Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (15)
Dir. Paul W.S. Anderson
Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)
Read the newspaper version of this review: The Observer
“We're here today to talk about our destiny. We're here to talk about the end of the world. One way or another, our world is coming to an end. The question is, will we end with it?”
Ah Resident Evil – we’ve come so far… With 5 films in the bag and over a billion dollars in the bank as a result, it looks like we might have come to the end of this action-over-substance videogame series.
"is this the end?"
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (although if this makes more cash I wouldn’t rule out them making more of these) picks up the end of the world carnage immediately after the events of 2012’s Resident Evil: Retribution. Alice (Milla Jovovich) is back as the only survivor of what was meant to be humanity's final stand against the undead. This time 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 – because they are even more intent on destroying the planet than any new presidents in the real world.
"suicide squad 2?"
Cue an hour and half of flashy images, frantic zombie battling action and scenes basically inspired by (I say inspired by but I mean ripped off) from a host of other films including Mad Max. All of it lacks any real sense of a narrative or anything you’d struggle to call a plot. The Final Chapter is basically the closest films have come to actually being a video game – just one you can’t play. It feels like the longest ever between level ‘cut scene’, like someone on their Playstation but never letting you have a go.
"level up"
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, does try to bring at least a little closure to those who have been paying to see this series since it kicked off 15 year ago but it fails to be the thrilling conclusion it obviously wants to be. The reason for this is that it is edited in such a confusing, jump cut, jumble that even scenes which could have been iconic, lose some of their currency due to the fact that you can’t always tell what’s going on.
"Mad Max 5?"
I have the same feeling with every single film ever made by Paul W.S. Anderson – I want to like it more than I actually do when I see it. This is the guy who as well as the Resident Evil series has made Alien vs Predator, Solider, Shopping, Death Race and erm Pompeii – yet the only film he’s made that I’d be keen to watch again is his space horror Event Horizon.
"who's a pretty boy?"
So here we have the evil Umbrella Corporation using their infected zombie army, enhanced soldiers and a variety of ‘Boss – end of level’ bad guys to try and wipe out the last of humanity. Jovovich as rebellion heroine Alice is our last chance and fortunately, she might just be bad ass enough to pull it off. Whether you care or not is very much in the balance however…
Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:
öö
(2 - Of interest to those who have endured the other 5 films)...
Awesomeness ööö – Occasional 'oooh' factor but most lost in the edit
Laughs öö – Unintentionally funny in places
Horror ööö – A bit grim throughout with lots of gory violence
Spiritual Enlightenment öö - Saving mankind is almost worth fighting for
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