I missed “REC 2,” which was barely released in the U.S., but those familiar with the quasi-zombie horror franchise report that part 3 has little in common with it. Writer/director Paco Plaza, going solo after co-directing the first two with Jaume Balaguero, dispenses with the “found footage” method after 20 minutes or so, and stages much of the film in broad daylight, setting it at a jubilant wedding reception marred by an outbreak of whatever it is (virus? drug? demon?) that turns people into flesh-eating monsters. These departures make “REC 3” different from its predecessors, but they don’t diminish its effectiveness as a genre film. As a standalone story, it’s solid if predictable — ancillary characters tend to die immediately after being useful to the main characters — and it offers some dark laughs, bloody kills, and moderate thrills.
B- (1 hr., 20 min; Spanish with subtitles; )
