Resident Evil: Extinction

While this RE3 was a cracking zombie movie, it strayed to far from the original concept and excepted storyline. In my opinion this has rendered the movie pointless in the RE franchise.

Let's not forget that Resident Evil owes it popularity to the game series, so I think it's only right that they try and stick to it, even if it's just a little bit. It seems very much like the director wanted to make an updated version of Day of the Dead, if you've seen DOTD you'll see what I mean in the first 5 minutes of RE3.

If this were a stand alone movie I would have given it 10/10, but it isn't, they've tried to be too creative and the director has tried to make a different movie. By doing this he's make a cracking zombie film. but a Resident Evil film, I think not.

I only hope this isn't the last one, it would be a terrible waste.

Directed by Russell Mulcahy of the criminally underseen awesome creature feature Razorback. I've always really loved this chapter. Maybe its because it has that epic Mad Max feel mixed with the telekinesis of Friday the 13th 7 and although it can be a little silly it takes the franchises back to it's scarier roots with homages to the birds and day of the dead. This time around Alice is still on the run from the Umbrella corporation and the world has become a desert wasteland. She stumbles upon some old friends and some newbies like a teen girl named Kmart, the singer Ashanti playing a nurse and a bad ass Ali Larter as Claire Redfield from the games. This one is the goriest of the first three and features some great old fashioned practical effects. The movie is fun, scary and action packed leading up to a bad ass finale and one hell of a cliffhanger.

Budget: $45m Domestic Box Office: $51m Worldwide Box Office: $148m

4/5

The deadly virus has decimated the world, exception a little zone in Alaska where live people no-infected . Years later , one time Racoon was destroyed , the Umbrella corporation led by ambitious Dr. Isaacs(Iain Glen) continues his weird experiments with the deadly T-virus. But the Zombies spread the epidemic and those exposed to cruel bite suffer a complete transformation turning into meat-eating sickos. Alice(Milla Jovovich)is attempting to survive , and she finds new survivors(Ali Larter, Ashanti along with Oded Fehr and Mike Epps who repeat characters) traveling throughout Nevada desert . They must confront carnivorous crows, hordes of zombies starving of human flesh and an evil corporation chief who creates the most horrifying creatures ever made .The survivor group are surrounded , facing the world destruction by deadly epidemic.

This exciting picture contains thrills, chills, action-filled with fierce combats and lots of gore and guts.The horror and action moments are fast moving and compactly realized. The film turns out to be a crossover between 'the nuclear apocalypse of Mad Max 2', the 'George A Romero's Zombies' and genetic experiments from 'Sigourney Wever-Ripley in Alien saga '. Of course, the film takes ideas from former parts as 'Resident evil'(2002, Paul W. Anderson, here also producer and screenwriter) and 'Resident Evil: Apocalypse'(2004,Alexander Witt)resulting to be a nice following. The creepy images of wide range from the genuinely fantastic to the bizarre along with an eerie and amazing frames. It's predictable but we have seen the previous chapters but also its predictability is redeemed in part by the charismatic acting from the action-women, Milla Jovovich and Ali Larter. The flesh-eating mutants appearance deliver the goods, plenty of screams, shocks and tension. The make-up assistants create a truly horrible zombie cannibals. Horrifying and astonishing images about apocalyptic events with deserted and destroyed cities, such as the creepy scenarios in Las Vegas without people, totally uninhabited and covered of sand. Cool,luminous cinematography using steadicam by David Johnson and haunting musical score by Charles Clouser.The motion picture is surprisingly directed with startling visual style by Russell Mulcahy(Razorback,Highlander, Resurrection).

The world is full of zombies, a variety of kinds, mutations of mutations show an intelligence of mind, but you'll still need a full luger, exploding bullets are preferred, as they all resemble nightmares of Freddy Krueger it's absurd.

As slow as gin, the tale re-begins, but lacks a flow and doesn't go, a familiar end, Alice defends, and gets some help from all her new friends.

One thing that's for sure is that the "evil" of the title is becoming less and less "residential." This time around the nasty T-virus has spread all over the whole world and humanity is in grave danger. I guess that's where the "extinction" part comes in.

Once again we find ourselves not too long after the previous film left off. Humanity is in shambles and "Extinction" plays itself like a post-apocalyptic thriller, no pun intended. Alice is evading the evil Umbrella Corporation who needs to conclude some experiments but they can only do it with her blood and clones don't work. While wandering the desert Alice finds out she has mental powers, meets a group of survivors, and happens to be tracked by Umbrella all within what must be one hour. I guess it's not her lucky day. The audience however, providing you're fans of stylized carnage, is in for a little treat. "Extinction" not only provides a more interesting plot than the previous film, it also provides much better action and special effects. These effects feature zombies (naturally) but also demonic crows and a nasty mutation at the end. The action scenes are nicely done with somewhat unpredictable approach to who gets munched and who doesn't so tension is there throughout.

There are also many absurdities, but they can only be expected in a film like this. For instance, the film is set in a desolate world with supposedly little supplies yet the women look like they put on make up every morning and regularly get a manicure. The GOOD women that is. Alice meets some BAD people in the beginning and these people somehow haven't picked up any of those bathroom supplies and make up kits that are laying around. Those bad people are another thing, they appear in an early scene that demonstrates that Alice can fight and kick ass... seeing that this is the third movie in the series do they really need to make this point again? If they avoided it, then the climatic fight might have been longer and a bit more, you know, climatic. But I guess that wasn't the point of that fight since right after it we are set up for Resident Evil 4.

"Extinction" is enjoyable for what it is, but that's it. --- 6/10

Rated R for violence/gore and horror. Ages 13+