Fun, but stupid.

Rating: 5/10 (15 February 2009)

My expectations for this film were rather high as I stepped into the theater, simply due to one comment in which Milla Jovovich stated that she hated the second film in the series ('which is horrible. Alright, she has my sympathy here....') but promised that this third installment would be "rad." 'Alright...she's probably high, but that didn't make the first movie (8/10) that bad....' Let's start with the positives, eh? The action, that comsumes nearly the entire movie, is quite awesome. With wire work that puts the sh*tfest of a movie that the Matrix to shame, and zombie blood galore, it's a joy to watch mindless beasts act as the dummies on which these characters exact their ass-kicking pleasure. The CG, I have to admit, isn't as good once you see it a second time, but still notable. It's certainly beautiful visually, with the Mexican landscape scoping about, the the torn buildings peeking from beneath the sand, though why Vegas is the only city (when I said Mexican landscape, I meant that it was filmed in Mexico, not taking place there.) still remaining is...well, I can't say anything other than it's stupid.
The camera-work is interesting. Russel Mulcahy's use constant use of a moving camera makes for something I haven't seen too many times, and it is certainly fun to watch, though I would have preferred Paul Anderson's stillness, which would have made the film generally creepier and more Resident Evil-eque, speaking from a gamer's perspective.
Now to the negative: the whole damn story. The zombie infection spread past the...city that was nuked...and sterilized...and (because, y'know, the governmont wouldn't do anything.) spread to the entire U.S....and then it spread oversea, 'cause viruses can do that, and anybody who came to another country from the zombie-ridden US wouldn't be checked for the virus. And now, 5 years later, the world is turned into a desert because of it. Not as a result of neglect, the film states the virus...made the world wither, and die. Right.
And the rest of the story, following this, is equally as ridiculous. It has too many inconsistencies to count--the crows haven't thought to feed on infected flesh for HOW long?--and is almost nonextistant.
The acting is alright, though far from perfect. The stereotypical characters really don't provide any means of displaying talent, nor does Mulcahy's insistent approach on making everyone seem "tough." Ali Larter, in particular, seems off.
So, in conclusion, this is an entertaining, extremely fun to watch, and generally cool-looking...extravaganza of stupidity.
I recommend it.