Recon 2020: The Caprini Massacre (Canada. 2004)

From the vault of yee-old Reviews:


Director: Christian Viel

Most people consider having their work classified as a "genre film" quite restricting. Every class has its own set of rules and regulations that need to be upheld. You can't just go do whatever you want. For RECON 2020, director Christian Viel screams "SCREW THAT!" and proceeds to throw everything on-screen. It's not a 'genre' per-see, but a mixture of everything that has ever been cool. We find sci-fi, chicks, and every monster imaginable. It's an awe-inspiring sight. But does it work?

It's another poo-kick mission, as a group of marines find themselves on Clean-Up duty on the Caprini planet. They quickly discover that things aren't pleasant in Pleasantville. It seems that the planet used to be a science facility, and the previous tenants left their junk behind (A.K.A: An army of genetic mutations). Understaffed and running out of bullets, our heroes need to fend for their lives at every turn. It's going to get bloody.

Recon 2020 is the Monster Rumble comic you drew up as a kid. Like that comic, this film suffers from being overstuffed with ideas. There are so many creatures, that most of them become lost, and therefore unappreciated. We are delighted to see one appear, only to have him vanish for the rest of the film's running time. Director/Writer Christian Viel realizes this catch-22 and makes up for it by keeping the best for last. The story suffers from this, feeling episodic and a little stilted. We don't mind considering that we have cyborgs, evil aliens, werewolves, and zombies to keep us busy. It’s all about enjoying the ride! But keep your expectations in check. This is still a low-budget production. The CGI monsters are exactly that, CGI monsters (especially in a sequence involving bugs). Considering the sheer amount of work that went into the effects of this film, the quality is still impressive. The professional looking space-ship scenes look amazing. We also have a few prosthetic beasties in the mix for a little old-school feel. As for the action sequences, non-stop is being modest. Bullets zing, punches are thrown, and explosions rock the screen constantly. The audience rarely gets the chance to stop and clean themselves up from their own drool. All we can do is marvel in awe at the sheer pure excitement dancing in front of our eyes. This is why you started watching movies in the first place.

Most of the actors are average at best. It's the cursed "woodeness". A name barely registers before the character is cut into tiny bloody pieces. The only standouts are a few key marines. They keep things interesting while the others await to be gunned down. The film is paced with a steady and sure directing hand. Mr. Viel knows how to shoot an action scene, no doubt about that. Even the necessary dialogue doesn't hurt. Too much.

RECON 2020 is going to be a cult classic. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar. And a bad one at that. It cements Christian Viel as one of the most entertaining (and prolific) directors arising from the junk coming out of Canada. All we can do now is await the sequel which is already in Pre-Production. How much cooler and awe-inspiring will it be? Well, we have no choice but to wait and see.

I'’ll see you in line.