Resident Evil: Apocalypse is an unwanted, unnecessary and nearly unwatchable sequel to a movie that didn't deliver the goods in the first place. In other words, Hollywood is mucking about as usual in the B-movie arena and specifically in the violent video game-as-movie genre.
The first flick, in 2002, veered wildly from its game roots and turned into a head-banger action flick full of sci-fi babblegab and mad scientists in a fascist future shock world.
For the purists, Apocalypse brings it all back closer to the game, especially when it evolved into Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. For one thing, the action is above ground. For another thing, more of the game's characters are on screen.
Jill (played by brunette Sienna Guillory as a stark, dark contrast to blue-eyed, blond Mila Jovovich) is an empowered female heroine who can kick most men into a bloody pulp.
Other key characters are Carlos (Oded Fehr) and Dr. Ashford (Jared Harris in a wheelchair, where he seems not to know how to emote while sitting down). A token ghetto black (Mike Epps) provides the racist "comic" relief.
And, of course, superbabe Alice (Jovovich) is back to kick more evil ass. Jovovich may look as thin as a stick insect but she is also wiry and agile and strong enough to make Alice into an hilariously angry killing machine.
Her absurdist entrance -- her motorcycle hurtles through a stained glass window in a church where humans are battling mutant monsters -- is the movie's only real highlight. Her lowlight is a brief coda that sets up another sequel.
As for the so-called story in Apocalypse, the T-virus escapes and starts turning the good citizens of Raccoon City into flesh-eating zombies. So the real evil -- government and military officials -- quarantine the place and let the zombies and surviving humans destroy each other. Our band of anti-heroes, led by Alice and Jill, try to get out of this nightmare while saving a single but singular little girl.
Some observations: The action is predictable, if sometimes well staged by newbie director Alexander Witt. But the story is so lame that every twist is predictable. It's tiresome, even painful to endure.
The screenplay was written by Paul W.S. Anderson, who directed the first movie. He moved on to Alien Vs. Predator and left this to Witt. Got out while the getting was good.
The violence factor is also lame -- because it is too tame. Apocalypse has no chance of being as stylish as a George Romero zombie movie, so it should have been a gore-fest.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse was shot here. Our city hall is Raccoon City's City Hall. The Bloor Viaduct Bridge is the now barricaded entrance into Raccoon City. Other landmarks pop up throughout the action. In a dispirited and sometimes wretched movie spectacle, at least we locals have something to watch.
(This film is rated 14-A)
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