‘Extinction’ Not Even Close
Milla Jovovich who play's Alice in "Resident Evil
Audrick Bituin
October 21, 2007
Filed under Uncategorized
Resident Evil: Extinction
Director: Russell Mulachy
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Oded Fehr
Running Time: 87 Minutes
Extinction-Not Even Close
In “Resident Evil: Extinction,” the last of the “Resident Evil” trilogy, nothing is resolved.
With the end of a trilogy, you would expect some closure and finality, but with this film you get nothing. I’m not going to spoil it, but not much is resolved, the end basically ends with a tease to a fourth film in this mediocre franchise.
If you haven’t seen either of the two films that preceded the first one, you don’t have to worry; there isn’t much that you missed.
Here’s a quick summary of the trilogy: a virus spreads, people get infected and turn into zombies. Alice, played by Milla Jovovich, is the only one who can stop the Umbrella Corporation, the organization behind the virus. Throughout the films, Alice teams with other survivors of the plague to help combat the zombies.
The third film picks up a couple of years after the second one, with the zombie plague, spreading throughout the planet, leaving the environment barren. Alice starts the film alone, but after a set of events she is reunited with Carlos, played by Oded Fehr, and his ragtag group of survivors.
With the third part of a trilogy, you would expect some continuity or at least a reference to past characters from the previous films. Jill Valentine, who was a prominent character in “Resident Evil: Apocalypse,” is nowhere to be found. There isn’t even a reference or mention of her character at all.
In her place, another character from the games is introduced: Claire Redfield played by Ali Larter. You honestly couldn’t tell a difference between the two characters; they’re essentially the same person, just with different names.
Another problem is the fact that you don’t feel any connection to any of the characters. Ideally, in a horror movie, you’re introduced to the characters, you get to know them and you feel for them when they get picked off one by one.
If there is one to thing to fix in a zombie movie, it has got to be the effect of a zombie bite. There are varying degrees of what happens to people after they are bitten by a zombie. In this film, characters have completely different reactions to the bite.
One character gets bitten and remains human for several days, while another character gets bit and begins to change within a few minutes. It seems as if zombie bites and their effect are used strictly as plot devices for the writers.
The best parts of the film are the zombies themselves; they look great. The special effects are also great. There is a sequence where Alice uses her skills to stop a fire that is the best special effects shot in the film.
Another problem with the Resident Evil films is that none of them have a clear ending; they all end with the tease of another film.
“Resident Evil: Extinction” is by no means a terrible movie, but just another bland, boring action film.
Two Out of Four Stars
