Resident Evil: Extinction doesn’t stray too far from the established formula – Milla Jovovich looks hot while shooting zombie-like creatures and splattering their heads all over the screen.
There is a plot somewhere in the film, but hey, no one watches these films for plot. All joking aside, the Resident Evil films are popcorn horror movies that don’t really scare, but are a somewhat entertaining way to kill a few hours.
For the third film, Jovovich returns as Alice to once again take on the Umbrella Corporation and a flood of zombie-like creatures (I say that because they are more like infected humans than a traditional zombie). If you haven’t seen the first two Resident Evil films, it would be a good idea to watch them, but it isn’t needed since they work in a clever way to give you a brief history at the start of Extinction (well that and it isn’t too hard to figure out the plot anyway).
The third film picks up after the events Resident Evil: Apocalypse with the world being overrun by the infected and the remaining humans having to stay on the move to survive. Since the big cities aren’t safe, everyone pretty much just keeps on traveling the highways and stopping in smaller towns when supplies are needed.
Alice (the original one) runs into another group of travelers and joins up. The band is made up of a few returning cast members from the second film (Oded Fehr and Mike Epps) and some new faces (including Ali Larter, and Ashanti). Following an attack by virus-infected crows (think Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, but on crack), they decide to head to Las Vegas for supplies.
While headed to Vegas, the baddies at the Umbrella Corporation (who have been busy cloning new versions of Alice) discover that the original is still alive and close by. This leads Dr. Isaacs (Iain Glen) to set a little trap for Alice and her friends. The trap involves more zombies, more killing, and lots of iconic symbols of Vegas. Dr. Isaacs’ trap forces Alice to return to the Umbrella Corporation for a showdown – which is over-the-top, and sometimes laughable.
Writer Paul W.S. Anderson (who has written all three films and handled directing duties on the first one) and director Russell Mulcahy (Highlander) don’t stray too far from the Resident Evil formula – which hurts the movie’s ability to build some genuine suspense or even give it any scares.
The third film does manage to create a new look for the series with most of the action taking place in bright daylight instead of dark corners. However, this look doesn’t help the movie overcome its formulaic feel or any of the issues with the very weak plot (again, who really watches this film for plot?).
Personally, I enjoy the Resident Evil films (even with their flaws), and think they are simply fun “horror” movies. The movies have always felt more like a monster mash type of entertainment with gore for the sake of gore and a story built around the action. I don’t watch the movies for plot. I watch them to be entertained. All the Resident Evil films require of the audience is to turn the brain completely off and to enjoy when the zombies go pop.
On that level, Extinction lives up to the bar set in the first two films, and even manages to throw in some new stuff (while silly, the bird attack was at least entertaining). Anderson and Mulcahy create a new world (which seems to be straight from a Mad Max film) for fans of the series to enjoy, and Jovovich makes sure she delivers the action the fans expect.
The DVD comes with the special features you would expect – including deleted scenes; a peek at the upcoming Resident Evil: Degeneration CGI feature film; and commentary with Anderson, Mulcahy, and producer Jeremy Bolt. There are also four featurettes that take you into the making of the film and give you a behind the scenes look at how some of the bigger action sequences were made.
If you are a fan of the Resident Evil films, Extinction won’t let you down. The movie stays pretty close to the formula, but also features a new look for the series. Extinction has a ton of action, decent special effects and a light plot that keeps on moving so you don’t have time for your brain to get in the way.
Resident Evil: Extinction is now available at Amazon . It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a Feb. 18th release. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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