Purdinator
You'd be forgiven for being surprised that the "Resident Evil" series has made it through six movies. Ever since the original's debut in 2002, the series has been pumping out zombie horror and breakneck action on a fairly regular schedule, turning a tidy, if unspectacular, profit while doing so. Though, apart from the seemingly endless journey of venerable heroine Milla Jovovich, there's been little development of story across installments. One is much like another, as is the bleak and familiar ground they cover, and that's quite good enough. So, it's actually refreshing to see series progenitor, director and writer Paul W.S. Anderson, seek to bring it to a conclusion.Disregarding a sizable share of previous plot lines, Anderson introduces a detailed backstory that transitions to the blank slate the previous installment left things at. Jovovich is back, and the stakes couldn't be higher. The few remaining humans on the T-virus-ravaged Earth will die in 48 hours, unless Jovovich can make it back to Raccoon City, where the menace began, and release an airborne anti-virus.It's a simple, effective plot, and sets the stage for a rapid pace that does the film credit. Characterization and dialogue have never been strong suits for the series, so it's agreeable that the focus is almost fully on the action. And, you have to admit, it's fun to watch, if not anything particularly original. Before she even reaches the remains of Raccoon City, Jovovich dispatches a flying beastie (looking like something from a Dio album cover) with a claymore mine and, in a scene reminiscent of "Mad Max", escapes from a rolling Umbrella Corporation fortress on a pilfered motorbike. That leads in to a series of escalating confrontations that confirm Anderson as a skilled director of action, though far too quick with his cuts, as well as a voracious appropriator of popular cinema. Beyond "Mad Max", there are references to touchstones as diverse as "Pirates of the Caribbean", Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes" films, and (in a particularly amusing moment) "RoboCop".Jovovich acquits herself well, per usual, as the scrappy heroine, dispensing killshots and one-liners with aplomb. She also gets an opportunity to stretch her character out, in a way the series has not previously allowed. Providing support is Ali Larter, an on-again, off-again presence in the series whose impact here is negligible. She's given little interesting to say or do, besides watch Jovovich's back. Her role could have been filled just as easily by Ruby Rose, who appears in a smaller part as another survivor joining the assault on Umbrella's base beneath Raccoon City.And that base is something to see; it's probably the best of the series' numerous callbacks to Resident Evil's video game house of horrors roots. Chock full of nasty contraptions, esoteric security measures, and horrifying revelations, it's a fantastic playground for any action flick, let alone a film with the minimal ambitions on display here. Better still, it's overseen by the series' best villain, Iain Glen, who has returned following his apparent death in the third installment (which is explained away succinctly). With his gravelly voice and imperious bearing, Glen can lace even the most preposterous dialogue with crawling menace. He well overshadows fellow baddie Shawn Roberts, relegating him to the status of a walking mannequin modeling leather wear from the Keanu Reeves line. The same can often be said of the film's other supporting characters, who mainly serve their limited purposes delivering trite dialogue before bowing out with appropriately gruesome deaths. There's little deviation from the Resident Evil formula established previously, but that formula is executed very effectively here. And while this film's blatant disregard for previous attempts at building a greater continuity will likely turn off longtime fans, or just those who have a thing for continuity, it's perversely admirable that Anderson finds himself so willing to just charge ahead with what works (admittedly, he hasn't got a lot to choose from on that score). All in all, the series is wrapped up with a presentable enough finish in an undemanding hour-and-a-half. If Anderson could rein in those quick cuts (and maybe refrain from writing), he could be on to something.
The Movie Diorama
Alice goes back to Raccoon City, back to the Hive to stop Umbrella and save the world. Done. That's it. No more. I've had it up to here *raises up arm* with zombies, clones, Paul W.S. Anderson, bad visual effects, ridiculous creatures that make no sense, Umbrella, Paul W.S. Anderson, T-Virus, antivirus, Las Plagas virus, Paul W.S. Anderson's mother's virus and lifeless supporting characters. Six films Anderson has milked out of one video game adaptation...six!? Yet we stupidly watch them at the cinema and buy the blurays like zombies being attracted to human flesh. We fuelled this! This is the worst of the bunch by far. It makes 'Retribution' look like a flipping entertainment masterpiece. The editing was atrocious, more quick cuts than Anderson shouting "Milla, babe...could you do another forward flip for me? Thanks Hun!". I literally could not focus on the action sequences, my eyes were spiralling out of control. The most undeveloped bunch of supporting characters of the series. Claire Redfield was underused. Wesker was substituted to be simply a pawn. He is supposed to be the main antagonist!? You can't just throw him away like a wet towel soaking in Anderson's sweat from all the hard work writing the script!? No! Nooo! I won't have it!! Then all of this business about the antivirus (which has taken us six films to discover), more clones just to bring back Dr Isaacs into the fray, a second act that imitated 'Saw' and weird flying enormous bat things!? Are you telling me Umbrella was testing on bats!? BATS!? What even is that! I'm done. I can't take it anymore. Six films people, six...flipping...films. This was underwhelming to the maximum, but atleast Milla Jovovich was having fun right? That's obviously the main thing because now my life is complete knowing she was having fun. Life. Complete. This franchise...it's killed me, honestly. I swear to God if we get "Resident Evil: Resurrection" in a few years, I will find you Anderson...
