Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) Movie Review

Resident Evil: Retribution is a 2012 action horror movie written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. It's the fifth film in Anderson's cinematic version of the Resident Evil franchise and follows Afterlife from two years earlier. It stars Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Kevin Durand, Sienna Guillory, Shawn Roberts, Aryana Engineer and Colin Salmon. It was originally going to be shot back to back with a sixth part but plans were dropped by the director himself. The film was a box office success but not enough to require an immediate sequel so people had to wait four years for the last installment.

After finding the freighter known as Arcadia in the last picture, Alice and the rest of the survivors are attacked by the Umbrella Corporation and escape. She meets with Ada Wong and both encounter a rescue team consisting of Leon S. Kennedy, Barry Burton, and Luther West. They must face up to Umbrella once more as past enemies and friends return. 

The ultra bombastic spectacle comes back in this new entry and the unreal cartoony action set-pieces that characterized the series now have a new life after some lackluster moments in parts three and four. The divisive hyperstylized aesthetic that Paul W.S Anderson is known for is in full form here in a way that we haven't seen since and that we will probably never see again any time soon. Mind-bending and physics-defying stuff is displayed here with grace and self-awareness without descending into absurdity or parody, not in a gratuitous sense anyway.

Anderson's decision to include more and more characters from the game are part of what drags the movie a bit for me personally, this is because the series was doing a pretty good job at separating itself from the games and doing its own thing quite well. Sure, sometimes we would see some characters from the games but they would have their own purpose in the narrative. Here it just feels like the official lore is taking space and exists only for fanservice reasons.

Alice has a wonderful attire in this film and the overall aesthetic is top notch. The videogame costumes are neat but they do look slightly out of place in live action, no matter how stylized and cartoony the film tries to be. The inclusion of Ada and the return of Rain are very good additions that give this one more points as opposed to the last film.

Recommended for all the fans and those who wish to continue watching the franchise. While not my favorite, Retribution is a fun rollercoaster that's totally watchable and enjoyable in its popcorn film ambitions without remorse.