Resident Evil: Extinction

Posted by Kevin Carr (kevin@filmschoolrejects.com) on September 21, 2007 Share

poster-re3.jpgA few years back, I was short on cash and had to make due with only a couple bucks to eat over the weekend. I went to the store to get some food, and the best cheap meat I could think of was Spam. However, when I went to the canned lunchmeat section, I found a less expensive generic store brand. I soon found myself pondering whether the generic stuff would live up to the quality of real Spam.

In quiet reflection, this made no sense. Is there anything worse than Spam? Probably not, but it still is awesome on a fried egg sandwich.

Likewise, I found myself wondering whether Resident Evil: Extinction will live up to the quality we’ve come to expect from the first two films.

After Alice and company fought the zombies underground in Resident Evil and then faced the undead as they overran Raccoon City in Resident Evil: Apocalypse, now they are fighting the zombies for control of the wasted world. Milla Jovovich teams up with Ali Larter and her refugee team to take on the zombies in apocalyptic desert landscape. Think of it as The Road Warrior meets Dawn of the Dead on the Las Vegas strip.

If this appeals to you, you might like the film. It’s not that the zombie showdowns spills over into the keno lounge of the MGM Grand or anything that fun, but the wasteland of former Las Vegas makes a pretty cool backdrop.

Ultimately, if you really loved the first two movies, or if you really hated them, you’ll probably want to skip Resident Evil: Extinction.

While I was a fan of the first two Resident Evil flicks, I was a bit disappointed with this movie. Sure, it’s got a lot of zombies blowing up, but it just gets too silly in some parts. The terror of flesh-eating zombies is left at the side while I found myself using the plot holes to make jokes…

How many zombies can you fit in a cargo hold? Apparently about 60,000 if you pack them really tightly.

How many people can escape in a small helicopter? The number seems to be about 20 if you pack them in like clowns in a VW bug.

How many people are stupid enough to let themselves get bitten by zombies and not take a bullet to the head? Well, this was actually only one, but it was a big duh for the reality in the film.

Still, Resident Evil: Extinction wasn’t a total waste. Milla Jovovich, queen of the modern B-movie, looks sexy in her apocalyptic Mad Max outfit. And I did enjoy looking at the hundreds of naked Alice clones in the Umbrella Corporation’s underground warehouse.

Dropping Ali Larter and Ashanti into the zombie hunter den wasn’t a bad idea, although they did wear a bit too much clothing than I imagine would be comfortable in the apocalyptic Nevada desert. It seems the costume designer didn’t learn anything from the short skirt worn by Sienna Guillory in Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

Gorehounds and zombie freaks should enjoy the zombie scenes. There’s many a head that is blown in by shotguns and other devices. I think more zombies are wiped off the earth in this film than the rest of the movies together. But rotten zombie brains splattered into the camera lens does not always a good movie make.

This all might be the director’s problem. Paul W.S. Anderson was in charge of the first two, and he’s one of my favorite hack directors. When he passed the directing reigns over to Russell Mulcahy, he should have thought twice about this. With rare exceptions, it really is not a good idea to give a seasoned director from television and movie videos a chance at the big screen. We end up with… well, we end up with Resident Evil: Extinction.

The Upside: Lots of zombies get shot in the head.

The Downside: All the naked Alice clones have their hands strategically covering their boobs.

On the Side: The destroyed Statue of Liberty head made me want to yell, “You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!”

Grade: C

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  • gabriel
    What happened to the little girl who survived that was the daughter of the guy who died at the end of the 2nd one and chick that play the star police female cop that also survived who picked up Alice in disguise with the ex umbrella cop at the end of the 2nd movie. Can someone please tell. I cann't seem to find out what had happened to them.
  • RobbieBetch
    well to tell you the truth i like Alice pretty much.
    so fuck off.personally i can wait ffor the new CG:resident evil:degeneration!!!!
    i hope they do a good job.
    well.about Leon.Albert Wesker did come out in Resident Evil:extinction
    So who knows Maybe they'll make a leon movie.Which they are Brahh?!
    woudnt that be awsome if they make a movie out of the game "resident evil 4:involving the chainsaws and the monsters.when will they ever do that instead of making only on monster come out!
    ooh,it be nice nice if Ada became part of leon story too!!
    Leon is Hawt!
  • mike gordon
    im a big fan of all the resident evil games and movies but leon didnt even play in any of the movies and it said he did i dont know who played him because i thought jensen ackels played leon and what about mike epps and oded feur they died and ther still has to be another movie this sucks!!!!!
  • mike gordon
    i like all the resident movies but why did the two guys from the second movie die mike epps and oded fuer they were the best ones of the movie
  • Leon#2
    I agree Extinction was pretty good. But yeah I was searching the internet and saw this thing and Leon was coughing up blood laying on the floor and one had this like red vien type things going all over his body so is that how he dies? I don't know but Leon is my Fav from Resident so it would suck to not see him in one of the movies.
  • Will
    Resident Evil: Extinction was the best movie I think made in last year or so - it was great. The guy who wrote this main articicle - you want nudity get a playboy...

    As far as these other people posting all about Leon and a Fourth movie....Check your sources. There is no confirmation on ANYTHING yet having to do with a 4th film. They're not entirely closed to the idea but they aren't thinking about it yet either.... Jovovich was only signed on to do 3 movies - and hasn't signed on yet for the 4th...

    Rumors run rampid however about the name Resident Evil: Afterlife and it taking place in Japan - and possibly following Larter's character's travel to Alaska. None of that has been confirmed - and it is a little sad that people are posting things as FACTS when their FACTS AREN'T FACTS at all.

    I hope they do make a 4th installment to this film... I hope they continue to keep "Alice" a character - possibly kill her in 4th film and let Claire take over... either way - I am gonna go see it and see what they do right and what they do wrong.

    Ali Larter has been quoted in saying however if the third film did well at the box office that would be play well in them making another film and that she'd definately sign on...

    Here's hoping...
  • Chris
    Leon is NOT died in the movies. He's going to be in the next resident evil movie. Its called Resident Evil: Afterlife. He is being played by Jensen Ackels (the older brother from supernatural). He's perfectly suited to play Leon too. His role in supernatural is a lot like Leon except Leon doesn't always go chasing after girls.

    To make things better, Leon is going to be in Resident Evil Degeneration! W00T!
  • is it just me or does anyone else think that Sarah Michelle Gellar wold have made a great Rebecca Chambers?

    ooooo and Ryan Reynolds as Chris Redfield? hehehe


    -Charlie-
  • My friend had printed out a copy of a promo news paper from RE : Apocalypse, it was a news story about Jill Valentine. It talked about her claims of zombies in the Arklay Mts, her and that guy from the movie. According to that, it mentions Leon Kennedy as her partner, and that he died sometime in between both movies! Very very distressing and dissappointing as this is, Leon prolly won't show on any of Milla Jovovich's Resident Evil Movies!

    And what ever happened to Jill Valentine anyways? Do They mean to say that our busty super-cop Jill died somewhere in between the last two movies too? And where did Claire learn to fly a Helicopter?!

    But good news, I heard that a new RE movie is in the making! It's supposed to be based on the first game and appearantly animated! Sooo cool!!!! Well here's hoping!


    -Charlie-
  • Leon
    nothings_impossible12@hotmail.com is my email if anyone would like to get back to me about Leon not being in the resident evil live action movies. please i would like to hear from someone.
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