This is the third part in a six part series of posts regarding the five Resident Evil films and what they mean for the future of video game movies.
Whoa. I was not expecting that. The first Resident Evil film introduced us to Alice, a modern movie heroin who kicks ass and looks good doing it. It was framed as a claustrophobic monster movie. Resident Evil: Apocalypse took the action outdoors and into the city as the virus that turned scientists into zombies spread to Raccoon City. Most of the action took place at night and the franchise transitioned into equal parts horror, sci-fi, and action. While the special effects and character elements improved, there was still much to be desired. The question remained: did the filmmakers do enough to justify a third instalment?
In short, no. But that doesn’t matter. Resident Evil: Extinction delivered on so many levels that the franchise was reborn. Perhaps “reborn” is inaccurate. After all, Apocalypse was an improvement over the initial attempt. But the growth from Apocalypse to Extinction is significant.
Improvements include:
- Special effects. The first film had notoriously bad CG. In five short years, this area improved dramatically.
- Makeup. First class zombie work here.
- Action. Well-staged fight sequences were unique and unforced.
- Characters. While we did not get the Alice backstory I’ve been looking for, there were several moments between the characters that felt genuine. Nothing groundbreaking, but significantly improved acting, casting, and writing.
This time around, the infection breached the borders of Raccoon City and spread worldwide, setting up wider shots and more exotic locales. Not only is the entire world infected, the T-virus changed the climate and terrain of the world. Deserts have replaced forests and sand covers entire cities. Alice either survived the final battle of Apocalypse or was cloned; it’s not clear which, but it doesn’t matter. This time around, Alice has developed telekinesis that she uses to shield allies, torch murderous crows, and engage in dynamic boss battles. Meanwhile, Umbrella is hunting her down so they can attempt to replicate her DNA to create a cure. Ali Larter plays Claire, the leader of a convoy of survivors with ties to Alice. Carlos and LJ of Apocalypse are members of the convoy and play major roles.
It is worth noting that this franchise does a great job of setting up sequels. At the end of the first Resident Evil, we saw Alice exit the Hive only to find that Raccoon City was overrun with the infected. Apocalypse ends with Alice escaping the Umbrella Corp again, but hints at her telekinetic powers as she effectively boils the inside of a security guard’s skull. This time, we get a glimpse at what only can be described as an Alice army. Yeah, that’s nuts.
In terms of relating back to the source material, fan-favorite Jill Valentine is nowhere to be seen. She was not used effectively in Apocalypse and was scrapped altogether for Extinction because of actress Sienna Guillory’s commitment to another film. The inclusion of the crows is a clear reference to a key element of the game. However, it seems to me, someone who has only played RE on a few occasions, that this franchise is hitching it’s wagon to the popularity of Milla Jovovich’s Alice, a character not featured in any of the games.
While this instalment is far from perfect, it is a significant step forward. Rarely does a film franchise improve from one sequel to the next, but that is clearly what I see here. I am far more excited to see the next chapter than I was for any of the previous films.
Game on.
GAME of PWNS 