blood disease. She sneaks out of her room to eat a lunch with her dead mother... who is laying six feet under an engraved slab of rock. An attempt at bug-catching introduces her to GraveRobber (Terrance Zdunich), and a close encounter with GeneCo authorities.

We are then introduced to Shilo's father, Nathan (Anthony Stewart Head). He's a loving father, caring for his sick daughter, all the while carrying the burden of accidentally killing his wife. We also find out that he's secretly one of the Repo Men, which leads to a grotesquely amusing scene of him dancing and singing around a target before repossessing his organs.

The scene changes to Rotti, who finds out that he has a terminal disease. He apparently doesn't like to heed the saying "don't shoot the messenger." We are also introduced to the Luigi children, Amber (Paris Hilton), Pavi (Nivek Ogre), and Luigi (Bill Moseley), whom Rotti thinks are an embarrassment and doesn't want anywhere near his company.

Sarah Brightman plays the part of Blind Mag, the voice of GeneCo, and Terrance does a wonderful job as GraveRobber, especially in the song "Zydrate Anatomy."

There's another little number later where Shilo turns into a rebellious rock star, complete with guitarist and screaming fans.

Everyone then heads to the opera house for the dramatic climax. In a scene vaguely reminiscent of Hamlet, secrets are revealed, people die, and the opera's a hit. No, I'm not going to say what exactly happened. This is the ending; you have to watch it for yourself.

There's humor, there's tragedy, there's gore, and there's music. With a wonderful cast, great special effects, and an original story, it's a huge surprise this movie hasn't gotten better reviews.

All-in-all, I give this movie ****1/2 - Caitlin Gilson