Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D
(R16), 97mins, 4/5
It's something of an unwritten rule that in the case of most long-running film franchises, by the time they reach their third or fourth instalment, things are beginning to go backwards quality-wise.
However, the Resident Evil film series seems to have bucked the trend and
appears to be, thankfully, improving with age.
Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D is the fourth film in the series based on the popular video game franchise, dealing with the continuing adventures of Alice (Milla Jovovich), determined to destroy the Umbrella Corporation, the company responsible for biological weapon experiments which leaked and turned most of the world's population into slavering undead.
The three earlier Resident Evil films could be watched on their own as individual experiences - however, with Afterlife 3D, director Paul W.S. Anderson has clearly decided that anyone watching is likely to have seen at least one of the earlier instalments - this film picks up where its predecessor Resident Evil: Extinction left off, and does require a degree of prior knowledge.
From there, it's pretty much business as usual, just carried out in a far classier fashion.
Anderson has stripped away the fat that had clogged some of the preview Resident Evil outings - the plot for Afterlife 3D is much simpler, and the film's key setpieces are executed skilfully.
There are just enough frights, possibly a bit less gore than other films in the series, and Jovovich has perfected the tough-gal attitude needed for her role as Alice.
The 3D effect is used extremely well, too, not just as a subtle way of drawing the viewer into the world of the film, but as an entertainment device to maximise the impact of specific key scenes.
Naturally, the film's ending makes a sequel not just a possibility but almost inevitable.
If the Resident Evil series keeps heading in the same upwards direction it has been for the past couple of instalments, then film No5 will certainly be something to look forward to.
