I did a recap of sorts on the first five movies. Would you like to start here? or just carry on below as you like. By this point of the franchise, either you’re a fan, eager to wrap up the saga, or you’re not going to bother with this one at all as it’s coming in almost five years since the last instalment. Six films over fifteen years with writer-producer-series architect Paul WS Anderson back at the helm as director. The near five year gap has also allowed the franchise to shed its overload of characters with only Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) returning after having sat out the massive reunion instalment, Retribution. No idea what happened to all the others who had survived thus far. As before, the expected major battle that was set up at the end of the previous instalment is glossed over and Alice emerges from under the rubble of a devastated Washington D.C. only to be contacted by The Red Queen (Ever Anderson), the malevolent A.I. from the earlier instalments. Apparently, the returned Dr Isaacs (Iain Glen) has an ultimate cure for the T-Virus hidden within the original Umbrella base in Raccoon City, The Hive, thus bringing the sage full circle. Along the way, we get the ultimate back-story including the overall origin of the virus, its purpose and how everything really went to hell. It does contradict a little of the first two movies, but really, was the overall plan really set int stone way back then? Milla Jovovich proves she still has the chops to pull off the action beats and set-pieces, establishing her as one of the top female action stars. While Ali Larter returns on the side of angels, the rest of the very disposable characters consists of some notable TV stars including Eoin Macken (from The Night Shift), Fraser James (from Law & Order UK), William Levy and Ruby Rose (from Orange is The New Black). Shawn Roberts and Iain Glen return for bad guy duties, despite their characters having died in previous instalments, thus enforcing the clones concept even more. Still, five years seems to have tempered Anderson a bit. Gone are the 3D gimmicks that plagued the last two instalments. There is a sense of practical sets being used after the overblown locales in Retribution. The make-up effects on the undead are much better, while the CG effects on the creatures seem to be heavily controlled. Also, as the story returns to its original setting, the atmosphere also seem to have darken with an intent to return to its horror roots. There is a grim and gritty feel to it all, although the sheen of technology is still prevalent within The Hive’s Command Center from where Wesker operates. Ultimately, this is action distraction viewing and what little substance that could have been derived from earlier instalments where story is concerned is practically non-existent by this point. Can it appeal to a casual viewer who hasn’t seen the other films? Possibly, thanks to the comprehensive recap that opens the flick. A huge majority of the previous cast members are still credited at the end for those archived footage. Perhaps with this, Anderson can finally put the franchise to rest and allow this to truly be The Final Chapter. Directed by Paul WS Anderson Stars Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, William Levy, Ruby Rose, Ever Gabo Anderson with Shawn Roberts and Iain Glen Rating ***/5 Find the best online deals here. | Barnes and Noble | Google Play Store | Book Depository Discover more about the books here.
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