Review by !! Ravenova Majere !!
Rating:
The deadly T-virus has now escaped the Umbrella Corporation’s rigorously controlled environment and infected the world. There are few who can remain alive in such a hostile atmosphere where nature has reclaimed her own and flesh hungry zombies seek the warm life blood of the living. Earth is desolate. The entire planet shown from afar is now visible as a barren Necropolis of broken dreams, empty lives, and the fruitless pursuit of existence. It’s over. . . or is it? Operation Alice is back, bigger and better than before. The fight for earth has begun . . .

Continuing the ever growing Resident Evil franchise, the latest installment in this seemingly endless movie series has actually managed to redeem much of the harm done in prior movies. While this is still not a “thinking man’s” film by any means, the numerous action sequences, interesting special effects, and superior scenes of zombie carnage combined to produce an entertaining and enjoyable film. Perhaps there is hope for the Resident Evil venture after all.

The story continues the very lose plot line established in earlier movies, that is, Alice runs around in skimpy clothes, as before, and engages in random acts of violence while taking herself very seriously. Meanwhile, the ever devious yet massively inefficient Umbrella Corporation tracks her, thinking to take on a monster that they have created, yet have proved time and again that they cannot control. So much for the whole notion of hindsight. But, if you have already seen the first two Resident Evil movies and are still coming back, then you already know all this. Let’s face it, the movies are just dumb, but they are fun if you can put aside your thinking cap and indulge in a Friday night flick with friends. And besides, there is one new theme that has emerged in Resident Evil: Extinction that is actually quite appealing in a macabre sort of way, the entire destruction of the world. While Resident Evil has never minded killing off large populations for the pleasure of a disturbingly blood thirsty public, no one ever quite anticipated that they were ready to eradicate the world. Yes, it’s been done before, but for some strange reason, this same old concept has a uniquely revolting attraction. The new theme works. Freud might have some interesting theories as to why, but let’s face it – - – no one really cares, we just want to be entertained.

Now, what about the characters? I, for a lack of anything better to do (thus are the trials of being nineteen) have unfortunately watched both of the original Resident Evil movies more than once and, despite this, still haven’t a clue as to what the character’s personality’s are really like. Apparently, Resident Evil: Extinction decided not to remedy this problem. We still don’t care about these people. As far as we are concerned, they are just future zombie bait or, as I prefer to say, zombie chow on parade. But wait! What about the elusive Alice? Yes, she is still “cool” with her no nonsense mannerisms, incredible and totally unrealistic fighting maneuvers, and her ultra sexy clothes but let’s face it, she’s just not a talker. Does anyone remember her ever saying more than three words? I rest my case. Resident Evil and characterization are not synonymous and they probably never will be. As I said, this is not a thinking man’s movie.

So, now that my poison pen is warmed up, I sadly must switch gears and move onwards, leaving my delightful cynicism behind and explaining the good qualities of this movie to any of you out there who were unfortunate enough to land on my review (laughs maniacally.) Resident Evil is mainly known for its concentration of high drama, edge of the seat tension, unpredictability, and special effects and in all these areas it delivers marvelously. The action presented in this movie far surpasses the first two films keeping the viewer hooked to the screen and diverting their attention from the actual lack of a deep plot. The action is non-stop and for the most part realistically depicted. The special effects have improved over the years and the directors were not afraid to capitalize on this especially since if all these scenes of carnage and mayhem were removed the movie could be recapped in less than three sentences. The combination of horror and action that is unique to the video game to movies franchise that is booming of late is presented most effectively in this film creating a very tense atmosphere and resulting in many unexpected deaths, mutilations, and zombiefications.

The conclusion was both oddly disappointing and strangely satisfying at the same time although it was obviously the prelude to yet another sequel (what ever happened to succinctness?) While Alice’s final battle with an unnamed but many clawed creature was abrupt and vastly disappointing especially considering that half the movie had been building up to this grand battle, the “surprise conclusion” that was presented afterwards was most unique and quite interesting thus redeeming the entire conclusion.

Ending Thoughts: The expert manipulation of effects and the inclusion of hordes of flesh hungry zombies and heart stopping action packed scenes will of course appeal to any cynical teenage audience; however, an older crowed will probably find it most banal. If you are more into the thinking man’s type of film, then this is not for you. If you are looking for a meaningless yet fun film, then Resident Evil: Extinction is definitely worth seeing.

- Ravenova

Review by Moonlight Graham
Rating:
Considering the Resident Evil movie universe, this third entry into the series is probably on par with the first movie, if not better. I know many people aren’t fans of this series, but I do get a kick out of them. I thought the second one was a bit of a disappointment, but the series came back with Extinction. Alice is back, along with a couple of characters from Apocalypse. Humanity is on the brink of extinction now as the virus continues to grow and grow. As has been mentioned in other reviews, this is not exactly a unique take, but where else would they go with it? If you like the Resident Evil movies, definitely check this one out. If you didn’t like the first one, you should probably steer clear.