Resident Evil: Apocalypse: Review By derekmay

You know, just when you think that Hollywood has completely sold its soul and any remnants of a desire to make a film of any depth or quality in an action movie have completely eviscerated, you get a surprise. Not only that, you get it in the most unlikely place – a sequel.

Watching the trailers, one gets the impression that this is a bullet-fest of Schwarzeegger-esque magnitude forgoing any semblance of story or character. I mean, come on, the sight of that growling man-beast with a rocket-launcher is enough to put you off. We’re in for a shoot-em-up just trying to capitalize on a name brand and ignoring all the things that made the first installment so much fun. Right?

I admit, I really enjoyed the first ‘Resident Evil’ with its flashy video style and slick but brutal action. I thought the story was surprisingly creative and the characters actually had purpose and dimension. Milla Jovovich is no Oscar-winner, but she knows how to bring a sexy bad-ass-ness to the screen and can hold a dramatic moment when called upon.

So, does the sequel become mired in blood and bodies? Does it slip away in ‘Alien vs. Predator’ disappointment? Does the MPAA warning of “non-stop violence” actually overshadow the story? Surprisingly, the answer to all is no. This sequel actual does it’s job, expanding on the universe created in the first film while amping up the action. It’s a difficult balance that never pretends to be something it’s not. This is a movie based on a zombie-killing video game after all. Shakespeare it is not, nor should it be. It’s a thrill ride that offers babes, bullets, blood and, yes, tops it off with a plot that keeps you grounded.

The film picks up exactly where the first left off. Poor Raccoon City is being plagued by the deadly T-Virus and the handful of uninfected citizens are trapped by the maniacal Umbrella Corporation who has sealed off the exits. Our hero Alice (Milla Jovovich) wakes up prepared to kick ass in more ways than one and is joined this time around by two other characters from the video game – Jill Valentine (the magically hot Sienna Guillroy) and Carlos Olivera (‘The Mummy’s’ Oded Fehr). Also tagging along are a few other characters that either prove to be attractive zombie-bait (Sandrine Holt), comic relief (Mike Epps) or plot devices (Sophie Vavasseur, who played the “Red Queen” in the first film). Either way, they all serve their purpose in the overall structure and turn what could have been a low-brow monster film into a continued journey into a unique world, delving deeper into the mythology and slipping in some well-timed character development.

Each actor brings their game and never tries to accomplish more than is needed. We don’t need to see Jill Valentine’s disgrace from the force or her feelings of inadequacy towards the super-charged Alice. She just needs a gun, a smile and a take charge attitude. Oded Fehr infuses a warmth and charm that is both understated and adds a level of humanity to the film when needed. Mike Epps provides the superb comic relief, reminding us that we’re here to have fun and not stress about biological plot holes or oddly well-timed rescues. While we don’t have the kind of character arcs that allow us to fear for the characters safety all that much, there’s enough there to keep us interested and to move them out of the digital cardboard of the game and breathe some measure of life into them.

The strength of the franchise has always seemed to lie in one specific idea – that the zombies are the background catalyst for the story, not the story itself. Too many zombie films deal with people running, hiding or shooting zombies bent on eating their flesh and devouring their juicy brains. That’s about it. Here, the zombies are merely an excuse for these characters to battle a much larger foe, that of the Umbrella Corporation and its megalomaniacal fixation on toying with people’s lives for their own gain. There’s a touch of social commentary there which is often hidden between shotgun blasts and bare-knuckle brawls.

The action this time around is wonderfully visceral. The crunch of a punch and the splatter of a brain is enough to jerk you out of your seat. Director Alexander Witt uses a lot of close ups and quick cuts but never sacrifices the guilty pleasure of seeing the zombies get their asses handed to them. Though rocking with more explosions and ammunition this time around, the effect is more video game camp than Rambo-realism, making it that much more fun.

The movie sets out to make a popcorn flick with spills, chills, babes and blow-ups and, surprisingly, takes the time to one-up its predecessor by continuing the adventure and delving deeper into the plot. When was the last time you got to see a shoot-em-up with a decent story? Not often. ‘Apocalypse’ never pretends to be something it isn’t. And despite the trailers which focus on the action and some neckless wrestler in a goofy monster-costume sporting a mini-gun, all elements serve their purpose without leaving a bad taste in your mouth.