Milla Jovovich and Paul W.S Anderson’s collaborative duo when it comes to video game films have been one of the biggest curses in the film industry. It was actually sad to see that films of this standard were being made, and are still being made in Hollywood. The Resident Evil films in particular or a bright and shining example of why these films are so bad, taking the name of a beloved franchise and bastardizing it into something completely else.
This has happened to many franchises, from Super Mario, Warcraft, Silent Hill, DOOM, Hitman, Max Payne, Prince of Persia, Mortal Kombat, Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter, and the list could go on and on. However, the one franchise that has seen the most damage from this is of course; Resident Evil.
How to Download Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
You can download or stream the film from a digital store. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like the film, check out also the reboot of the series: Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City (2021).
The Movie Review
It is a direct continuation of the events of Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Several years after the disaster at Raccoon City caused by the outbreak of a deadly virus known as the T Virus, Extinction follows the self-insert character named Alice as she fully heals mentally from the chaos that unfolded. Now, she has banded together with the rest of the survivors in order to bring the owner of the Umbrella Corporation to justice, a man named Albert Wesker who is also responsible for the T Virus outbreak.
Resident Evil: Extinction is the third installment in the Resident Evil film franchise, which turned into essentially one of the most bloated series in the world. Paul W. S Anderson didn’t direct the film himself this time, rather gave the task to Russel Mulcahy who made films such as Highlander and Razorback.
While those films were campy and corny, they did indeed have a certain charm to them. However, Resident Evil: Extinction it’s the furthest they’ve ever gone from the series, bringing in new and random locations, new and random characters as well as some familiar faces who they have completely ruined in the process.
The action is good though, I will give this film that. Not only is the action fund to watch, but it also reminds you of a film called Underworld which also featured a ton of slow-motion explosions and moment-to-moment exhilaration. Though, aside from that, there’s basically nothing to like here. Just like the previous installations in this franchise, every single character here is genuinely bland and indistinguishable from the next.
Not only is our main character good at everything, she just does not have a single arc. She goes from here to there, killing people, blowing up bad guys, and destroying zombies. There’s nothing else to her story than being a badass, which is fine unless the badassery isn’t really that big of a spectacle.
The action is fun and engaging but it’s been done before, not only in the previous installations of this franchise but in almost every action film in the 2000s.
The visual execution of this film is so much better than the previous one, it’s probably because of the increase in budget that the studio received for this particular project. This has resulted in better CGI, better visual effects, and more stunts to adore. However, it still misses that cinematography flair that needed to be there in order to make it an intense affair. It feels like just another action film, rather than a Resident Evil film.
Not to mention, the music is just boring. It is just as boring as it was in the previous films, just as boring as it was in almost every action film in the 2000s. It seems that this era in particular did not know how to produce good music when it came to action movies, however, it is campy enough to be catchy at least.
The Verdict
In conclusion, Resident Evil: Extinction is a high-octane, action-packed, thrill ride that consistently remains fluid in its moment-to-moment combat and adventure. if you’re going into this with the mindset that it’s Resident Evil so it should be scary, you’ll be sorely disappointed. However, if you liked the previous installations of this series, you’ll most likely like this one as well.
Objectively speaking though, this is a repetitive film and is essentially the same film that was released twice before.
