Resident Evil: Apocalypse

Reviewed by:
Paul Ulane

Video game movies provide a nice reprieve for everyone: We don't have to take them seriously, and the filmmakers don't have to come up with one of those pesky original story ideas. Resident Evil: Apocalypse picks up right where Alice (Milla Jovovich) was last sedated, inside the evil Umbrella Corporation labs, where she's being poked and prodded with more needles than Courtney Love. When zombies begin popping up in the city directly above the underground labs, they wake her up so she can try her luck—and newfound biochemical strength—against the undead a second time. Video game–like segments include slow, creepy walks through rundown schools, churches, and graveyards filled with flesh-eating preteens, dogs, and CG monsters. Alice gets a hot new sidekick (Sienna Guillory) and an urban comedian (Mike Epps) as part of the ragtag crew that helps her complete each level…er, scene, as they continue to upgrade their weapons and transportation in an effort to get the fuck out of dodge. Before they can, the story quickly blends into more overblown action sequences than a Japanese children's cartoon, and you forget about their plight altogether. For a live video game adaptation, Apocalypse does all it can to keep you interested—we just hope there's no room left on the memory card for a third installment.

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