RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION

Resident Evil: Retribution (3D) (15)
Written and Directed by Paul WS Anderson
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Sienna Guillory
Think global. Kill local.

​Ah, Milla Jovovich … just how much do we love you? With your good looks, your graceful ass-kicking abilities, and your excitable fan-boy sensibilities. It’s always good to see you…

The new “Resident Evil” movie subtitled “Retribution” hits the silver screen. I’m well aware that nothing I say here will change anybody’s pre-formulated opinion. Those who love the “Resi” films will go and see it, and ignore any negative reviews. Those who hate the movie franchise, will de-ride it and shake their heads, and loudly wonder just who goes and sees this stuff.



The film itself kicks off in the best possible way. A stunning 3D/slo-mo/reverse sequence, (bet you’d never thought you’d see those 3 effects combined!) which carries on straight from the cliff-hanger ending of the previous “Resi” film, “Afterlife”. It’s sequences like this that the “Resi” fans really go to see at the cinema for the spectacle, and if you are a fan this will immediately put a big grin on your face. Unfortunately it is then followed by a 5 minute recap by Milla, of films 1-4, along with a repeat of the action sequence in normal motion. Mis-step by the returning director (and Mr Jovovich) Paul W.S. Anderson, as it’s not needed…

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The film narrative then starts and (as expected) it’s the usual convoluted nonsense. The whole plot can be summed up in one sentence though; Alice (Jovovich) is imprisoned by the Umbrella Corporation in huge underground facility and attempts to escape with the help of an unlikely ally. However, the film is a kind of “Best of Resident Evil” compilation, incorporating many of the characters from all previous 4 films (including the Red Queen A.I. from the original). Several new characters, which are long established in the Capcom game, are also introduced.



Basing the bulk of the action in an Umbrella “testing facility”, complete with mile-long reconstructions of major cities (!), enables varied action set-pieces and an easy excuse to provide recreations of previous stand-offs from the films and the games. The “Licker” (Capcom’s term, not mine) rampages through the Red Square in Moscow. Alice faces off against the giant “Executioners” in Times Square New York. It’s almost like an updated version of “Game of Death” (the Bruce Lee film), with Alice fighting through different environments to get free. Speaking of martial arts, the best moments by far, are the bone-crunching personal fights that Alice gets involved in. A corridor punch-up between Alice armed with a pistol and a chain, against 15-odd zombies, invokes the spirit of “Old Boy” and its corridor fight. And the bruising climatic brawl between 5 characters even includes the old favourite of x-ray shots as bones shatter and organs fail. That’s when the film works best to be honest; it almost feels like a Chuck Norris film for the ten-ties! The horror scenario and zombies are mostly lost in this part of the franchise. It’s all about the guns, the fights, and the staccato one-liners.



It’s also all about the girls. Maybe that’s why the “Resi” franchise (and “Underworld”) is so popular. There aren’t many on-going film series that so positively depict women kicking-ass on a world-beating scale. Milla Jovovich can act (see “Stone” with Ed Norton and Robert De Niro for evidence), but she has always been very vocal in her support and excitement during the making of these films. Her video blogs and diaries of the shootings are much appreciated in the world of movie fandom. She obviously has a ball and it shows!  With a returning Michelle Rodriguez (For God’s sake Hollywood!! Give this woman a lead part in an action movie!! What does it take?), and a somewhat robotic Sienna Guillory (might be intentional, probably not), the guys fade into the background as butts are roundly whupped! I did miss Ali Larter though, who is inexplicably missing from the cast list…



Also, there is some wonderful imagery. I challenge you not to be impressed as a huge pyramid of zombies’ forms underwater to drag a character to a watery death, and the virtual reality of suburbia is shattered as the “sky” breaks after an explosion! It also ends on an apocalyptic scene that belittles anything that went before in the series.



I’ll say it now. I like the “Resi” films. For mindless entertainment and the occasional adrenaline rush, I think they serve their purpose admirably. I can understand why a substantial group of people don’t like the films, but I can’t understand the vitriol that is thrown at them by sniffy critics.

