by Julianne Snow:
Synopsis:
Resident Evil: Afterlife opens at an underground Umbrella facility in Japan where all of the Alice clones are about to make good on their promise to Umbrella CEO Albert Wesker (as shown at the end of Resident Evil: Extinction). The Alice clones are killed in the destruction of the facility, but the original Alice escapes aboard Wesker’s aircraft. The aircraft crashes, but Alice walks away from the wreckage.
Six months after the crash, Alice is searching for the friends she sent off in search of Acadia, the safe haven mentioned in the broadcasts in Resident Evil: Extinction. She follows the message to the correct coordinates, but discovers an abandoned beach littered with abandoned vehicles of all kinds. Thinking that Arcadia was just a pipe dream, she prepares to leave and ends up being attacked by Claire, who is under the control of Umbrella by way of a device attached to her sternum. After removing the device, Claire begins to regain her memory and slowly, piece by piece, she shares what happened to her and her friends once they got to the coordinates.
Leaving the abandoned beach, they fly south to Los Angeles looking for other survivors. What they find is a prison surrounded by the undead in which a few survivors have sought refuge. Landing the plane in a heart-pounding manner, Alice and Claire become part of the prison survivors. Together they want to escape the prison and get to Arcadia, which Alice and Claire soon learn is floating salvation in the form of a freight vessel just off the coast.
Their destination: Arcadia and Freedom
Their mission: Find a way to get to Arcadia
Their fate: Why would I tell you now? Go and watch the movie!
Review:
This installment of the Resident Evil franchise ranks high on my list as one of my favourites. In Resident Evil: Afterlife you really get to see just how far humanity has fallen down the food chain. And it’s a great example of how you cannot always choose who you’re forced to spend the rest of your life with.
The setting of the prison is such a symbolic reference to what life has become for the survivors. The stark reality of the prison being completely surrounded by the undead is not lost on the audience either; there is no escape from the T-Virus.
New characters are introduced in Resident Evil: Afterlife that immediately force you to make a decision as to whether or not you like them. Notable among that group are Luther West (played by Boris Kodjoe) and Bennett (played by actor Kim Coates). I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether you love or hate these two… Standout performances include Milla Jovovich (Alice), Ali Larter (Claire), and Wentworth Miller (who’s still trying to break out of prison… something that is not going to get lost on anyone watching the film).
The zombie action is standard until you realize that Anderson has added a new twist – zombies can swim and tunnel underground, using those skills to their advantage in order to breach the lower levels of the prison. Another terrifying addition is The Executioner; a massive axe wielding monster replete with thick nails through his burlap covered head. (In a speed dating scenario, I’d put an X beside “No thank you” before he’d even have a chance to sit down!)
Resident Evil: Afterlife is available on DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.com.
DarkMedia contributor Julianne Snow was first lulled into the horror genre by her parents during an ill-advised viewing of Alien when she was only 4 years old. Since that date, it’s been a given that Julianne will watch and read anything that is horror related. Her short fiction has appeared in anthologies from Sirens Call Publications and Open Casket Press, as well as The Sirens Call and various other websites showcasing short fiction. She is the author of the Days with the Undead series, which can be found on her website dayswiththeundead.com. Her first novel, Days with the Undead: Book One was published in early 2012 and is based on her popular web serial. Find her on Twitter @CdnZmbiRytr.
Comments are closed.