Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017)
5:11 PM
Evil will End.
Unfortunately I have been tricked by a good trailer because Resident Evil: The Final Chapter was far from being anything special. Minor spoiler - this isn't the final chapter and I'm sure the seventh will be called 'Rebirth' or 'Revival' or something like that. I have problems with the way the action is set up and executed, none of the performances are memorable other than the lead but the story was admittedly pretty fun. It's ironic that this is my first experience of a Resident Evil film and it's supposedly the last one - however, I was able to follow it but I'm sure it'll please existing fans but if you're new like me, I doubt you'll be won over.
There really isn't much to the story of Resident Evil - it's kind of just action sequence after action sequence as the characters try and reach The Hive. I assume this is basically what the previous 5 films have been building up to so I can understand why this is essentially a film made up of battles if that is the case. I thought the final act of the film actually resembled a game show or video game - the characters were having to get through different scenarios and each time they became scarier and scarier. I did like this element but they were definitely used as tools to kill off the large ensemble cast before Alice (Jovovich) confronts are arch enemy. Resident Evil 6 kind of has the feel of a theme park attraction - I don't really know why but it has a similar production value and a similar feel to it.
The visual effects for the film were nothing special - the zombies looked pretty good but were nothing compared to what we have seen before. The CGI monsters were also nothing special - they were fine and none of the characters interacted with them on screen which was obviously due to financial restrictions but also helped the film as it meant we didn't get to see too much of them and spot the low quality. Resident Evil 6 was extremely graphic though - there was a lot more gore than I was expecting. The scenarios the characters were put through reminded me of something out of a Saw film - they were almost torture traps. The film is also very dark - using a human as bait to the Zombies on the back of a tank? This was pretty funny to watch though. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter was also filled with many jump scares - I suppose I should of expected there to be some as 'Evil' is in the title but I thought it was just going to be a gothic action film not an actual horror! This was scarier than Rings! The actual visuals may not be amazing but there is definitely plenty of gore and jump scares.
Milla Jovovich is definitely a saving grace for this film and probably the whole franchise - she really puts her all into playing Alice and I think this character means a lot to her, it is basically her defining role except not many people see these films. Jovovich is a pretty good action star so I'm surprised she hasn't got much more work from these films. She isn't amazing but definitely good enough to make the film watchable. The same can't be said for her co-stars though who are all forgettable and really not that great at all. I don't think anyone in the supporting cast had a good performance - once again we have Ruby Rose who seems to be attracted to January releases (not a good sign) and once again, she wasn't great. The character I really don't understand though is the Red Queen - I understand the character but I just don't understand why anyone thought this was a good idea - Ever Anderson isn't the strongest actress and I just found all of her lines cringe-worthy and pretty laughable. The supporting cast are paper thin and the performances suit them.
The action in the film is where my problems lie - the action could easily be so great but I can't tear last year's Jason Bourne and forgive Resident Evil 6 for doing the exact same thing. The action sequences are so quickly cut that you don't actually know what is going on and it all becomes quite confusing. Yes, this creates a fast pace but its all too much. The creators on this also don't know how to build up to an action sequence - literally the scene before the action is when we find out that they have to prepare for the action - then it all kicks off - there is no build up. I think Resident Evil 6 would have benefited from having some build up. For instance, when Alice arrives at the hideout, she is quickly followed by the Zombies but she tells the characters they are following her as soon as she arrives - they then (super) quickly get a whole defence set up - wouldn't it have been cool to have spent a couple more minutes setting this up? The final act was also just action after action after action. However, I did like that it was almost in real time - when the characters enter the hive, the Red Queen sets a time of 38/40 minutes and that is how long the rest of the film is - pretty clever, hopefully it was intentional.
The only reason to see Resident Evil 6 is if you're a fan of all the other films or if you are so desperate to go to the cinema but have seen everything else. I don't think this is worth paying full price for though so maybe wait till Tuesdays or Wednesdays so you can get the 2 for 1 offer (if you use the ComparetheMarket service). The action is fast paced and kind of clever towards the end but there is not enough thought put into it and there is no build up - rule number 1 of filmmaking - build up to big events! The acting from Jovovich is solid but the same cannot be said for everybody else. The visual effects are nothing special and the film is much more graphic than expected. This really should be The Final Chapter because I am in no rush to read on.
42
/100
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