I’m not going to dance around it at all; I was extremely excited for Resident Evil: Afterlife. It’s no secret that horror films are usually pretty low on my preference list, but with its video game background and the inherent combination of action and suspense, I have actually been a huge fan of the franchise since the first Resident Evil was released in 2002. Not only has the Resident Evil film series been long regarded as one of the few successful video game adaptations, but it helped launch star Milla Jovovich as the premiere female action hero in Hollywood. Granted, the Resident Evil series is not for everyone, but with three previously successful entries, a sequel was no big surprise. What increased the appeal for Afterlife beyond the videogame fan boy base is the fact that it was the first film since Avatar to use James Cameron’s 3D Fusion Camera System. The summer movie season had been plagued with very weak uses of 3D technology, but audiences were promised that such would not be the case for Resident Evil: Afterlife.
Even though I thoroughly enjoyed Resident Evil: Afterlife, I have to acknowledge that it was painfully obvious that this film was made only for fans of the series. In relation to the three other Resident Evil films, Afterlife is by far the weakest in terms of story, as it assumes that viewers have seen and remember numerous details from all of the previous films. The only reason I was able to make sense of the story and forgive certain inconsistencies is because I’d seen all entries in the series numerous times. Fortunately, what Afterlife lacks in story it more than makes up for in its use of jaw-dropping 3D effects. With zombies jumping towards you and bullets flying past you almost constantly, I have no reservations about declaring Resident Evil: Afterlife the best use of 3D technology since Avatar. So even though Afterlife is a definite step backwards in terms of story development, it represents a quantum-leap forward for visual effects; if you can look past some of the weaker elements present, then this latest action-adventure entry is definitely worth seeing.
For more information, please read the full review.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
