Doesn't quite live up to Alice's promise

Rating: 6/10 (25 September 2010)

*Contains minor spoilers*
I'll start by saying that I definitely feel I need to watch Resident Evil Afterlife again to pass proper judgement. I loved the first three films, especially Extinction and I think I expected too much from it and was quite disappoint that Alice, at least it seems so, lost her powers early on.
Added to this I must be one of the few people on the planet who doesn't like 3D films (I don't like wearing two pairs of glasses for two hours), I'm probably reviewing this with a slightly negative bias.
Milla Jovovich again plays the part very well and I thought Ali Larter likewise, although I'm not sure why Wentworth Miller was there, he was good in Prison Break but that's it.
Again my expectations let me down in that after Extinction I expected the entire fourth film to be about what was covered in ten minutes, but all in all I thought it was a weak plot.
I though there was a fair bit of unexplained randomness, like the dude with the axe/hammer. What was he all about and how did he become like that, I'm sure things would be different if there were more of his kind about. I like the concept of Arcadia but I'm pretty sure it was a thousand times bigger on the inside that it looked from the outside.
Again, we weren't really given any form of explanation as to what the device was on Claire's chest at the start of the film beyond it seemed to be mind controlling; and for a planet where there are next to no remaining survivors, more and more seem to appear for the sake of the plot. I feel the more people that are thrown into the mix the more it just becomes Alice against Umbrella rather than about the struggle of living in a desolate world.
I suppose I will have to comment on the 3D which was impressive, but I wouldn't recommend viewing this purely because it showcases 3D.
I loved the first three films and obviously this was a continuation, but I'd rather think of it as a film by itself as it doesn't do the promise at the end of the third film justice.
I hope Alice's story will continue if only to do justice to what has become an overall entertaining series of films (the ending was so open I can't imagine there not being one).
I don't really know what score to give this as I want to see it again when it comes out on DVD, but for now I'll go with my gut and give it a 6