Apprehensive Then Delighted

Rating: 9/10 (23 September 2007)

I had the redoubtable pleasure of seeing the premiere with several good friends who were also Resident Evil fans (the films, not necessarily the games). When I first saw Resident Evil and Apocalypse on Sci-Fi, I found myself thinking "I shouldn't be enjoying this as much as I am." Nevertheless, something about these movies got to me and I became rather fond of them, even to the point of getting the deluxe DVDs with behind-the-scenes documentaries, etc.
For the first 20 minutes, I was nervous about RE3: it was looking a lot like the first two Mad Max movies (not in and of itself a bad thing) and I sincerely believe old Russell has been watching too many Michael Bay films (and Michael should not be allowed to direct again; his MTV- frantic cutting screams "insecurity" to me).
As the story developed, I remembered what I had such respect for in the first two films: CASTING GOOD (IF NOT WELL-KNOWN) ACTORS. We all learned from the original Alien that a top-notch cast can elevate a genre film into a classic. The script was a deliciously logical extension of the previous plots and the shift to outdoors in bright sunlight worked remarkably well. The writing was never purple and there was just enough character work to rise above a more "typical" film of this sort.
Truly, the BALANCE achieved in this film was unusual: not too much of anything, not too little, and wonderful surprises for even, I suspect, the most jaded RE fans. It's a clean, gritty-looking (I mean cinematography) piece, spare of superfluous moments; 95 minutes long and precisely to the point in each scene. The battles are truly magnificent, in my opinion: well-choreographed, edited and thought-out. NOTHING ARBITRARY HERE, FOLKS.
As William Hurt said all those years ago in The Big Chill, "Sometimes you just have to let art. . . flow over you." That, I think, is the key to enjoyment of this movie. Don't bring in baggage or expectations: just let it happen. You will not be disappointed.
The only "flaw" here is, as with the previous RE adventures, a remarkably mediocre musical score; it's certainly serviceable, but ANYONE could have composed it. I long for a David Arnold wannabe to score films like this. The richness a GREAT score would add is almost incalculable.
Excellent cast, excellent writing, excellent fight choreography, just the right amount of the grotesque, just the right amount of beautiful women with large weapons. And one cast member has the single greatest death scene I can remember in a long while; I envy the actor and director for playing it so well, with such subtlety and such theatricality. But go in cold. Just let this piece "hit" you. Bring nothing to the party but your active mind. If you can manage that, I venture you'll love it.