I'm sorry, but exploiting 3D does not make entertainment.

Rating: 3/10 (25 September 2010)

We live in a time where entertainment can be mindless fun. So as long as they do not try to be what they can't. Then it's good fun. "Resident Evil: Afterlife" is not good fun. Why? Some say repetitive, others say it's boring, flat, dull and dark. Only when the action comes do we get some real "cool" entertainment but that's it.
Heavily inspired by "The Matrix" the action sequences show no mercy in assaulting the senses. It's all there: slo-mo, bullet time, black sunglasses, lots and lots of bullets and slo-mo explosions, everything. Just add a few zombies to make sure they (the filmmakers) look like they're not ripping fans of the original games and film trilogy, and make it part of the franchise. Apparently they DO rip off the audience, there's very few zombie butt-kicking than in the previous three; save for that big brutal monster with the giant axe in the middle of the film which gives the film one of its pluses.
There's virtually no story to speak of, just brief introductions to the next action sequence (and at the ending, an inevitable sequel to keep this dead horse running). Milla Jovovich looks good but she starting to look bored. Ali Larter, Boris Kodjoe and Wentworth Miller don't even bother about characterization apart from the fact that they look fit and hot. The cinematography, production design and visual effects are solid but the complementing music by Tomandandy is just too electronic and distracting. It's as if they're trying too hard to be hip.
Speaking of trying too hard to be hip, the Matrix-inspired action has 3D to make it look even better. I'll admit, director Paul W.S. Anderson really jumped on the 3D bandwagon and put it to good use. The 3D is solid, with the bullets and blood and that giant axe all flying toward the screen and towards the audiences' faces.
Which brings me to the question: why bother? 3D is meant for fantasy/sci-fi films with out-of-this-world situations. It does not fit in any action/horror film, and it is NOT supposed to be used as a gimmick. People don't go to the movies to see the 3D as advertised; rather they go to the movies to watch a story and get into a fantastical world. 3D can be used as a tool to get them immersed into that world (e.g. "Avatar", "How To Train Your Dragon"), not as a tool to show off and be proud of itself. And that is exactly what happened to "Resident Evil: Afterlife". The film's action sequences in 3D is merely exploiting the format and is equivalent to an outdated old man wearing hip-hop clothes and screaming "Hey, look at me! I'm hip! I'm fresh!". This kills the film and makes it look desperate and lame.
I apologize to those who reject my review. There will always be lovers as well as haters. These are just merely my thoughts, and who's to stop you from going to see the movie. But this 3D film is absolutely pointless to watch in my humble opinion, with no standing out qualities (apart from the pointless but well-made 3D). I'd rather not watch this one again.
Overall value: 34/100