Movie Information
Release Date: January 27, 2017
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Writer: Paul W.S. Anderson
Cast: Milla Jovovich, Iain Glen, Ali Larter, Shawn Roberts, Eoin Macken, Fraser James, Ruby Rose, William Levy, Rola, Ever Anderson, Mark Simpson, Milton Schorr, Siobhan Hodgson, Joon-Gi Lee, Aubrey Shelton, Caroline Midgley, Dylan Skews, Kevin Otto, Lee Raviv, Deniel Denysschen, Leo Russel, Matthew Bartman, Raquel Garza, Rebecca Welmans, Vian Singleton, Leigh-Anne Benham, Stephanie Hough
MPAA Rating: R
Runtime: 106 minutes
Production Company: Capcom Company, Capcom Entertainment, Constantin Film International, Constantin Film Produktion, Davis-Films, Don Carmody Productions, Impact Pictures, Screen Gems
Genre: Action, Horror, Science Fiction
Language: English
Country: France, Germany, Canada, Australia
Budget: $40,000,000
One thing that I can
say about the Resident Evil franchise is it gets the job done and never
stops. There aren’t too many properties that make it to their 6th
installment without losing their popularity. Based off the video game
from the 90’s, fans from around the world stay loyal to this world of
monsters and mayhem, regardless of how ridiculous the plot gets. That
what makes Resident Evil special. It goes for the ridiculous and is
beyond proud to do so. That ridiculousness still needs to be grounded
within universal rules that are set before, and for the supposed last
film in the franchise it misses that mark horrifically.
Something that I
loved about each chapter is the next one started off literally where the
last film left off. It was the perfect continuity that tied it all
together into one massive film. I don’t think it is proper or necessary
to have to go back and re-watch old footage to prepare yourself for the
next, but this last chapter started off having nearly nothing to do with
what came before. It was depressing that part five ended on such a high
note, making you long for the sequel for years, only to be let down in
the opening act of part 6. It was a hard mountain to climb.
Another obstacle was
trying to get to know a group of characters you’ve never met before.
The actors that lived in the last film, besides the main lead, are
nowhere to be found and no explanation is given. Even with most
audiences looking for the guts and glory, we still want characters to
attach to. The feeling that certain people started in the beginning and
made it to the end is fulfilling. If it’s not there, there’s really no
point to continue. You have to enjoy the victory alone, and that’s what
it felt like here.
Though if you put
all the characters aside, just wanting the action, you’ll still be
disappointed. This is possibly the least entertaining installment of the
series. Even if certain action moves in the previous film were shot in
slow motion and were corny, it was still cool. The film embraced each
character with a fighting stance and battle axe. There were multiple
epic standoffs that made you want to cheer in your seat. The score in
the background intensified the environment even more. None of that was
in the final chapter, and I’m left wondering why. ALL recognizable
characters, good or bad, from the past didn’t show us anything. It was
as if they just gave up. Every zombie was a bland number on a page that
served no purpose.
The biggest downfall
I can say was the editing of the action. That may have been the point
in the editing room, to make things as confusing as possible; because
that’s what it felt like. There were more jump cuts in the film than
grains of sand at the beach. Not to mention certain scenes had strobe
lights flickering while jump cutting, which could possibly cause a
seizure. Just a hot sloppy mess of garbage with no care in the world.
Then to top it off the antagonist could’ve succeeded in his master plan
if it wasn’t for his ego. So you’re rolling your eyes when unnecessary
exposition fills your air waves, and all you’re saying to yourself is,
“Shoot the person already.”
I was a fan of the video game and the films early on, as it gave the people the carnage and destruction we all craved for. But just like the game, I want to have a challenge to reach the next level. No matter how well the stunts are, they should make sense in a perfect world. That happened early on in the franchise, but started to degrade down from the special moments that can turn a normal person into a lean mean fighting machine. The Last Chapter is the definition of anti-climactic, with nothing more exciting than watching paint dry. Maybe they’ll make another to make up for this pathetic attempt, but if they don’t I won’t lose any sleep.
