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…
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.
“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!
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