While the typical progression of films in a series sees each successive movie getting worse than the one that preceded it, the Resident Evil series has managed to buck that trend with its most recent installments. Resident Evil: Afterlife is the fourth chapter in the series, and it is also the best. Perhaps this can be attributed to the return of Paul WS Anderson to the director’s chair after he directed the first film in the series, but dropped back to producer for parts two and three. Though he is not usually counted among master filmmakers of today, the vast improvement of the latest installment over the previous entries must make us wonder if there was some aspect or vision that other directors were unable to translate from Anderson’s writing. It sounds unlikely, but Afterlife delivers a superior story and far exciting action sequences than any of its predecessors.
Chapter four sees Milla Jovovich returning as Alice, the former employee of the Umbrella Corporation, who now battles the zombie monsters the corporation is responsible for unleashing. She and her friend Claire take refuge with another group of survivors in a maximum security prison in Los Angeles, and learn of a possible haven from the undead. There is a cargo ship out at sea and within sight of the prison that is broadcasting an emergency message offering assistance to survivors. Only the entire zombie population of L.A. stand between Alice’s group and safety. It is up to Alice to find a way to beat the impossible odds and get her friends out of harms way, and in doing so, possibly get a chance at killing Albert Wesker, the chairman of Umbrella and the man responsible for the zombie apocalypse.
Yes, though the plot sounds like every other movie in the series (as well as most other zombie movies, for that matter), the increased role for Wesker dramatically enhances the experience by adding a central villain. Where the previous films relied on the faceless Umbrella Corporation and its various employees or biological weapons for villains, Wesker provides Alice with a suitable arch-nemesis to focus on. Imagine a Batman movie without the Joker or the Penguin or anyone else, with Batman just beating up on muggers and pickpockets for 90 minutes. That would be equivalent to the previous Resident Evil movies, and it is nice to see the filmmakers finally realize what was missing. With the goal of permanent safety and a chance to finally take out the head of the evil corporation, this is by far the most epic film in the series.
That epic feeling is helped at times by the 3D effects the film offers. Say what you will about Paul WS Anderson, but when he decided to make a 3D movie he did not go the cheap conversion route as so many other filmmakers do. This film was shot entirely with the 3D camera system that James Cameron developed for Avatar, and it provides the best live action 3D experience since that film was released. Unfortunately, though, Anderson did not take all his cues from Cameron’s Avatar, or he would have found a way to set his zombies in an environment as bright and vibrant as Pandora. Instead, we get a dim and bleak apocalyptic wasteland, made even darker by the fact that the viewer must wear the shaded glasses for the 3D. There are several times during the film where the image becomes so dark that it is difficult to tell what is happening onscreen. It never happens for an extended period of time, but ideally it would not occur at all.
It should go without saying, but just to be on the safe side, Resident Evil: Afterlife is still for fans only. It is the best film in the series, but it is still part four, so if you have not seen or have not liked any of the previous three movies, stay away from this one. That said, fans will be overjoyed with this movie. Paul WS Anderson returns as director and does a lot of things right for the series. Of course, there is always room for improvement, and he will have his chance. Remember, every film in the series ends with a cliffhanger.
By Gareth Mussen