'Repo Men' (R) (out of four)

At first glance, all the ingredients of "Repo Men" would suggest this sci-fi thriller is a winner, especially considering its cast, which includes Jude Law, Forest Whitaker and Liev Schreiber.

But that's not all the film has going for it: It has a fantastic look -- a cross between "Blade Runner" and "Children of Men" -- and it was co-written by Garrett Lerner ("House MD"). Unfortunately, these elements aren't enough in a movie that just doesn't know when to say enough.

In the near future, people needing mechanical organ replacements can get what they need from a medical company called the Union. "You owe it to your family. You owe it yourself" is the pitch delivered by their head man, played by Schreiber, who manages to channel the essence of a slimy used car salesman. He convinces desperate patients to sign on the dotted line for horrendously expensive operations.

The catch is, if they fall behind on the payments, the Union can and will repossess the organs. That bloody job belongs to the Repo Men -- guys who have no qualms about zapping their marks, cutting them open and pulling out the mechanical heart, kidney or bladder in question.

Law plays Remy, a repo man who effectively and callously does his job without any empathy for the patients who die soon after he removes their past-due organs. He's also a father to a young son, and husband to a wife (Carice van Houten, "Valkyrie") who has become repulsed by his profession.

Oscar-winner Whitaker plays Jack, Remy's longtime friend and fellow repo man. He's a guy who really loves the job and backs up his pal when Remy's wife finally leaves him. Unfortunately, the talented Whitaker seems out of place here, much like he did in another overblown film, "Vantage Point."

The newly separated repo man gets a change of heart -- literally -- when an accident results in his getting one of those high-priced organs. He soon falls behind on his payments, and gets a firsthand lesson in what the patients he once hunted are going through.

During the first half of "Repo Men," it's hard to find any characters who are likable. Everyone seems callous and unfeeling. It would be nice to root for Remy, which we finally do once he links up with Beth (Alice Braga from "I Am Legend"), a nightclub singer whose past-due body is loaded with new equipment.

But after that, Remy embarks on a killing spree that is repulsive, showing that first-time director Miguel Sapochnik is definitely not a believer in the "less is more" philosophy of movie-making. People aren't stabbed, their arteries are slashed and blood is sprayed -- numerous times -- over nearby walls. When it comes to the fight scenes, the director seems to believe that even if the opponent is already down and out, another bullet to the head is a necessary punctuation mark.

It's just too much, and it detracts from the few really memorable moments in the movie. It's too bad that Sapochnik concentrated on running up the body count and wasted gallons and gallons of fake blood.

As for Law, he demonstrates he can play an action tough guy -- but maybe next time he'll find a character we can care more about.