Two guns, one sword and…a bunch of quarters? That’s all one needs to know in order to enjoy Resident Evil: Afterlife. But don’t expect any added bonuses from the genres it belongs to. This action-adventure movie barely has an ounce of Mantracker in this one to keep the story going. This time, Alice (Milla Jovovich) is looking for survivors, instead of the other way around.
But she’s also just looking to live a normal life and no one is going to let her. The Umbrella Corporation is still keeping tabs on her, and they’ve learned their lessons from the last film.
Afterlife picks up where the story has left off, and in Tokyo, fans of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira couldn’t be any happier. Although Alice doesn’t have her psionic abilities anymore, the homage in the opening act is like something out of Otomo’s film, but this time, with lots of ninja-style action going on. It sets the tone for the rest of the movie.
Even after finding survivors like Claire (Ali Larter) and Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller), what happens doesn’t really stick out. Well, the 3D does, and it’s used to some surprisingly good effect. At least the underwater sequences look remarkable and the updated Matrix-style fights spectacular. A lot of time was spent choreographing the more sophisticated fights with the real monster, the ubiquitous leader Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts) of Umbrella Corporation’s Tokyo Division.
But when it comes time for zombie action, it’s nothing worthy to call home raving about. Director Paul Anderson even tries to pay one final tribute to the much lamented Aliens vs Predator. Just how many screaming fangs do audiences really need to see?
Not even Ma Zombie would say to their pouting child, “You need your oatmeal and brains.” And that makes the rest of the film average. The zombie genre does need new innovative ways to revitalize interest in these films, but for this one, it’s a post apocalyptic science fiction thriller all the way.
Save those quarters for next time if some undead loving is needed.
