Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

Movie Info

Clones…why did it have to be clones?

Captured in a raid, Alice (Milla Jovovich) wakes up in an Umbrella Corporation base submerged under water in the Arctic Circle.  There Alice finds herself in a normal life with a husband (Oded Fehr) and daughter named Becky (Aryana Engineer)…but this is just another lie by the Umbrella Corporation.  Alice is in a simulation and the base is crawling with zombies.  Alice’s only hope may be Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts) who has sent a rescue team into the base to save Alice.  As time ticks down, the base might be sealed forever and Alice faces ghosts…or clones of her past.

Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, Resident Evil:  Retribution is a zombie action movie.  Following Resident Evil:  Afterlife in 2010, the film was released in 3D, and like most Resident Evil films, was met with negative reviews but still maintained big box-office returns.  Milla Jovovich was nominated for a Worst Actress Razzie for her performance as Alice.

Resident Evil has never been very good.  The first few films faltered, and Resident Evil:  Extinction showed some hope for a ho-hum series.  Resident Evil:  Afterlife show a degrading of the series again and this movie probably is about equal to the Resident Evil:  Afterlife.

Brains…brains…BRAINS!!!

The problem I have with all Resident Evil films is that a movie about zombies is made way, way, way too complex when it should be a lot of fun.  Here we have the opportunity for fun scenarios in the training center, but for the most part, the idea isn’t fleshed out.  There was open opportunity for change, but the filmmakers missed the chance for really having a different approach like the opening of the film promised.  I still don’t get the “no powers” aspect of the storyline that was set-up in Resident Evil:  Afterlife since Alice seems to be fine when attacked by multiple monsters.

Milla gets a little more range with this version of the character so it is rather surprising that it was finally recognized with a “Raspberry” performance.  She plays a nice, “normal” person in her simulated world which had to rely on something other than jumping and fighting.  With the return to the Umbrella Corporation, there was a return to some characters like Jill Valentine (as an agent of Umbrella) and Michelle Rodriguez (who hadn’t appeared since the original Resident Evil) as another victim of Umbrella.

I’m back!!! Is this the one where Vin Diesel fights Dwayne Johnson?!?!

Visually, the movie maintains the so-so level of the Resident Evil effects.  It has its moments, but generally the film hasn’t improved much on the formula from the other films.  The movie once again is in 3D so there is a lot of unnecessary stuff flying at the screen…another reason I don’t love 3D films.

Resident Evil:  Retribution keeps the average trend of the Resident Evil films going.  With little investment and big returns, Resident Evil appears to continue to have legs…even if they are rotting off.  I wish that the film franchise would give an honest zombie movie instead of the hybrid horror-sci-fi-action format that has come some far.  Resident Evil:  Retribution is is followed by Resident Evil:  The Final Chapter in 2016.

Related Links:

Resident Evil (2002)

Resident Evil:  Apocalypse (2004)

Resident Evil:  Extinction (2007)

Resident Evil:  Afterlife (2010)

Resident Evil:  The Final Chapter (2016)