Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (“The Final Chapter”) is a science fiction, action-horror film loosely based on the popular Capcom video game series of the same name. Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, The Final Chapter is the sequel to Resident Evil: Retribution, making it the sixth and final film in the Resident Evil film franchise.
The Final Chapter sees Alice (Milla Jovovich) return to take on the Umbrella Corporation in one last attempt to save mankind, which sits on the brink of extinction after the events of the previous film. Returning to Racoon City and reuniting with old comrades, Alice races against time to stop Umbrella’s final attack against the last remaining survivors of the horrific apocalypse.
The Final Chapter comes hot off the release of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, the gruesome and utterly terrifying new game in the franchise. With the immense hype around both the film and the video game franchise, I went in to the advanced screening with high hopes. It had been a good decade since I last watched a Resident Evil film and I have fond memories of being amazed by the prowess of the lead female heroine and completely horrified by the zombie apocalypse that took over the world. Needless to say, I went into the cinema feeling very excited.
Without wasting a single moment, the film jumped straight into a rather hectic action sequence. It wouldn’t be a Resident Evil film without the explosive, guns blazing action, which were certainly aplenty throughout this film. It’s rather satisfying knowing that despite being a decade older, Milla Jovovich hasn’t slowed down and is still very much the adept fighter that she was in the previous films.
While the action was fantastic, particularly the martial arts fight scenes, it is the make up and look of the zombies which really caught my eye. The zombies looked exceptionally horrific and one could clearly see the amount of detail that went into creating such frightful, disgusting looking creatures. Not only did they look frightful, they sounded it too.
The plot of the film may not have been anything original and exciting, however, it brought about a nice ending to a story that’s been brewing since the early 2000s. Flashback sequences were most welcome as it aided in jogging my memory of the previous films. Of course, it certainly helped to have a familiar face on the screen alongside Alice too.
I must admit that my enjoyment of the film stems more from nostalgia rather than being in awe of the film’s cinematography and story. Despite enjoying the film, there were several aspects that could have made the film much, much better, one of which includes doing away with the dues ex machina phenomenon. In this film, almost every positive action taken by the ‘good guys’ is nullified and void as the ‘baddie’ continues to resurface, despite being ‘killed’. It almost makes the task of defeating the enemy completely pointless and acts as an attempt to drag the film out.
Regardless, The Final Chapter was still a nice after work watch, which didn’t require much concentration. Though it certainly isn’t the best film worthy of any accolades, it is worth the watch as a conclusion to the Resident Evil series. Perhaps wait for the DVD though.