By far the best of the series

Rating: 7/10 (24 August 2009)

With Extinction, the Resident Evil franchise sees a huge shift in gear from the previous two instalments. While RE and REA were action movies riffing off "Aliens" and "Dawn of the Dead" respectively, this is far more pessimistic, more ambitious and, in all senses, better.
Extinction, unlike the quasi-faithful Apocalypse, takes a huge departure from the games that are its source material, re-imagining the series as a post-apocalyptic sci-fi/horror, perhaps best described as a hybrid of "The Road Warrior", Romero's "Day of the Dead" and Richard Matheson's classic horror novel "I Am Legend", as we are shown a scorched world overrun with zombies and populated by only a few survivors, though isn't quite as effective as it's progenitors.
Essentially, the film follows two parallel narratives which ultimately connect at the film's finale. The first one is a basic Mad Max affair, as Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) leads a ragtag convoy of survivors across America in search of sanctuary from the undead hoards, meeting Jovovich's telekinetic super-soldier Alice along the way. The second, which is in many ways far more interesting, follows the work of Umbrella scientist Dr Isaacs (Iain Glenn) as he labours in an underground bunker to domesticate the zombies in search of an eventual cure (a storyline lifted almost wholesale from "Day of the Dead"). There is also a subplot involving the shadowy Albert Wesker, a fan favourite character who seems to be directing things from behind the scenes, but doesn't really have much to do (though is set up as the next film's big bad).
Technically speaking, the film is light years ahead of the last two. For one thing it is helmed by "Highlander" director Russell Mulcahy, who, despite a dubious resume is a far better action director than Alexander Witt or Paul Anderson and also brings with him a far more mature, impressive, eye for images. Sure, Anderson is pretty good at claustrophobic horror (well, variable. Event Horizon was fantastic, RE good, AVP atrocious) but less skilled at this kind of epic scope, so Mulcahy seems a good choice and conjures some effective George Miller-esquire set pieces.
In terms of cinematography and editing, the film also outstrips its prequels, especially its immediate predecessor, creating an effective feeling of tension while brilliantly conveying the twin worlds of the film: the scorching, death choked and sun-blasted deserts and the clammy, clinical world of the scientists. There are also some truly wonderful moments: an attack on the convoy by T-virus infected crows, the crumbling ruins of Vegas, Isaacs attempting to teach a zombie using kids toys and, best of all, his transformation into one of the games iconic "Tyrants" for a thrilling climax.
The acting is far more variable. Milla is once again great as the now iconic Alice, while Iain Glen is sublime as the sinister antagonist Dr Isaacs. Ali Larter should also be praised, as while her Claire Redfield has nothing in common with her game counterpart, she is suitably feisty and charismatic to convince as a hero for the survivors (though the question of what happened to Jill Redfield is never answered).
There are some character problems. The rest of the supporting cast are 1-dimensional, and attempts to give them Whedon-esquire quirks don't always come off, making it difficult to care about their survival. The storyline is also sometimes muddled, and Alice's development of telekinetic powers is handled very badly, coming across as little more than a deus ex machina. Albert Wesker is also miscast, appearing more as a cocky American executive rather than the calculating and charismatic English mercenary beloved by the fans, though there is still time to sort this out in the sequel (or possibly recast).
Overall this is a very good action sci-fi film in the Terminator/Mad Max molds and marks a real positive improvement from the last entry. Stylish, exciting and visually impressive, this is a great popcorn film, and I eagerly await the next instalment.