The fifth installment of the “Resident Evil” franchise “Resident
Evil: Retribution” (*** out of ****) gives new meaning
to the old saying: "A woman's work is never done." Actress Milla Jovovich cavorts in her
trademark, skin-tight, black outfit, wields weapons of every description which
rarely run out of bullets, and performs more hyperactive gravity-defying stunts
in some exotic new locales. Indeed, this
improbable science fiction fantasy series about an extremely evil corporation
gone amuck should have run out of steam several sequels ago. Nevertheless, writer and director Paul W.S.
Anderson knows how to keep things exciting, and “Resident Evil: Retribution”
represents another apex in the world of the villainous Umbrella Corporation
versus Alice. Basically, despite its tie-in
with the Capcom survivalist video game, the “Resident Evil” movies are about
Alice in zombie land versus some seriously mutated zombies along with some
other scary villains. This time around
Anderson addresses the usual problem that confounds any film franchise which
has endured as long as the “Resident Evil” epics. Remember, the first “Resident Evil” appeared
ten years ago! If you haven’t seen the
original film or the previous installment, how would you know what is happening? Anderson’s solution is simplicity
itself. He presents us with an
inordinate amount of back story during this nimble R-rated actioneer’s first
quarter hour. “Resident Evil:
Retribution” resumes the action where “Resident Evil: Afterlife”
concluded. This gives Anderson that
opportunity to hit ‘replay’ and we are treated to the last scene from the
previous movie “Resident Evil: Afterlife” shown in reverse as well as
forward. As repetitive as this may seem,
the scene aboard the Umbrella Corporation's Arcadia freighter where Alice and
company are having the firefight of the century with hundreds of evil Umbrella
helicopters is worth a rewind or two.
Those helicopters look pretty sinister, too.
After the bullet-riddled battle on the
supertanker from “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” Anderson presents an informative recap of the entire franchise with Alice
narrating her role in the saga. Anybody
who either missed or shunned earlier “Resident Evil” entries will know what
their bearings are when “Retribution” unfolds its own narrative. The chief villains in this entry are the Red
Queen as well as Alice’s former compatriot Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory) who
sports a red scarab on her chest. The
Red Queen controls her through the scarab. As the action opens, we find our
indestructible heroine living a perfectly normal existence with a handsome
hubby Carlos (Oded Fehr of “Resident Evil: Apocalypse” and “Extinction”) and
their hearing impaired daughter Becky (Aryana Engineer of “Orphan”) in Raccoon
City. No sooner have we gotten used to
this picture of domestic bliss than zombies burst out of nowhere and chaos
rules. What comes as an even greater
surprise is that during her flight from these ravenous undead, Alice encounters
her old friend Rain (Michelle Rodriguez of “The Fast and the Furious”) who
picks up both Alice and Becky before the fleet-footing zombies can chomp
her. Unfortunately, Alice runs smack
into husband who is now a zombie.
Afterward, Alice awakens in an Umbrella Corporation interrogation room. She finds herself dressed much the same way she was at the end of the original “Resident Evil.” Alice’s nemesis Jill wants Alice to reveal who she is working for. Meantime, Alice wants Jill to remember that she once fought alongside her before the Red Queen gained mastery over her. Just when the Umbrella baddies think that they have Alice cornered, somebody hacks into their system and gives Alice the opportunity to escape. The Red Queen is an obnoxious little brat with a British accent who keeps reminding Alice that she will have her killed. Meantime, the resistance forces campaigning against the Umbrella Corporation have to blast their way into a former Soviet submarine base where the Umbrella Corporation has constructed sophisticated mock-ups of Tokyo, Moscow, Berlin, and New York City. The only adversaries AWOL from this “Resident Evil” are the undead Dobermans. At the same time, Anderson has brought back a giant galloping ogre beast along with two tall guys with gigantic mallets that look like meat tenderizers.
The interesting thing about this
“Resident Evil” entry is that Anderson never allows us to lose sight of the
plot. Good movies are like a car with
bright headlights penetrating the murk on a dark road. You always see where you are going, and
Anderson inserts numerous recaps to keep us abreast of where we are. Anderson also stages several acrobatic fights
that look genuinely exhilarating.
Indeed, Alice rarely runs out of somebody to shoot. At one point, our heroine actually runs out of
bullets, but she resorts to a little battlefield salvage and appropriates some
firearms from a fallen comrade who was gulped by a huge, four-legged ogre that
also gobbled her daughter. Alice learns
later that the Umbrella Corporation imprinted all of the child’s memories in
her mind. Worse, Alice discovers that the Umbrella Corporation has cloned
scores of copies of herself. The only
thing that Anderson does that has been done already is the use of x-ray shots
as bones are being broken during a fight; this gimmick was used first in the
Jet Li thriller “Romeo Must Die.”
Eventually, Alice runs into an old adversary, Albert Wesker (Shawn
Roberts), who has some dastardly ideas up his sleeve. Wesker once commanded the Umbrella
Corporation. He appears here to bring
Alice full circle with a revelation near the end that stuns her.
Most 3-D action movies constitute a
painful experience. Comparatively, the
3-D version of “Resident Evil: Retribution” surpasses the flat version. Apparently, Anderson is the one of the few directors
who understands that the best 3-D launches objects, whether an ax or a bullet, at
the audience. Too many contemporary 3-D
movies are content to depict action in an environment that emphasizes depth
rather than dimension. Anderson relies
on horror movie shocks and endless, noisy firefights to keep the action from
flagging. “Resident Evil: Retribution” qualifies as an above-average 3-D
fantasy that gives you a reason to wear those infuriating spectacles. Skillfully staged action scenes, a slam-bang
Tomandandy soundtrack, and ingenious production designs as well as settings make
“Resident Evil: Retribution” worth watching.
Yes, “Resident Evil: Retribution” leaves things open for a sequel.
