After the shoot out on Arcadia between Umbrella and the survivors on the ship, Alice wakes up in an Umbrella Corporation testing facility in Russia near the Artic Circle. She is being interrogated by Jill Valentine (who is under the control of a red metal scarab) before the power is shutdown which gives Alice a chance to escape. She stumbles upon several different simulations and gains an ally named Ada who is working with Wesker. Wesker wants Alice rescued as the film reveals the Red Queen is controlling the remains of the Umbrella Corporation with the ultimate goal of destroying the human race once and for all.

 

RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION has a few good action scenes, great production design and vfx, and a great score, but the film feels like an incomplete follow-up to RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE. Paul W.S. Anderson originally thought of shooting the fifth and sixth film back to back where I think he could have probably took what he has planned for the sixth film and combined it with this one for a good over two hour film instead of a 96 minute film that lacks a good script.  It is nice to see old actors back playing good and evil versions of new characters (Oded Fehr, Michele Rodriguez), but any development of those characters are glossed over for action and anything to move it to the next set piece and get the train rolling to the cliffhanger conclusion.

 

I liked the first four films with the first and fourth films being the best of the series with this latest entry in the RESIDENT EVIL film series being the weakest. I do hear there is an alternate cut that gives more breathing space between action scenes as this sequel plays too much like action scene after action scene resulting in a movie that seems to be playing out time too much as it waits for the conclusion.  RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION plays out too much like a video game on screen and you have unanswered questions like where did Claire, her brother, and K-Mart go after the climax of the last film. I hope the next film shows those three characters return, but the climax feels like a reset in a way to set up for the final movie. It was nice seeing Jill Valentine again even though she is under the control of Umbrella. I just hope the inevitable finale is worth the wait and it gives one hell of a send-off for this series.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Two audio commentaries were recorded for the film.  The first one is with Director Paul W.S. Anderson, Milla Jovovich, and Boris Kodjoe.  The second audio commentary with Anderson and Producer Jeremy Bolt is the technical production track which is the more informative of the two tracks.

 

The outtakes is the gag reel of the film while I do feel they should have left the third scene out of the five deleted and extended scenes shown on this disc.

 

Featurettes:

MASTERO OF EVIL:  DIRECTING RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION- focus on director Paul W.S. Anderson

EVOLING ALICE- discussion about the character of Alice over the five RESIDENT EVIL films (and the things she sacrificed to be a warrior) that features interviews with Milla and Anderson

RESIDENT EVIL:  REUNION- all of the different characters featured in this new sequel that has various interviews with the actors, Anderson, and Jeremy Bolt

DESIGN & BUILD: THE WORLD OF RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION- the visual effects of the film as done by effects studio Mr. X which is a combo of shot live elements and CG effects.  Also the featurette focuses on the production design of the film.

DROP (UN) DEAD: THE CREATURES OF RETRIBUTION- 

RESIDENT STUNTMAN- how they trained and shot the action for RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION for 3D and incorporated Thai fighting styles for the fight scenes.  Mila moved to Toronto to train for the film about six weeks before shooting started.

CODE: MIKA- behind-the-scenes with the Japanese actress who comes back to play the japans zombie she first played in RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE

The above featurettes do have a Play All option

 

RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION- FACE OF THE FAN-   follow fan Dylan Syrett as she shows how she got to be a zombie extra and her day on the set from make-up to being on set and meeting Milla and various members of the crew

 

The PROJECT ALICE Interactive Database has short profiles of each major character and creature in the RESIDENT EVIL series in addition to short video clips (which some of the choices they make for clips are puzzling).

 

Wrapping up the extras are trailers for other SPHE releases and Capcom video games.

 

FINAL ANALYSIS:   Except not having a decent script, RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION does have great production design and visual effects, a fantastic score, and a few good action scenes.   I really feel the first four films had a story to build on where the fifth film decides to throw most of it out and produce a subpar sequel.   The extras feature some good behind-the-scenes material.   The Best Buy steelbook case does feature some better art than the regular blu-ray case.

 

This review is (c)12-23-2012 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com