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“Retribution” is an entertaining film and I enjoyed it immensely. My only concern is that it does not stand on its own quite so well as “Afterlife” did. There is less of a feeling of global scale to this one, and it almost feels like this is “treading water” until the next film. For fans of the game, the role of Wesker is somewhat questionable in this story, and they do kill off a big fan favourite!



This was the number one film in the US on its release, and I can’t see the franchise stopping just yet. So fans of “Resi” and Milla please see and enjoy. Non-fans … there’s nothing here for you … move along … it’s your loss!



DREDD 3D

Director: Pete Travis

Screenplay: Alex Garland & Carlos Ezquerra
Starring: Lena Headey, Karl Urban

Judgment is coming

Before I hit my 10th Birthday in 1978 (yes, I am that old…), there were 3 things that really made an impact on my life in the entertainment industry. They were “Star Wars”, “Jaws”, and the UK comic “2000AD”. The starting point of many talented UK writers and artists, the Icon from the comic was the incomparable Judge “Joe” Dredd. Lawman of the future in Mega-City One, whose face you never saw. Of course we’ve had one cinematic venture with Stallone slurring the words “I YAM DA LAW” and taking his helmet off within 10 minutes. This effort did get some things right (Mean Machine and Hammerstein), but a hell of a lot more things wrong! So how does this much-anticipated version measure up?



Calm down creep and get out of that Iso-Cube! “Dredd” is everything that fans could wish for, and a hell of a film to boot! Leanly scripted by the great Alex Garland (The Beach) and superbly represented by Karl Urban (Star Trek), this zooms straight into my top 3 favourite films of the year. The set-up is simple but effective. Dredd (Urban) is evaluating rookie judge Anderson (Olivia Thirlby from “The Darkest Hour”) whilst investigating a triple homicide in one of Mega-City’s massive blocks. The raises the ire of crime boss Ma-Ma (Lena Headey, never better) who causes the block to go into lockdown and commands her gang to hunt them down. Dredd and Anderson try to survive... that’s it really.

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But’s that’s not just it really. Karl Urban (a long-time fan of the character apparently) IS Dredd, as you’ve always imagined he would be. The trademark grim expression is there, without looking forced. The gritty voice is authentic (although it does sound distractingly like “Jigsaw” from the “Saw” franchise sometimes). The sandpaper-dry humour is there, without being cheesy. Just watch Urban’s lip curl as he intones the sentence “She’s a mutant?”, or the derogatory way he constantly refers to Anderson as “Rookie”. His stance, his movements, and his stubble-bound chin all scream “Dredd”. I can’t honestly think of another actor who could have personified Dredd so effectively. The two female leads also ably support Urban. Thirlby is a revelation as Judge Cassandra Anderson. Here she is a yet to be a judge, and she is a world away from the flippant, flirtatious character who helps and hinders Dredd in the comics, but you can easily see her becoming that person. Bravely incorporating the PSI abilities from the characters origins, you can see Anderson grow in confidence and abilities, and is an able ass-kicker alongside Dredd. Headey is marvellous here. Her stoic good looks and natural calmness bring an extra dimension to Ma-Ma.  She conveys menace and fury merely by parting her lips and glowering. It’s easy to see she had a ball doing this.

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I must say that this is also the finest 3D presentation on screens so far this year as well. It deservedly kicks the 3D efforts of The Un-Amazing Spiderman” straight down the plughole! The use of the “slo-mo” drug (which slows down time for the user) is not so much of an over-used gimmick as you might think. However, it does herald some positively beautiful imagery of broken glass and water droplets, as they cascade out of the screen. Not only that, but in one action scene it allows explosive shockwaves to ripple across bodies and for bullets and blood pellets to erupt from body-wounds. This movie does not pull punches. There is much respect for aiming this film well and truly at the “18” certificate, and a “hard R” rating in the US.

