Resident Evil: The Final Chapter |
  • USA / Germany / France / Canada • 2016 • 107m •   • Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson. • Starring: Milla Jovovich, Iain Glen, Ali Larter, Shawn Roberts, Eoin Macken, Fraser James, Ruby Rose, William Levy, Rola, Ever Anderson, Mark Simpson, Milton Schorr, Siobhan Hodgson. • Music by: Paul Haslinger.      Picking up immediately after the events in Resident Evil: Retribution, Alice is the only survivor of what was meant to be humanity's final stand against the undead. Now, she must return to where the nightmare began - The Hive in Raccoon City, where the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces for a final strike against the only remaining survivors of the apocalypse.
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Review:
I should say that I absolutely love this movie series; these films are straight up entertaining and a ton of fun. But more than that, these movies actually have an interesting storyline that employs likable characters and deep characterization, especially with Alice. She's a fantastic heroine with real depth, mystery, and humanity. And she kicks ass. And I'm not ashamed to say that I emotionally connected with Alice and with her story, and I've been wanting her to succeed ever since she went against the Red Queen. So of course I was looking forward to the supposedly "final" entry of the "Resident Evil" cinematic universe.
Let's get this out of the way: if you hated the other "Resident Evil" films, then don't go see this. Why would you? You'll obviously hate this, too. But if you are in any way a fan of the previous installments and are invested in the storyline, then you have to go watch this. Believe me when I tell you that this film will satisfy you if you are a fan. It's non-stop action from start to finish, filled to the brim with set piece after set piece. And it's a total blast.
The beginning was like a mixture of "Mad Max" and "Fallout" with epic action scenes and sumptuous set design and cinematography. From Alice fighting on top of a fast moving vehicle, to planning a strategic attack on a zombie hoard from on top of a crumbling building, the first half of this movie goes all out in its attempt to give you the apocalyptic action you crave. And once Alice gets to the Hive, the action kicks up twenty more notches as her and her crew try to survive a deadly game of cat-and-mouse where the wrong move can mean getting sucked into a trap that will make you free fall to your death. There are traps, monsters, and Albert Wesker; what more can you ask for, honestly? It was just so much fun, and it really was a white-knuckle thrill ride. I can't deny that I was on the edge of my seat, literally, for a lot of scenes during this film, especially during the fan scene (you'll know it when you see it). The action in this movie is truly breathtaking; I only wish I could've seen it a little more clearly.
By now you've heard of the so-called atrocious editing this film has, and I agree in some respects, and very much disagree in others. Yes, this film has very rapid editing, sometimes having 4 or 5 cuts per second during the combat scenes. But, to be completely honest, even with the breakneck pace of the editing, the action really wasn't that hard to follow. Why? Because, unlike "Taken 3," "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" didn't have a lot of shaky camera. It had very fast, split-second editing, but it was stable; it wasn't obnoxiously shaky like in "Jack Reacher: Never Go back," or like in "Jason Bourne." I hated those two movies because the shaky camera made it impossible to know what was happening. Luckily, this movie's action was much easier to decipher and enjoy, even with the fast editing.
Of course I would've loved this movie to by edited in the slick and clean manner the previous two "Resident Evil" films were edited in, but I respect the change of tone and direction Paul W.S. Anderson went. He obviously wanted to go for a grittier, horror-thriller vibe with this movie, and I can't deny that it worked. The editing did enhance the intensity of a lot of scenes, especially the scene where Alice and her team are getting chased by the monstrosities knows as the "Cerberus dogs." When this scene was going on and the drum beat was getting louder and louder and was in synchronization with the cuts, I couldn't help but think to myself, "Now this is how you make quick cuts work." It was downright effective. But even so, I still would have greatly preferred for this film to be edited in a more coherent manner because by the end of the movie I felt nauseous and carsick and I had to drink some ginger ale to make sure I didn't vomit.
And speaking of vomit, the scenery in this film is gorgeous. It's so visually pleasing, from the remnants of Washington D.C., to the dirty and grimy Hive, to Raccoon City, everything is beautiful to look at. This is probably the prettiest looking "Resident Evil" film, and having Milla Jovovich in the lead helps as well. She's absolutely stunning, and a fantastic actress. She plays Alice to perfection and her character will be missed.
Review by darkreignn from the Internet Movie Database.
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Mar 19 2017, 12:20
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