RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE adds something new to the RESIDENT EVIL series by not just following up the last film; it decides to ask what’s next while showing it off in 3D.  3D films shot with 3D cameras make a lot of difference to how you experience the film where a 2D converted to a 3D film mostly comes out flat.  

I am sad that the big thing promised at the end of the third film is whisked away within a few minutes of the film.   It does reset Alice and make her human again, and not just a superhuman warrior who seems to be unstoppable.   She takes her revenge on Umbrella Corporation and then it is six months later where she searches for Arcadia.   She finds lots of abandoned planes and choppers in Alaska.  The only one who may have a clue is Claire, who has lost her memory and was being controlled by a nasty Umbrella spider device.   Alice and Claire fly down to Los Angeles in an old propeller airplane to find survivors holed up in a prison surrounded by the zombies infected by the T Virus.   They team up with the survivors to escape the prison and find out more about Arcadia.

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE is one of the best films in the series since the first film and it is almost as good as Paul W.S. Anderson’s best film, EVENT HORIZON.   The 3D makes the film pop out at you and adds another dimension to the experience of the RESIDENT EVIL film.  The best scenes are shown in the trailer.   I do hear this is the first RESIDNET EVIL film to actually use plot elements from the video games.   Don’t leave too soon at the end too quickly since one final scene is featured during the credits.   I am frustrated with the mother of a cliffhanger Paul W.S. Anderson leaves us at the end of the film where many films would have resolved the cliffhanger in the same film.   I hope we don’t have to wait for another RESIDENT EVIL film too long to see the ending resolved.

DVD ANALYSIS:

The DVD has the 2D version of the film which still is very effective to watch while the Blu-ray has two versions: one that has a 2D version of the film and another version that also includes a 3D version for those who have 3D HDTVs.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio commentary by Writer/ Director Paul W.S. Anderson, Producer Jeremy Bolt, and Producer Robert Kulzer.   It is a very detailed track about the production from the various difficulties, the benefits and challenges of filming with 3D cameras, the happy accidents, and using slow motion photography.

BAND OF SURVIVORS: CASTING AFTERLIFE-   a quick featurette on the cast of the film

FIGHTING BACK: THE ACTION OF AFTERLIFE-   A brief featurette that looks at the action of the film with some behind-the-scenes footage from the production

Rounding out the extras are a sneak peek at the next RESIDENT EVIL CG film (in 3D) called RESIDENT EVIL: DAMNATION, a soundtrack spot for RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE, and various previews for other Sony Pictures releases that are out or coming out soon.

The only extra I wish they included on the DVD, but they sadly only included on the Blu-ray are the deleted scenes.

FINAL ANALYSIS:  RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE is a thrilling fast-paced entry for fans of the series.

This movie review is ©9-10-2010 David Blackwell and the DVD review is ©12-29-2010.  This review cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com