Great action movie

Rating: 8/10 (24 September 2010)

I just saw this movie in the cinema today. I know the first thing everyone wants to know will be "is the 3D really worth the extra cost?". In a word - yes. I had some trouble adjusting to it (the way I view colors is slightly different from 'normal' vision) but about 20 minutes in I had my focus and thoroughly enjoyed it.
There are a fair amount of the cheesy 'traditional' 3D effects (oh look - yet another bullet/shell casing/knife/sword/whatever was thrown directly at the screen for no apparent reason...) in the movie. But what really tips the scales is how much of the normal stuff is in 3D. Every scene in the movie (even the opening credits!) has some 3D element to it, and the backgrounds are simply amazing. Most of the time I felt like I was actually on the other side of the screen watching the story unfold.
Which brings me to the story. Fans of the video games already know; the movies are a universe unto themselves, keeping some characters and locales but creating an entirely new storyline. Anyone who hasn't played the games will be left wondering what's going on from time to time. The executioner is one such character who adds nothing to the plot of the movie, but fans will appreciate the nod in our direction.
In general the story is predictable as it follows the same pattern as the first three but it's relatively good. Before the second half you already know who will survive and who is zombie fodder. There is some good character development with the main pro/antagonists, a little less with the supporting characters, and none with the zombie fodder. But, you already know who they are so you don't really care.
The graphics are great. It's all been done before but it's still visually appealing. The airplane-exploding-in-slow-motion scene is brilliant; one of my favorites next to the beach scene. Again, the 3D is well worth the price and in these cases required to fully appreciate the beauty of the filming. The gore wasn't too over-the-top but I definitely understand the R rating. Older teens (or anyone who has played the games) will be able to handle it though.
If you liked the first three movies you will definitely like this one. And if you haven't seen them, but enjoy action movies, you'll still like it.