Blu-ray Review: Surprisingly Fun ‘Resident Evil: Retribution’

CHICAGO – There’s no logical reason at all for a FIFTH “Resident Evil” movie to be any good at all, especially given how poorly the series has gone since the relatively-fun first installment. I approached “Resident Evil: Retribution” with an understandably heavy amount of trepidation. Most Paul W.S. Anderson movies are a complete waste of time. So color me surprised when I found I actually enjoyed most of what is easily one of the most video game-esque movies ever made. It captures the narrative insanity, especially of the “RE” franchise, and pays homage to the series more completely than any of the other films. It’s goofy, well-paced, and surprisingly fun.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Anderson has never been strong on plot/storytelling. He’s a set-piece guy, someone who loves to play with slow-mo, action, and fight choreography. And so the idea to make a film in which Alice (Milla Jovovich) basically cycles through simulations of different settings with different creatures was a stroke of genius on his part. “Retribution” is total nonsense on a plot level. Umbrella has built a gigantic, under-ice structure that they use to simulate and test their undead weaponry and creatures. Alice and others run through it. That’s about it. And it allows for some fun action, creative settings, and what actually feels like gameplay. When you play an “RE” game and your character flashes from one crazy environment to another with the switch of a level, you don’t ask questions. Don’t ask questions here either. Just have unexpected fun.

Resident Evil: Retribution was released on Blu-ray and DVD on December 21, 2012
Photo credit: Sony

Synopsis:
Umbrella Corporation’s deadly T-virus is spreading across the globe, transforming ordinary people into legions of zombies. Headed for extinction, the human race has just one hope: Alice (Milla Jovovich). She’s on a mission, fighting her way through cities and across continents, all inside Umbrella’s prime research facility. Old friends become new enemies as she battles to escape and discovers that everything that she believes may not even be true.

Click here to buy “Resident Evil: Retribution” [14]

Special Features:
o Outtakes
o Drop (Un) Dead-Creatures Featurette
o Filmmakers & Cast Commentaries
o Deleted & Extended
o 6 Behind The Scenes Featurettes Plus Project Alice: The Interactive Database

[15]	By BRIAN TALLERICO [16] Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com [15]