Resident Evil : After Life
Cast: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter
Direction: Paul W S Anderson
Rating: *
A science fiction/horror-action hybrid, the first three Resident Evil movies were a videogamer's delight. Desperately seeking to surpass the success of the 'trilogy', Milla Jovovich goes gunning for ghouls a fourth time around.
Pitted against a variety of mean monsters and devil dogs, the one-woman demolition army continues to search for survivors in a zombie wasteland. The grisly goings-on induce a feeling of déjà vu rather than one of dread.
The franchise's regular writer, Paul W S Anderson, who also helmed the first installment, returns as director.
Even more preposterous than its predecessors, Resident Evil: After Life abandons any aspirations to plot or character development.
Everything in the movie is at the service of cheap scares.
To Anderson's credit, some of the set-pieces like the skirmish with a masked axe-wielding maniac are fairly effective. On the other hand, the decibel level is amped up from loud to ear splitting and the computer-aided effects are run-of-the mill. The whole ghoulish gambol peters out into a nap-inducing gore-fest.
Expectedly, Ms Jovovich dominates the footage. The rest of the cast has little to do and does it poorly.
{{/usCountry}}Expectedly, Ms Jovovich dominates the footage. The rest of the cast has little to do and does it poorly.
{{/usCountry}}Those who don't mind going through the derivative route may find the effort worth their while. Others can only hope that the video game inspired series is finally over.