Action Packed Zombie Thrill Ride

Rating: 8/10 (15 March 2012)

Never did I imagine these movies to make it this long, but to my surprise they have and it looks like they will continue. I did like Extinction more than Apocalypse, but even I believed it was the end of the franchise. Then Afterlife comes and, although for me it is not as good as Extinction, it is quite entertaining and it blends a lot of elements and themes used in other zombie movies and media.
So Afterlife takes off where Extinction left our survivors on their search for Arcadia, the supposed haven located in Alaska. Alice, in an attempt to once and for all stop the evil Umbrella Corporation, gathers her clone army and attacks the Umbrella HQ in Japan. After losing all her clones in an Akira like nuclear explosion, Alice returns to Alaska in search for her friends and Arcadia, but she only manages to find Claire, which seems to be in a stage of amnesia and no Arcadia. Then she and Claire fly to LA where they find refuge in a large prison complex which is inhabited by other survivors. But outside the prison, there are thousands of zombies tirelessly trying to break in the prison. Alice and the survivor have to figure out a way to escape the prison and make their way to Arcadia before the prison is finally overrun by the living dead.
The Resident Evil movies are a far cry from the games or themselves. I did enjoy Afterlife prison idea and there's quite a good amount of zombie action and gore, but it falls flat in terms of story and screenplay. The characters seem too comic-book like and the story doesn't make much sense at times, but there's no denying that this movie is quite a ride and the zombies are ruthless, specially the one that carries a giant sledgehammer. Although Milla Jovovich character, Alice, is not from the game franchise, I think she carries these movies and they wouldn't be the same without her. To this point you can't compare the games and the movies, they are now two different entities that only share the same title. The F/Xs and visuals are great, the photography is excellent, and it has a killer soundtrack.
I recommend Resident Evil: Afterlife as what it is; a horror/action/pop-corn movie, nothing more, nothing less. So, if you love zombie movies or anything related to zombies, check it out.