Deserving sequel, better than the first installment.

Rating: 9/10 (13 January 2005)

Now, I was not an immediate fan of the first movie. I didn't hate it! But I was not happy with it at first.
But with an added budget (the studios actually LISTENED for once), and a better, more cohesive story, this second installment is quite entertaining! It combines top of the line CG-Eye Candy with natural dialog and some dark twists to bring you wonderfully dark story sequences and some bone-crunching action! It was practically non-stop action from start to finish and Milla Jovovich's tom-boy style really served her well this time around.
The direction was superb! The shots and layouts; the sequences and colors! I could easily compare the use of color and cutting sequences with the over-touted Suspira, but .. I just did. This was a GOOD Resident Evil MOVIE!!
Great action, great story, great portrayals. On the downside, the extras playing zombies must have all missed their mommies so much!! I'm telling' ya! Those in the background had that "gotta wave cuz we're on camera" thing going on, and it almost distracted Me from this otherwise GREAT flick! I mean, put on the eggs cuz the ham's already DONE!
The "creepy kid sitting in a chair with his/her back turned who doesn't turn out to be a totally healthy lil kid anymore" device has been used and abused. In fact, this tactic should have been retired to a shoe box the second Scary Movie 3 parodied it so well.
The fight between Nemesis and Alice was ... well, it looked GREAT on film, but... okay, there's NO WAY it would've gone like that. But okay. Just one small contrivance to help further the movie, and it can be forgiven because it really ~does~ look great on film.
This is not a "thinking man's movie," nor is it classic horror fare. This attempt falls short in both of those departments because it is, above all, an action flick with horror ~elements~. It is not meant to be scary. It ~is~ meant to be suspenseful, which it certainly is.
This production utilizes brilliantly choreographed fighting sequences and some great style, without taking itself too seriously. It is played straight from the vest, with little humor; just as it should be. The drama was a tangible entity.
Some consider the cemetery scene in this movie to be a "Plot Hole." Their contention is that the T-Virus would not (or could not) affect those already dead and under ground. While I agree with this particular vein of thought, I must explain that this sequence was an attempt to romance the fanboys. Call it an "homage," if you will, to the cemetery segment of the wildly popular video game, "Resident Evil 2."
The argument has also been made that Alice, being who and what she is, would never have led them through such a dangerous area ~as~ the cemetery. Again, I have to say that it was (however contrived) an attempt to win over the fanboys who all but killed box office receipts of the first installment of this line.
IF you're a zombie fan, a fan of the game, or just like freaky deaky dark lil horror flix to snuggle your best girl by, this is the one for YOU!!!
This is definitely an "A" scale production which has surpassed its first installment and earned nearly three times the initial estimated budget!
It rates an 8.8/10 from...
the Fiend :.