Dawn Of The Dead Lite In An Inferior Sequel

Rating: 3/10 (8 March 2005)

As a big fan of the first movie I am somewhat taken aback by the terrible plotting and execution of this film. Frankly, "Apocalypse" was a big disappointment. However, it has enough cool action sequences, special effects, and Milla in yet another gams-revealing outfit with sexy fetish boots to be worth a rental.
The movie takes place immediately after (and a little before) the ending of Resident Evil. The T-virus quickly spreads throughout Raccoon City and only handfuls of unlucky non-zombie citizenry remain. The Umbrella Company & their evil henchmen are more fleshed out in this movie, fronted by a blonde, Aryan man with a German accent (infer what you like) with no regard for human life. We are also introduced to a new kick-ass gammy heroine, cop Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory, who in comparison gives us a whole new appreciation of Milla Jovovich), T-virus creator Dr. Ashford (Jared Harris, who deserves soooo much better), and jive-talking' 70s throwback L.J. (Mike Epps). Acting across the board is quite wooden, with Milla giving the most heartfelt, textured performance (which says a lot).
The strength of the first movie was The Mission, which provided a strong narrative line that kept you riveted to the action until the end of the movie. In contrast, the plot for "Apocalypse" is a mess, going off on a dozen different tangents and never giving you a chance to feel attached to any character other than Alice. Another thing about Resident Evil Uno that I liked was the way things didn't neatly work out for the characters, and how they and us had to accept some harsh realities. "Apocalypse" has inexplicable saves, coincidences, and total candy-coated clichÃ© situations that infuriated me--it reminded me in no small way of an Irwin Allen disaster movie from the 70s. And the miserable ending seemed tacked-on and particularly stupid.
Special effects and zombie gore are decent but quite watered-down in comparison with a Dawn of the Dead (either version) or 28 Days Later. The most memorable zombies are in the school scene and the pair of topless hookers. The hulking Nemesis monster looks ridiculous with guns and a missile launcher--it's like giving The Hulk an Uzi. The score is decent and sounds quite similar to Don Davis's work on The Matrix, but I longed for the minimalist yet creepy sounds of Marilyn Manson's work on the first movie.
Overall an unmemorable sequel that you'll begin to forget almost as soon as the end credits roll--unlike the first film, from which I continue to remember scenes like the infamous "laser hall" and Rain Ocampo's valiant struggle against her own doom.
And remember kiddies--when the dead walk the Earth, take that shortcut through the graveyard!