The Gene Generation.

The comic book Michelle.

Described as an underground subculture cyberpunk movie and directed by Pearry Teo, the first Singaporean movie director to make a Hollywood film, The Gene Generation (2007) is based on the comic book series The DNA Hacker Chronicles.

Set in the dark decadent world of what is depicted as mankind’s future we find ourselves close to extinction. Forced to implement a controversial Natural Selection process, the government has built a wall surrounding Olympia, the last city on earth. By a careful selection process using our genes and DNA, the Kalafkan Government chose only the best and most promising to survive the impending destruction. This process has led to a crime known as DNA Hacking, where people steal genes and DNA in hopes of qualifying for the new citizenship and a chance to enter the promised new city of Demeter. The government employ’s assassins to take out and kill these hackers. In exchange, the assassins are granted entry to Demeter, if they earn enough money! One such killer is Michelle (Bai Ling) who with her younger brother wishes to leave the city and settle for a different lifestyle, but she has a problem, her brother Jackie (Parry Shen), who gets himself indebted to a merciless gang of Loan Sharks, stretches Michelle’s skills as a killer and steals her hard earned money to pay his debts.  Into this mix comes the last of the original Hayden Technologies DNA scientists, Christian (Alec Newman) with whom Michelle falls in love leading to a mix of emotions and even more gruesome killings.

Bai Ling as Michelle.

Generally enjoyable mainly because of the lead character Michelle, played by the attractive Chinese bisexual actress Bai Ling (Dumplings 2004), and the astonishing costumes she wears. But the movie does have its drawbacks, a visual style that at times is far too dark, a plot that’s a little incoherent and some characters that are no way as convincing as the lead. But as I said previously well worth watching for the great female B-movie character.

The movie poster.