Review of Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) by Gemini0577 — 16 Sep 2012

The continued decline of a franchise as it progresses is an expected quality and in this regard, Resident Evil: Retribution exceeds at meeting expectations. In essence, the series appears to hit rock bottom (that bottom disguised as a facility that could easily have been stolen from the G.

I. Joe movie) right from the start when viewers are treated to a scene that plays out backwards leading up to the moment where Afterlife left off. Although it is an ambitious attempt at adding a layer of freshness to a series that has been steadily going stale, it does not play out as cleverly as it should.

The obligatory recap has become rather pointless. It should be expected that those taking in this sequel are pretty much in tune with what has happened up to the moment the opening credits cease. This series doesn't seem all that intent on bringing in new fans.

Alice is back. Once again, she must face the bad guys. She impressively fights and flees in slow motion, a gimmick way overused most likely in attempt to drag out the length so people don't feel as cheated.

New characters are introduced and old characters make head-scratching appearances that get the briefest of explanations. This element alone could have been interesting had the film's handlers actually focused on it.

The fight sequences appear better suited for one of those dance-off films. The acting is horrible across the board. Even the good actors in the film seem to phone in their performances, all too aware that the focus isn't the characters so much as it is the action sequences stitched together in ways that make the film more dull than it should be.

The special effects, while cool, are obviously CGI. Some (ok, all) of the action sequences are quite unbelievable. The effects of the last film apparently make no difference in Alice's fighting abilities because she still pulls some rather inhuman moves.

Ah, this leads to the problem with continuity. The fate of a few prominent characters remains in question; clearly a sacrifice for introducing new takes on a few game favorites. What the film does well is portray chaos.

Unfortunately, that chaos translates into the actual viewing experience as well, ultimately casting this film as nothing more than an interlude in an already middling action/horror franchise.