It’s been some time since Resident Evil: Apocalypse and now the T-Virus has spread globally, not just laying waste to humanity, but to the environment as well, leaving much of the planet a dusty, desert wasteland. Small pockets of humanity continue to survive, but always on the move. The Umbrella Corporation is attempting a cure with clone after clone being made of Alice, the woman that holds the key to survival with her paranormal abilities. Alice, is on the run on her own, having abandoned her comrades after their escape in Apocalypse because she is the one being tracked, not them. Carlos has hooked up with a caravan of survivors being led by Claire Redfield. And as things stand, paths are about to cross again, in a battle for survival as the Umbrella Corporation tightens their pursuit of the original Alice.
And in a nutshell, that’s the premise to Resident Evil: Extinction the third in the Resident Evil series of films and I’ve got to say, if you’ve seen the first two movies, this is some pretty cool entertainment. Very much well done work from director Russell Mulcahy (best known for his work on the first Highlander film) delivering a science fiction/horror adventure that plays out like a cross between The Road Warrior and Romero’s Dead films.
This is fun to watch right from the start, playing with all sorts of little facets from the first film and working in facets of the second, it’s a natural progression of events, very well-paced and well-acted (and keep in mind when I’m saying this, this isn’t trying to be any sort of Oscar-winner here)
Milla Jovavich is back as Alice, and as always, she’s just terrific, she looks fantastic and she pulls off the action quite well, with some of the moves happening so fast, one wonders if she’s the one at work in them, but it sure looks like her. Other cast members include Oded Fehr, returning as Carlos and Heroes’ Ali Larter as Claire Redfield, and all sorts of other good folks around, none of them household names by any means, but all of them convicted to their parts (unfortunately I cannot remember the name of the actor who plays the lead scientist for the Umbrella Corporation and our villain of the piece, but he is quite good).
If you like these films, and I most certainly do (though I have to admit, it took me a couple of viewings of Apocalypse to appreciate it more than I did on the first viewing), then really, you’re probably already planning to see Resident Evil: Extinction and more than likely, you’re going to have a great time with it, I know I did and I definitely look forward to owning this one down the road. Very much recommended, and especially to fans of the series…