VH1’s “reigning queen of kick-butt” Milla Jovovich returns to the silver screen in “Resident Evil: Retribution,” the fifth installment of the Resident Evil series.
Zombie slayer Alice (Jovovich) wakes up as a prisoner of the neo-governmental Umbrella Corporation and is forced to fight for her freedom in the zombie apocalypse.
“Retribution” begins with a three-minute monologue delivered by Alice herself, who breaks the fourth wall to vaguely explain the entire previous movie series.
Details of character motivation are unclear to “Resident Evil” newcomers, despite the generous prologue. The film relies on stiff bad-guy archetypes to lurch the plot forward.
Despite the dialogue shortcomings, “Retribution” is still one sexy violence film.
Director Paul W.S. Anderson maximizes Umbrella Corp.’s gruesome, high-tech future for a crystal-clear 3-D thrill ride. Jovovich and her assassin (Michelle Rodriguez) compensate for the dried-up plotlines with plenty of explosions and “that-will-leave-a-mark” moments.
“Retribution” will satisfy adrenaline junkies seeking an acrobatic spectacle but offers little beyond that.
But who goes to zombie movies for the writing?
By Jeff LaFave
Resident Evil
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