Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) Movie Review

After the surprise hits that parts one, two and three of the Resident Evil movie series were, Sony wasn't going to let the cow alone and eventually they decided to milk it once again, this time bringing back original director Paul W. S. Anderson, who functioned as producer and writer for the previous films and decided to make this a 3D affair after watching Cameron’s Avatar. It's a no-brainer that star Milla Jovovich would return, this time sharing screentime with Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Spencer Locke, Boris Kodjoe, and Wentworth Miller.

Alice, along with her deadly clones, visits Albert Wesker, the Chairman of the Umbrella Corporation, in Japan only to be attacked and bested by Wesker and his new superpowers. Alice survives and travels to the safe place in Alaska that was the destination of the survivors in the previous film, only to find a memory-wiped Claire who attempts to strike her down only to be defeated by the heroine. She takes Claire to California and lands the plane on a prison where another group of survivors take refuge. They try to reach Arcadia, a supposedly safe cargo tanker that's their only hope. 

This is where the fun begins. The very interesting delirium that progressively envelops this franchise reaches another level with this entry as Paul W. S. Anderson's style becomes less and less conventional. The incredible opening sequence in Japan that has the camera pull back on the infection spreading around the city (in delightful slow motion) only to pull back into it and show the effects of the now Umbrella-controlled metropolis really sets you up for what's to come. From the architectural designs stripped down to pure lines to the focus on space and time we can see the auteur's mind at work.

The frenetic and overly fragmentary style of typical action movie madness is sort of gone here, as Anderson works towards a total control of the background, the movements and the performances on screen, all with careful lighting and camera set ups and framing. You can really feel the weight and impact of the action but not as a very simple event, but rather as a stylized act in itself, which is further emphasized by the constant use of slow motion so that everything registers.

If there are major problems then that would be the middle of the storyline since once we reach the disposable group of survivors looking for the "promised land," or something along those lines (a cliche at this point), the film becomes routine and treads on derivative and familiar territory. Most of the characters, as usual, are one dimensional and uninteresting by themselves. Granted, they are fodder for the blood and guts scenes to take place but still. Alice outshines them all and when the movie focuses on her and her relationship with Claire the movie becomes captivating. 

Totally recommended, if anything for the initial act and the climax, which are more than worth the buy. 

Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) Movie Review

This third film in the Resident Evil franchise came out after the successful but not very well reviewed Apocalypse. Director Russell Mulcahy (Ozploitation filmmaker of Highlander fame) held the reins of this production with a script by Paul W. S. Anderson himself. Milla Jovovich reprised her role as Alice and starred alongside Oded Fehr, Ali Larter, Iain Glen, Ashanti, Mike Epps and Christopher Egan.

Taking place some time after the zombie outbreak of the first two films, which has now become a global problem, survivors from Raccoon City are crossing the Mojave desert in order to reach Alaska (which is supposed to be a safe place) and escape the undead flesh eaters. The T-Virus reaches animals as well and causes an ecological disaster, making the wasteland environment even more dangerous. Alice intercepts the travelling group and joins them in their journey as her superhuman abilities keep increasing.

By changing the setting from apocalyptic to post-apocalyptic I think the film gets rid of the main appeal of the original, the line between borderline chaos and complete degradation of human society and civilization has been crossed and it sort of develops into a mostly generic movie of its type with desolated deserts, fringe cannibal families and groups of survivors moving in vehicles while trying to stay alive and organizing. Nothing special and quite derivative, but in line with the director's previous work.

I will say that the direction is less frantic and the film is slightly more worried about handling the scenery and the intensity of the moment rather than rapidly moving onto the next scene, which makes it less fluid but gives you more time to breathe and digest the world and situations. The rest keeps up with the fast pace of the other films, with quick editing and constant, to the point of saturation, action and fight scenes that become more and more spectacular as the series goes on.

The dirty and grainy look serves the film right as the forsaken junkyard texture works well with the coarseness of the concept and the wardrobe and change of style Alice goes through in this movie is also quite cool and pleasant. The enemies are just as intimidating and this time we have some human threats as well but the only real good additions are the crows, which do become creepy. The comedy is pretty much sidelined here and it never feels intrusive.

There are certain well planned and well timed sequences that give us some really unsettling imagery, like the scene with the crows, that very much add to the desperation and urgency of the scene. The swift camera movements and the somewhat old but still convincing cgi along with practical effects give a very commendable visual aptitude to the overall aesthetic work.

Recommended for anyone who likes some disheveled post-apocalyptic desert action flick with gore and blood. 

Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) Movie Review

The first Resident Evil movie was highly successful at the box office, so of course Sony Pictures wanted another film to be in the works as fast as possible, so in 2004 we saw Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse, which added several more elements from the actual games and incorporated them into it's all new original story, this mix of faithfulness and creative liberties will continue throughout the subsequent films. Director Paul W. S. Anderson stepped down from the director's chair and instead the project was helmed by Chilean-American director Alexander Witt, who had plenty of experience as a cinematographer. Milla Jovovich returns as Alice and plays well alongside a cast consisting of Sienna Guillory, Oded Fehr, Thomas Kretschmann and Sophie Vavasseur.

The film picks up with the devastating zombie outbreak the original film ended with. Raccoon City has been overrun by flesh eating zombies and is now under quarantine, the people inside are then violently repressed and trapped by the Umbrella Corporation. A group of survivors (including former S.T.A.R.S operative Jill Valentine, a reporter and Umbrella soldiers) attempt to escape the city now at the mercy of the zombies. Alice appears to save them from the undead menace, she meets a little girl named Angela Ashford, whose father is a key player in the creation of the virus currently causing mayhem.

Mix Aliens with Escape from New York and you get the somewhat uneven but ultimately incredibly fun Resident Evil Apocalypse. It features chaotic editing with some stylish and very apparent visual flair, and an even more noticeable convulsing montage than in the original, the constant movement and stimulation also help to make the film just as energetic as the first film.

We also have some gorgeous cinematography that envelops you with its moody and very skilled technical work and appealing textures and lighting. The direction doesn't have the same control of the shots and the frame as W. S. Anderson did but it's still a very commendable work. 

The first film was very focused and captivating because we followed a very limited group of characters that were attractive or striking even if some of them were archetypes, all inside a confined space that trapped them and was filled with elaborate hazards, constantly coming up with new surprises. This one has the advantage of having a wider scope and more variety in settings and locations by going around the city but perhaps this buries the characters a bit which could hurt it, at least when compared to the relatively straightforward storytelling of the first one.

I do enjoy the spectacular cgi shootout violence with practical effects that are just as visually remarkable. Nemesis is another highlight that's well treated by having him be featured in some stand out moments like when he fights Alice hand-to-hand or when he decides to take sides and help him. Those imaginative and ingenious moments give the film some vitality and entertainment factor.

Milla Jovovich still has a very commanding and photogenic presence, doing her action sequences with flair and skill, these are very enjoyable and intense with a tireless sense of unrelenting action. In fact, the entire movie is a forceful roller coaster of crude and simple-minded but impactful shoot outs, roars, other loud noises and unstoppable movement/violence.

Recommended if you want a heavy and harsh dose of horror action cinema that’s mostly unseen nowadays. The two leading ladies also make it more than worthwhile and were sort of groundbreaking for action blockbusters at the time, even today it’s rare to have two action heroines in one franchise movie.