Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

 

This might actually be the best 'Resident Evil' film in the entire franchise. 

No really, don't laugh. Sure, it is not high art or anything, but the difference a visually dedicated director makes is clear and seeing as Russell Mulcahy once started out doing music videos, you can tell this one will have cool images all the way and it does. 

Heck, even the story is fairly competent this time, believe it or not.

Several years after the original outbreak of the virus that changes most people into zombies, the few remaining survivors are desperately clinging to life. They drive around in convoys, because staying in one place spells certain doom. Our hero Alice has been alone all this time, eluding the prying eyes of the Umbrella Corporation, which is still trying to change this debacle to their advantage thanks to experimentation on zombies. But, they need Alice's blood, because she is the only one that bonded perfectly with the T-Virus.

This also makes her sort of a mutant superhero. 

Alice runs into some old friends and a caravan and they decide to head to Alaska and possible freedom, but they have to get supplies in what remains of Las Vegas, and here things take a nasty turn when they are ambushed by doctor Isaacs, the fairly mad scientist who needs Alice's blood to complete his project. 

Oh, and then there's an absolutely silly ending sequence as well that detracts from the film up to that point, but nobody said this was perfect. 

To get the bad out of the way: the acting varies from undercooked to way over the top to passable. Milla Jovovich is fine as usual, but then Ali Larter who plays Claire Redfield has to deliver her lines in the most deadpan way ever and it doesn't go over well. Iain Glen as Doctor Isaacs subsequently chews the scenery to bits, which can be fun at times.

It's also fun to see that this one really ups the gore and bloodshed. It's still pretty tame, but compared to the previous two this one is a step beyond just having stuff happen off camera. So that's nice. The action isn't cut to pieces even if this still has that incredibly annoying jumpy editing most modern actionfilms seem to think they need. 

But you know what makes this one work the best? Director Mulcahy lets the story (what little there is) breathe. You get to know and sympathize with your characters; the events make sense and the mix of a zombie apocalypse and some 'Mad Max'-vibes work. You'll just have to forgive the incredibly goofy ending, that is so heavyhanded on the sequel baiting it becomes ridiculous. 

This one works as an action/horrorfilm and it is probably the most enjoyable out of the entire franchise. Sure, the first one is fun but that one is mired by horrendous acting (I'm looking at you, Michelle Rodriguez!) and the bloody (or not so) PG rating. This one gets to play around much more with the source and it just gives you a more enjoyable pastime. Check this one out if you want to.