Maet

For me to say that RE:E is a good movie is a compliment far beyond what the same words would mean to the casual fan. One of my biggest Geek-isms is being a hardcore fan of the “Resident Evil” games, so imagine my surprise when at the tender age of eleven, I first heard news of a Resident Evil movie (Keeping in mind this was long before I learnt the true horror of the words “Directed by Paul W.S Anderson”. At the time, I was naпve enough to let “Resident Evil (2002)” get away with being the standard horror fare it really was, largely because I was too busy finding parallels with plot points and characters in the game. In 2004, “Resident Evil: Apocalypse” hit the theaters, and having developed a more critical eye, I was able to see the two films for what they really were: a poorly constructed and disconnected series (which for me is even more dissatisfying because the movies are a completely jumbled interpretation of its source material). Three years later, and expectations lowered considerably, I went into RE:E expecting nothing more than “Modern Clichй Zombie-Fest III”. Boy was I ever surprised.

‘Extinction’ picks up a few years after ‘Apocalypse’ left off. The Raccoon City infection was not contained, and decimated the vast majority of humans in a matter of months. Alice abandoned the other survivors of the original outbreak, and now travels the Nevada desert alone on her own mission. Her old escape partners, Carlos and L.J, join a convoy managed by Claire Redfield, and they too are now seeking salvation. Alice reunites with her old allies with a possible hope of salvation in Alaska, and they’re off on the road to peace, or at least they hope. Meanwhile, the Umbrella Corporation, now operating in labs and bunkers in various major cities worldwide beneath the earth, continue to search for a cure, and a way to survive; efforts which rely heavily on capturing Alice, their original specimen.

Producers took a chance in giving Russell Mulchay directing duties, who really has no real experience with this style of film (his forte being music videos and TV). Even though the decision was not ideal, it was still a no-brainer. After ‘Apocalypse’, no one wants to see another Alexander Witt movie, and it’s better than distracting Paul W.S Anderson and Uwe Boll from the video game adaptations they’re currently butchering.

For what it’s worth, Mulchay’s goals with Extinction are modest, so he can achieve most of them with relative success. The action sequences are coherent, even if they aren’t particularly inspired. The acting is decent, even if isn’t particularly compelling, and the pacing is fast, even if it does trip over itself every once in a while.

None of which really matters for a zombie movie. The movie really shines in that it accurately captures the essence of the Resident Evil games, even if it refuses to capture plot elements and characters motivations. Critics can and will slam the constant “Walk into dark room. It’s quiet… too quiet… *BAM!* You’re dead” scenarios. But that’s exactly what the games were about. The cheap thrill, that while predictable still remains visceral, and the B-movie elements with the A-level budget that are entirely expected, but still enjoyed.

‘Extinction’ is ‘Snakes on a Plane’ good, not ‘Shaun of the Dead’ good. It’s a sort of ‘good/bad’, not ‘good/good’. It’ll work for some, but not for all, and I have not qualms about that statement.

To say ‘Extinction’ is the best of the trilogy is damning it with false praise, because look at what it had to measure up to. But it succeeds at what it aims to do, and that’s all that really matters.

3/5

Bottom Line: The first RE movie that captures the spirit of the RE games. It’s not great or particularly special in any way, but it’s at the very least a successful tribute to its source material.