Director: Paul WS Anderson

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Shawn Roberts, Wentworth Miller

Primary genre: Action

Secondary genre: Horror

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With an increased budget and more confidence, “Resident Evil Afterlife” saw the return of original helmer Paul WS Anderson in the director’s chair. Utilizing to great effect the IMAX 3D format, this fourquel has not much going for a plot, lacking the tonal sophistication of the first film (2002), the c-movie feeling of “Apocalypse” (2004) and the “Mad Max” vibe of the third flick (2007).

Like its reanimated dead, this movie fossil is barely alive kept together by a paper thin script which is really an excuse for expansive action sequences (as many as a sixty million dollar budget can afford). Having almost no resemblance at this point to the videogame series that inspired it besides some settings, cameos and monsters, it is a pure cinematic vehicle for the compelling charisma of Milla Jovovich (totally likeable) as (the action horror icon) Alice. The problem is that Anderson still does not know how to write any characters utilizing the most cliché tropes he can find killing them meanwhile just when start displaying some human emotion. This absence of irony harms “Resident Evil Afterlife”, its straight faced tone seems wholeheartedly misfitting for a film where monsters and individuals appear at the whim of the script’s pen.

But then again, it never pretends to be anything more than visual eye candy. And at least from this perspective, it seeks to separate itself from the other entries of the series similarly to how the “Alien” (1979-2017) franchise has evolved over the years. “Afterlife” opts for wonderful extra slo-motion shots in crystal clear quality; whether it is the opening credits in the rainy Shibuya full of umbrellas (in a nice symbolism) or a shower face off with the Executioner, Anderson capitalizes on his understanding of setting up wide framed action shots. Employing hyper stylization and reaching for the stars under (in a nice touch) industrial inspired score, he mostly succeeds in delivering slick visuals in a film that does not have the right to do so while its real locations (Tokyo, L.A., Alaska) give it a more realistic feeling in this zombie apocalypse.

It is a shame though that this visual panache (e.g., watching a desolate, fired up downtown L.A. is a thing of beauty) requests no emotional investment from the audience’s part and thus remains scare-free as we forced to sit through painful scenes of dialogue. Jovovich gives it all but ultimately she alone cannot save “Afterlife” from plain mediocrity.

+Visual ambition

+Expanded world

+Solid action

+Some gorgeous (3D) visuals

+Milla remains convincing

-Zero plot

-Non existing characters

-Resident Evil in name only

-Poor screenplay