A script doctor and a different editor away from badazzness...

Rating: 7/10 (10 September 2004)

So let's face it: the first Resident Evil film was OKAY at best. Mildly entertaining, but ultimately empty and horribly written like all Paul W.S. Anderson films. But it made back its money and then some. Sequel time :P
To be honest, I was expecting this to be the worst sequel since Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (another sequel Anderson handed off). That's NOT the case. If you're not expecting Hamlet, and are just looking for a good popcorn flick, RE: Apocalypse delivers in spades. This is one of the only video game adaptations in recent memory that's managed to take itself seriously and succeed (mostly.) I'm happy to report that this flick isn't for kids...it's an honest to god R rated zombiefest, and the violence, action, AND gore are kicked up a notch beyond Anderson's first yawn of a zombie flick. And ya know, it also has a surprisingly decent sense of humor- something MASSIVELY lacking in the first RE. Mike Epps's one liner as he runs over a zombie policeman is an absolute CLASSIC! (you'll know it when your hear it). Upon closer examination, this massive scale zombie apocalypse owes more to 80's and 90's action adventures than to anything of recent memory...(Milla's got the Sarah Connor bit DOWN PAT, hehe) and it's a good deal of fun. Beautiful lighting and camera work (when the editor isn't busy turning it into quick cut mulch), a BUTTLOAD of action (the best I've seen in recent years), and of course, superhotties. I'm happy to report the soda depletes and popcorn rests easy in my stomach. Lots of fun to be had.
So what's wrong with it? More than a few things, naturally. Paul Anderson's script, for one. It's sufficient, I'll give it that (perhaps even moreso than AVP.) But a script doctor could have fixed a few leaks in the plot and dialogue...really polished and delivered on some of those bigger moments. The main grip however, is the EDITING....UGH!!!! I'm actually considering contacting the editor of this film and verbally ripping him a new orifice. The editing managed to butcher 75% of what could have been the best action since the original Matrix. I've never seen so much rapid fire editing in my life, and for a person that appreciates SEEING his action (yes, SEEING is a major part of a movie), this movie steps all over the viewer's attention span. It's like a hypodermic injection of ADD, I swear. Also, the direction at times was amateurish (what can be expected from an AD though), resulting in some awkward moments here and there. More than anything though, I can't get over the hyper-MTV editing. It ruined what could have been the best scifi action film in years. ARE ANY STUDIO EXECS LISTENING?!?! RECUT THE ACTION SEQUENCES, YOU MORONS! YOU HAVE A GEM HERE! OK. I'm relaxed. But seriously...as an editor, it pains me to see this kind of garbage editing. It's a copout. If I could get my hands on the source footage, I'd whip the action back into shape.
All in all? It's kinda like a windchill factor- it seems a lot cooler than it really is. First time you see it, it'll feel like a 3 star action flick. Without that initial breeze though...it's gonna drop down several notches upon further viewings. The editing will make it annoying to watch, and the plot/dialogue are gonna start to unravel quicker than Steven Sommers's career post Van Helsing. Do yourself a favor- bring some popcorn, pack up a one hitter, and leave your brain at the door...you'll have a lot of fun, even if you didn't enjoy the first film.