Resident Evil: Retribution

This movie is the 5th instalment in the Resident Evil series. Why would you want to watch this movie? Why would you want to watch any Resident Evil movie come to think about? Good acting…nope. Intelligent and intriguing plot…absolutely not. Zombies…yep. Action…most definitely yes! Anything else…well if you’re member of the younger part of the average male population you probably watch it for Milla Jovovich as well. Now that we have established the baseline for the movie, does this movie deliver? The answer to that is, without a doubt, YES! This film delivered exactly what I expected of it. As I mentioned it is the 5th movie in the series and the entire series is sprung from a video game in the first place so it should really be no surprise that the film is one long video game action sequence sporadically interrupted with some dialog. Yet a lot of people seems to expect something else and judges the movie by those expectations. I think those really low rating are quite unfair. The movie does indeed deliver what I think you should expect. A lot of the action scenes are marvellous. The slow motion scenes are well done and enjoyable unlike some movies where they are just annoying. The zombies and other monsters are good. And yes, I confess that, although I’m hardly among the younger part f the mail audience anymore I do like watching Milla Jovovich jumping around in the scenes in those ridiculous skin tight suits. If I should complain about anything it would be that I sat through half the movie being annoyed that nobody would get the, painfully obvious, idea to rip that red mind control gizmo off Jill’s chest. When it was finally done in the end it was like “did you really have to take that long to get that idea into your head you dumb bastards”. I cannot really give the movie a top rating since it does lack much of a story after all but I certainly think it is worth 7 out of 10 stars. I enjoyed myself a lot while watching it. The ending is the usual video-game-movie cliff-hanger and I really hope they make another sequel now when Alice got her powers back. That she lost those was one of the big downers for me in one of the previous movies in the franchise.

Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) is the point where the franchise fully embraces its identity as a straight-up action spectacle. Any remaining traces of horror are wiped away, making room for relentless fight sequences, wild set pieces, and high-energy pacing. The plot is simple and mostly exists to keep the action moving, but it does introduce some interesting elements, like Ada Wong’s arrival and the expanding influence of Umbrella. That said, while the story has potential, it never really dives deep into anything, keeping everything surface-level. The directing sticks to Paul W.S. Anderson’s usual style, with slow-motion overload and CGI-heavy action. The cinematography, handled once again by Glen MacPherson, maintains the same hyper-stylized approach as the previous films, and while it looks slick, it can feel repetitive. Editing-wise, it is still messy, but at this point, it is almost a signature of the franchise. Despite its flaws, the movie has some fun sequences, and a few moments hit well, especially in terms of visual spectacle. Milla Jovovich continues to be the glue holding everything together, bringing the same energy and badassery that keeps these movies watchable. She makes every action scene feel engaging, even when the script does not offer much in terms of depth or dialogue. The soundtrack keeps up the fast-paced, high-energy vibe, fitting the film’s style. While Retribution is far from perfect, and definitely not the best in the series, it is still enjoyable in its own chaotic way. If you go into it expecting pure action and nothing else, there is fun to be had, even if the franchise’s roots are long gone.

Watching it again after 8 years, my feelings about this installment remains the same. Guess I found it easier to watch after revisiting the franchise but still think the plot was weak, even by the standards of the series, and while I know it’s based on a video game, really wish the movie didn’t feel like one, even more so than the previous installments. Still like Jovovich in the role of Alice, in fact, and take this for what you will, is the strongest actor of the ensemble with Guillory turning in an especially awful performance (at least under the Umbrella Corp’s influence). Easily this is the weakest entry. **1.5/5**