In Hollywood, the end never arrives. While movie
franchises may stop, if they make a mountain of money, they inevitably
return. We’ve had the alleged ‘final’ entries to the ‘Harry Potter’,
Nightmare on Elm Street’ and other series only to see them return.
‘Resident Evil: The Final Chapter’ makes a bold claim that this is ‘the
end’. Whether it is, only the box office will tell. Long-time
enthusiasts of this ghoulish set of films should take its title with a pinch of
salt as it cuts a swathe towards its supposed ‘final’ fadeout.
Alice (Milla Jovovich) is still battling the evil Umbrella
Corporation. Responsible for unleashing a deadly zombie plague upon the
earth, the wicked conglomerate seems unstoppable. Armed with a plethora
of weapons, Alice and her friends, including Claire (Ali Larter) and Abigail
(Ruby Rose), stand firm against an upcoming onslaught. Facing a myriad of
grotesque creatures, they do their best to crush the corporation’s power in a
bid to save humanity once and for all.
The true star of ‘Resident Evil: The Final Chapter’ isn’t
Jovovich or director Paul W.S. Anderson, but the editor. Rarely has an
action film been so harshly edited within an inch of its existence. It’s
difficult to tell if the explosive action sequences are well staged due to the
rapid-fire editing. This takes away from their impact and the film
overall. Whilst Anderson shows much flair in the staging and plotting,
the way the movie looks and edited is truly awful.
One of the few savings graces is the story, which
effectively expands on the established mythology. More is learnt about
Alice and her foes with previous events more clearly understood. Jovovich
makes for a great heroine although her co-stars don’t get much of a look
in. Iain Glen, as the main villain, hams it up for all he’s worth
although he equips himself well in the fight scenes. Sadly it’s hard to
tell if the movie looks good as the eternally dark and muddy cinematography
masks the creatures that audiences are meant to marvel at.
The end probably couldn’t come soon enough for ‘Resident
Evil: The Final Chapter’. While the script is strong, the elements meant to
support it let it down. It’s a serviceable enough time-waster with the
producers hopefully wise to the fact that the end has come for a slowly
dwindling franchise.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 4
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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Patrick Moore's Movie Review is an alternative look at movie
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