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If there is any stumbling block at all, it’s that Mega-City One doesn’t look that … err … “mega”. There are no Perspex domes or hover-bikes. In fact most vehicles are earthbound and the kids are still using skateboards. But then again, if there WAS a “Mega-City”, wouldn’t it mix the old with the new?  As Garland has said, this story takes place in the slum area of the city, who’s to say that those futuristic areas and stories couldn’t be explored in the future. It does work, and you ignore aesthetics as the narrative continues. Besides which, Dredd’s weapons such as the Lawmaster (the bike) and the Lawgiver (the gun) are absolutely spot-on! Wait until you see the “hot-shot” and the “incendiary”! There are some nice nods to the comic-book history as well. TV news reports on the “Fergie” memorial (sewer-dwelling mutant hero), and prominent graffiti states “Chopper!” and “Muties out!”

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This really is a great film, and if you have any concerns that the plot follows the same trajectory as the recent “The Raid: Redemption”... it doesn’t.  See it and enjoy a ball-busting and bloody sci-fi actioner! I only hope that it is enough of a success to prompt further sequels. Garland has hinted that he would love to introduce a certain multi-dimensional judge, who believes that life is a crime …

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4

Paranormal Activity 4 

Director: Henry Joost and Ariel SchulmanWritten by: Christopher LandonStarring: Katie Featherston, Kathryn Newton, Matt ShivelyAll the activity has led to this

After a promising start to their careers with the intriguing docu-film Catfish, up and coming directorial duo Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost confirmed that they had real potential behind the camera with Paranormal Activity 3. They also had a knack for scaring audiences. Which makes the disappointment that is PA4 doubly frustrating.



The film is the first real sequel to the original film (the second running in parallel and the third being a prequel) and is set in 2011, five years after the events of Paranormal Activity. The whereabouts of Katie and her nephew Hunter are still not known. So the focus shifts to a new family.



Alex lives in the suburbs with her parents and younger brother Wyatt. She spends most of her time on Skype with her boyfriend Ben. That is until the creepy kid from across the street comes to stay at her house after his mum is taken to hospital. Alex soon becomes wary of their new guest and sets up all the computers/laptops/games consoles in the house to record his strange behaviour. Obviously, you know what kind of thing comes next. 



The problem is that what comes next is not particularly scary. Which is kind of a big deal as the appeal of these movies is purely that. People do not expect to see complex storylines, great acting or scintillating dialogue (not that they get any of these either) but they expect a certain level of tension. And they hope for a few genuine scares too.

Yet Paranormal Activity 4 offers very little. Sure, Christopher Landon tries to freshen things up by switching from camcorders to laptops and i-phones and Kinect. But what we see/hear through these new devices is not terribly frightening or new – my advice, don’t buy a big dangly chandelier.



One of PA4’s biggest failures is its approach to its antagonist(s). Generally speaking, the scariest place exists inside the audiences head. What they cannot see is usually more frightening than anything any writer or director can come up with. Oren Peli utilised this to great effect in the original. Yet Landon and co. appear to have forgotten this golden rule for we see the bad guys’ way too much in this movie.



Also, we know that characters do stupid things in horror movies and that at times this is necessary but there are moments in this film where it gets a little bit too much. It’s a shame because both Kathryn Newton and Matt Shively are charming and very watchable as the pair of teenagers trying to deal with this suburban nightmare.



The film picks up a little in the third act but it’s too little and too late and any potential recovery is dashed by an ending so baffling it endangers the entire franchise. Whoever thought it was a good idea needs to be culled from any participation in future PA films - and there will be additions because the films are so damn profitable. Four films, an outlay of under $10m and a gross of over $600m, you do the maths!

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It’s not an awful film by any stretch of the imagination but it is the weakest in the series so far. There are too many questions left unanswered and the ominous feel to the first three movies (especially 1 and 3) is barely existent here. The best we can hope for is that this is a glitch in the franchise. Although the ending threatens to take the story into new territory which is too big in scale and fantastic, Even for a series as out there as Paranormal Activity.

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RB