Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Shawn Roberts, Kim Coates, Boris Kodjoe, Wentworth Miller.
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Rating: R
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
This is my first post at film_flammers , and I thought what better way to kick things off than with my review of the fourth installment in the Resident Evil franchise. I have been excited for this film since I first heard that they were continuing the series. The previous installment left you with a cliff hanger that was just begging to be continued, so I was anxiously awaiting the next chapter. While this film did deliver in bringing enjoyable non-stop action, I wouldn't say that it's my favorite out of the series, and there are a couple of reasons as to why that is. However, let me start off with the aspects of the film that I did enjoy.
As always, Milla Jovovich is flawless as the incredible Alice. It is truly her character and her performance that keep bringing me back to this series. The fact that Alice lost all of her powers in the beginning of the film was a bit of a shock. In some ways it made me love her even more, because she was able to kick just as much ass without them. I loved seeing Ali Larter back as Claire, as her character was another favorite of mine. When Alice finds Claire she has been brainwashed by the Umbrella Corporation and is a savage killing machine. Alice is able to subdue her, but unfortunately, Claire's memory is gone. Alice works to gain back Claire's trust and help her remember who she is.
Alice and Claire make their way towards Los Angeles where they spot some survivors on top of a maximum security prison. These new characters include Luther West (Boris Kodjoe) as the ex basketball player turned leader of a rag tag crew of survivors. The members consist of the typical muscle Angle Ortiz (Sergio Peris-Mencheta), the token egotistical asshole Bennett (Kim Coates), the single woman Crystal (Kacey Barnfieldd), the scared civilian Kim Young (Norman Yeung), and the shower watching pervert Wendell (Fulvio Cecere). Oh yeah, and there's also a supposed murderer caged in the basement known as Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller).
Hello Clarice
Alice and Claire team up with the survivors in the attempt to find a way out of the prison. As the Zombie Survival Guide specifically states, you NEVER want to use a prison as your means of defense. While it may be easy to fortify, there are a limited number of ways out, and this can leave you trapped if zombies break in. And, what do you know, that's exactly what happens!
The gang does battle against the horde of incoming zombies, and we are introduced to a new mutated breed that has tentacles stuck on it's face not unlike the kraken from Pirates of the Caribbean. There is also a giant zombie with a bag over his head wielding an axe. Apparently, this is a character that is in the video games, but since I'm not an avid gamer, I wouldn't know. Now, this is a part that I'm not too fond of. While I have to say that this is one of the few films where I enjoyed the 3D aspect, I feel like at some point the plot was being watered down to make room for more action sequences that could make use of the 3D technology. Now, don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVED the fight scenes. I always enjoy seeing Alice kick some zombie ass. Just in comparison to the other three films, I feel like this one wasn't as strong in terms of it's plot. I would have liked to have seen a little more dialogue and a little less slow motion.
The remaining survivors (Alice, Claire, and Chris) make their way towards the ship known as Arcadia. That's right, the safe haven that they've heard so much about is actually a huge vessel floating in the Pacific Ocean. They find the ship deserted and explore it only to discover that it's actually a trap set up by the evil Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts) of the Umbrella Corporation. An epic fight scene ensues with an even more epic remixed version of A Perfect Circles song "Outsider" playing in the background. The trio disposes of Wesker easily enough, and they are left with the duty of using the abandoned ship as it was originally intended for: a safe haven from infection.
Overall, I did find this film to be highly enjoyable. It was fun and full of awesome girl power. I think I agree with zombres in that it fell more into the genre of action rather than horror. That was a bit disappointing to me. Once again, the film leaves us with a cliffhanger that will most likely be explained in the next instalment of the franchise. People may be getting sick of these movies, but I say bring it on.
On a scale of 1 to 10: Resident Evil: Afterlife slices and dices it's way to a solid 8.
Click to view