A worthy addition to the franchise

Rating: 7/10 (17 October 2010)

It's hard to review a 3-D film when your screener is in two dimensions. I am not talking about the Clash of the Titans or The Last Airbender type 3-D where they tried to convert the film after production. I am referring to a movie that was meant to be in 3-D and was filmed with the proper cameras and style to appreciate the genre. I am referring to Resident Evil: Afterlife.
This, the fourth entry in the franchise, picks up immediately after Resident Evil: Extinction with Alice (Milla Jovovich) continuing to travel the world in search of human survivors after the virus unleashed by the Umbrella Corporation has turned most of the world's population into ultra-violent zombies.
The film opens in a blaze of gunfire as Alice(s) invade the underground lair of the Asian Umbrella Corporation. It is here, she confronts her arch nemesis Albert Wesker (Jason O'Mara) for the first time in the series. This confrontation leaves Alice human (do your homework) and almost dead after their getaway transport crashes in the mountains.
Alice then begins her search for other humans. A search that will eventually reunite Alice with fellow kick-asser Claire Redfield (Ari Larter) who was last seen looking for human life herself in Resident Evil: Extinction. The two will travel to Los Angeles where they will band together with a small group of human survivors that include Luther (Boris Kodjoe), Bennet (Kim Coates) and Claire's incarcerated brother, Chris (Wentworth Miller).
With the gang all working together to fight the encroaching undeads, the normal shoot-outs and fisticuffs will ensue – mostly in exaggerated physical sequences that are accompanied by a musical score that almost had my sub-woofer beating through the basement floor.
Resident Evil: Afterlife is written and directed by W.S. Anderson, the director of the original Resident Evil, Aliens vs. Predator and Death Race. Anderson is up to his usual tricks in Afterlife. He is good (sometimes real good) at action sequences, but character development and dialogue are trailing behind in all the action. A terrible voice over to introduce the film sets the tone and you get the feeling that Anderson doesn't push his actors (particularly the pivotal character of Albert) into multiple takes until the final product is delivered in the appropriate tone.
When it does come down to the action, Anderson does the franchise proud. There was a great scene involving a wide angle show of a single engine plane leaving a blood streak as it chopped through hundreds of zombie onlookers and another scene of Alice jumping off a building and the zombie faithful following her to their second deaths. Other gun fights and muscle flexings seem to continue far longer than is necessary, however, we do realize that this is what the fan base clamors for.
There are plenty of scenes that look like they would project well in the 3-D format. From sunglasses being flung to a plane crash. Unfortunately in the 2-D format, we can only imagine the difference.
The concluding chapters to Resident Evil: Afterlife were a bit of a letdown. After Alice seems to find a large contingent of human life, she again must confront Wesker who has become pretty much invincible. Their final battle scene might have looked good in three dimensions, but it lacked the great climax we were hoping.
The final scene in Resident Evil: Afterlife strongly suggests a sequel, and why not? The film garnished $59 million of its $60 million budget domestically. But internationally, Resident Evil: Afterlife brought in $200 million more. And with those kind of returns, you can guarantee that the franchise is dead and kicking.
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