Easily the best entry in the series. This should be called: "Resident Evil: Extinction OR How to fix a franchise after the awful second film!"

Rating: 7/10 (11 January 2014)

Wow. I mean... WOW.
How did they do it? How could they make such a comeback after the franchise-killing disaster of a film that was the second movie- "Resident Evil: Apocalypse."
I'll admit, I'm only a casual fan of the "Resident Evil" film franchise. Mainly because it still bothers me how completely it disregards the excellent source material, and instead completely re-writes the story and characters. But I liked the first film fine enough to give the rest of the franchise a shot.
I didn't think there was any way to salvage the series after the last film, though. Back in 2007, I was dreading this movie, because "Apocalypse" was... well, an apocalyptic mess. So you can imagine my surprise when I walked out of this film saying to myself "Wow... this was actually better than the last one. In fact, this is probably the best of the three!"
And yes, I still firmly believe now in January, 2014 (with five entries released with a sixth on the way) that this is the best of the "Resident Evil" film franchise. It's the film that has the most fun action beats, the best use of horror elements, the most interesting directorial choices and probably the most coherent and developed script of the bunch.
Sometime after the last film, the T-virus has spread the world over. Affecting not only humans, but plant and animal life, the world has slowly been degenerating, leaving much of it a worn-out, dystopian desert. Alice (Milla Jovovich) has become a wanderer, seeking to survive in the harsh remnants of society. However, after connecting with a convoy lead by Clair Redfield (Ali Larter) that also homes her former allies Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr) and L.J. (Mike Epps), Alice and the group are pulled into a new struggle against not only the zombies who roam the earth, but the remnants of the Umbrella corporation, including the dark plans of Dr. Isaacs (Iain Glenn), one of the scientists who had experimented on Alice in the past.
The cast is much stronger in this film than it had been before. Jovovich is once again a pure blast of fun, and a great hero to follow. (Although I will admit, her dark, brooding nature started to wear thin on me at times, after realizing she hasn't changed much during the series) Returning cast members Oded Fehr and Mike Epps are also more grounded and real this time around, and they come off as far more fleshed out than they were in the cartoonish previous film. And new cast members like Ali Larter, Iain Glenn and even Linden Ashby are generally fun and give decent performances.
This time, directorial duties are handed over the talented visual artist Russel Mulcahy, best-known as the stylish director behind the original "Highlander" (which I consider to be a great film) and the well-directed Alec Baldwin vehicle "The Shadow." (A film I admire very much in terms of visuals, though I will admit the script is very standard and underwhelming.) And Mulcahy is able to make himself very much at home, giving us well thought-out action set-pieces that are actually exciting to watch, as well as giving a bit more time to the character development for quiet moments that the first two films lacked. Out of the five films, this was the one I found the most professionally put together.
The script by Paul W.S. Anderson (whom directed the first, fourth and fifth films and has written every entry in the series) is surprisingly deliberate and thought-out for Anderson. Not to speak poorly of Anderson (I quite liked his films "Event Horizon" and "Mortal Kombat"), but he is generally a director and writer who seems more interested in visual spectacle and entertainment than storytelling. And there's nothing wrong with that necessarily. But I did find it surprising that he seemed to put much more thought into this entry than any other. And I think it helped a lot. It's a tight, concise script, and it makes for a decent film.
The rest of the production is going above and beyond as well. The set design is top-notch. The costumes feel more grounded and realistic, while still maintaining a stylized look. And the effects are great. Particularly the zombie makeup effects, which are an absolute blast. The music is also a step-up from the last film.
I was really surprised by how well-made this film is, especially compared with the other entries. It's not a perfect film by far. This is still a dopey series that is about pretty pictures and visuals first and foremost... but by those standards, this is easily the best of the series. It has the best action, the best horror, the best direction, the best effects... it's just... the best of what it is.
I give this film a good 7 out of 10. I loved it.