Judy Thorburn's Movie Reviews
Resident Evil: Extinction
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- Category: Judy Thorburn
- Published on 06 November 2008
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Judy Thorburn
"Resident Evil: Extinction" - Alice In Zombieland
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"RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION" - ALICE IN ZOMBIELAND
If you are one of those filmgoers who can’t get enough zombie movies then maybe you should add this flick to your must see list. But, as far as I am concerned, if you’ve seen one zombie movie you’ve just about seen them all. They all have the same basic plotline. You know the premise. I don’t have to spell it out. You won’t see much originality in Resident Evil - Extinction. I take that back, sort of, because in addition to undead humans, the flick does feature some canine zombies and zombie crows. But even though the attacking flock of birds provides the most suspenseful action sequence in the film, the plot device is a throwback to Alfred Hitchcock’s classic, The Birds. Add a bit of Mad Max and a few deviations from the usual zombie scenario and you’ve got the idea.
However, this chapter’s setting is different than the previous two. Rather than underground, most of the action has been moved outdoors and into broad daylight. What a treat for zombie fans that can now get a better, clear view of the undead in all their flesh rotting glory.
In the third, and what is “supposed to be”, final installment of the Resident Evil series based on the popular video game, Milla Jovovich is back as Alice, the genetically altered, fearless, kick ass super heroine with lots of power. Extinction is attached to the film’s title because of the deadly T virus that has consumed the world, transforming those infected into flesh eating zombies who threaten to wipe out what is left of the human population. In other words extinction is looming, but not with Alice in the picture as protector and savior.
It’s been five years since Alice escaped from the grip of the giant multinational “Umbrella” corporation where, in their underground hive, she was used as a guinea pig for the virus. Now on her own, alone in what has become a desert wasteland, she eventually hooks up with a group of survivors that includes Alice’s old allies Carlos (Oded Fehr) and L.J. (Mike Epps) and new survivors Claire (Ali Larter of TV’s Heroes), Nurse Betty (Ashanti) and K-Mart (Spencer Locke) and others who have gathered together in a convoy to search for food, gas, and water, and weapons in order to stay alive, protect themselves and find other uninfected humans. In joining Claire’s team, Alice convinces them that they must make their way up north to Alaska which, based on a transmission she received, is a safe, virus free, haven. But first they must make a stop in Las Vegas that has been taken back by the desert and is now buried beneath the sand. According to Claire, “Vegas is the only place sure to find gas and supplies”.
Meanwhile the Umbrella Corporation’s evil Dr. Isaacs has been employing orbiting satellites to track down and capture Alice in order to use antibodies from her blood to develop a serum that would domesticate the zombies. It appears that clones of Alice have failed to do the trick. So what’s needed is the original.
The action mostly centers on confrontations with the zombies. Like the elimination game of ten little Indians, which has been played out in so many similar scenarios, it’s a matter of which of the good guys in supporting roles will get bitten first and die and who will be next. And, of course there is always the brave one who sacrifices himself for the good of the rest.
Suffice to say, Jovovich does make a great action hero and really gets into kick ass fighting mode beginning with a tightened jaw and serious stare on her face that warns don’t dare mess with me. As for the zombies, these are not slowing moving, arms straight out, creatures. Nope these guys are growling, fast running flesh hungry monsters. But they don’t stand a chance against Alice’s sharp blade weapons, guns and high flying martial art moves which are used to take them down with a slice across the throat, a bullet through the head or a severed body part.
I wouldn’t say there is any jump out of your seat scary moments or over the top, gratuitous gore. In fact, it is pretty tame for a zombie movie, which is alright by me and enough action scenes and explosions to satisfy those fans.
My husband got it right when he responded to someone who asked if he liked the film as we were leaving the screening. He said “It is what it is, another zombie movie, but this one happens to have Milla Jovovich at the forefront delivering the goods as the sexy female action hero”.
I think I will leave it at that.