Afterlife at last, is what I said to myself when Resident Evil: Afterlife opened in theatres in Chennai. It is the 4th installment in the Resident Evil franchise, and a hugely anticipated movie for all Resident Evil fans, including myself. For me to say that Resident Evil: Afterlife is perhaps my most anticipated movie of 2010, would not be a stretch, as such is my love for Resident Evil. In Afterlife, we follow Alice in her battle against the evil Umbrella Corporation. This time she takes the fight to them, attacking their HQ in Tokyo. What follows is her pursuit for the safe haven only known as Arcadia, with a group of unexpected survivors. To those unfamiliar with Resident Evil, the Umbrella Corporation developed a deadly T-virus in one of their high-tech facilities called The Hive. Following an accident, the virus spread rapidly, affecting first The Hive’s occupants, then Raccoon city, and eventually spreading to the rest of the world. The first movie covered the events in The Hive, the second the infection of Racoon city, and the third set a few years later, in an all but ravaged desolate earth. Returning in Afterlife is director Paul W.S. Anderson from the very first Resident Evil movie.
Going into Afterlife, I’m sure most Resident Evil fans would have had a fair idea of what to expect; zombies, carnage, intense action sequences, impressive special effects, high tech Umbrella Corp. facilities, extreme sci-fi concepts, and plenty of Alice. In terms of the plot, the closing minutes of Resident Evil: Extinction, set the stage for the events to follow in the 4th part. So all this said, just a mere rehash would probably have been lackluster, and sticking to the plots expectation though safe, would have been limited and lacking in ingenuity. The one new element thrown in the mix was the addition of 3D, which seems to be the in thing now. 97 minutes of intense 3D action later, I’d have to say that Afterlife didn’t disappoint. What it did very successfully, was take several loved Resident Evil elements, combine it with a plot that managed to intrigue, and add a new level of action appeal by means of unique 3D use. What viewers might have expected for the plot to be, was wrapped up in the first 10 minutes, in a satisfying hardcore action sequence sorta way. What followed was fresh, yet realistically melded narrative elements. The pace of the movie was a mix of slower scenes that help add to the desolate end of humanity theme, and faster extreme action sequences. I only had one gripe, which had to do with a poorly introduced character, who’s presence, origin, and context till the end never got explained. Special mention must be made of the excellent use of 3D in Afterlife. The riveting stop motion action scenes, coupled with the clever use of 3D was simply mind-blowing. In short, Resident Evil: Afterlife makes the legendary Matrix’s special effects look paltry at best. Horror elements are pretty much absent, and sudden scares are limited compared to its predecessors. In a nut shell, Resident Evil: Afterlife is very impressive, a must watch for Resident Evil fans, and action lovers alike.
Project Alice, as the Umbrella Corp. refers to her, played by Milla Jovovich is the centerpiece to Resident Evil. So integral is her role in the narrative, that it would be hard to imagine continuity of the franchise in her absence. Considering that Milla has been perfect 3 times already, saying that she fit the bill of Alice well, would be stating the obvious. The only difference this time was the slightly more human side to her character, which she seemed to be able to portray well, while kicking zombie behind, and obviously shining as a hardened action veteran. Several of her stunt sequences reminded me of the athletic prowess of Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider. Cliare Redfiled, making a reprise in Afterlife was increasingly impressive. Some of her character Claire Redfield’s action sequences put her on par with Alice, and without a doubt solidified her characters role as Alice’s trusty counterpart. New additions were Ventworth Miller as Chris Redfield of Prison Break fame, and Boris Kodjoe as Luther. Their performances were pretty decent and sufficient bearing in mind their role in the plot. Shawn Roberts played the role of Albert Wesker, the ultra-cool super villain in Afterlife, who reminded me of Val Kilmer from Tom Gun. Shawn was brilliant as the cold, emotion less, almost impervious to pain and unstoppable antagonist; a fitting rival indeed.
Needless to say, I watched this one in the theatre; alas the wait since Resident Evil: Extinction was hard enough. There was no way I was going to wait till the original DVD was released. Owing to the 3D glasses, picture seemed a little dark and dull throughout. It’s my belief that the intentional dark tone of Resident Evil coupled with the 3D glasses was the cause for this. Rest assured this doesn’t in anyway take away from the overall video viewing experience. The DVD should be clear, while retaining post production dark overtones to emphasize the Resident Evil mood. Sound was quite impressive, and while no specific element stood it, it was woven with the action sequences masterfully to create simply incredible action movie moments. The musical score was perfect, and helped push the action a notch higher, while in keeping with the Resident Evil theme. 3D visual effects were used extensively, and perhaps the most that I have seen in any movie to date. While movies like Avatar used 3D to present simple nature and environments well, Afterlife took it to a whole new level. Every action sequence was built from ground up keeping in mind the 3D element, and its impact on the audience. Every swinging blade and flying bullet is calculated, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself making sudden embarrassing movements in the theatre to avoid flying debris.
My Recommendation:
Watch It + (Possibly cooler than your own afterlife)
