In a world ravaged by a viral infection, Alice continues her
journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new
heights in Resident Evil: Afterlife, the fourth installment
in the popular sci-fi franchise, as she acquires some unexpected- though much
needed- help from an old friend. Together they follow up on a new lead that promises a safe
haven in Los Angeles. But when
they arrive they find a city overrun by thousands of Undead, quickly proving
that safety is going to be a huge challenge for those still alive.
Going into this movie I really did not expect much in terms
of originality. This is the fourth go around for the series and while Milla
Jovovich is dazzling as a beautiful, zombie killing machine, you can really only
kill so many before things become repetitious. That being said, I should also
note that this was my first 3D movie experience. I know, I waited a long time for it, and Resident
Evil probably wasn't the best choice, but I can honestly say that I was
more impressed than I would have been had I seen it in the now blandish 2D
format. But in the end nothing can
save a repetitious film from being repetitious, and this film was painstakingly
unoriginal and predictable.
The film brings back a host of characters from previous Resident
Evil installments, mixing in a few new faces as well. Ali Larter returns for her second go
around as Claire Redfield, but fans get their first look at her brother, Chris,
played by "˜Prison Break' star Wentworth Miller. Also reprising her role from the third film is Spencer Locke
as K-Mart, while Shawn Roberts succeeds Jason O'Mara as the Umbrella Corp.'s
evil overlord, Albert Wesker.
In terms of acting and performance, Jovovich played her role
well, portraying a far more human Alice than we're accustomed to seeing. Larter
and Miller are both acceptable as the Redfield siblings, but we never get to
see them spend much screen time together, something you would have expected
given their relationship.
As far as the overall experience goes, Afterlife offers more of the zombie killing entertainment fans demand, except now they
can see zombie heads explode in 3D. The film's 3D is fine, but there's no
standout sequence that springs to mind. While the action scenes are intense,
there is really nothing new or cool that would make you stand up and say "wow!"
While there is nothing wrong with making a movie about
mindless zombie killing, after four, they start to become a bit much. Afterlife suffers through more downtime than previous entries and takes itself a bit too
seriously in terms of the whole idea of a global zombie apocalypse. The film is supposed to be fun"¦intense,
but fun. I don't think this feature
is a good as the first, but fans of the video game and the other Resident
Evil features are sure to find it good enough to warrant a "“ God
forsaking - fifth.
Also, if you do choose to go see it, make sure you stay for
a special cameo at the end of the credits.
