Milla Jovovich’s Alice is back to put an end to Umbrella corp. and its hideous creations once and for all.
In a movie that’s the diametric opposite end of the spectrum from the charming hokum of A Dog’s Purpose, the one thing RE6 has in common with that good natured effort is dogs – in this case, zombie dogs! (Yes, the zombie dogs are back!)
After a brief recap of what has gone before, RE6 begins with Alice acquiring an unlikely ally – the Red Queen (Ever Anderson). It seems that she has recently come into some knowledge that has changed her position on both Alice and Umbrella Corp.
She informs Alice that there’s an anti-viral that will kill the T-Virus that started the whole mess but Alice has only 36 hours before the last of humanity’s holdouts will be gone. The anti-viral is stored… you guessed it! In the Hive in the pit that used to be the biggest part of Raccoon City!
From there, the movie is more of the same – chases, gunplay, acrobatic fight sequences – and yet another return for Dr. Isaacs (Ian Glen) and his number one lackey, Wexler (Shawn Roberts). Yes, Alice killed Wexler, but he got better.
From start to finish, RE6 is a moderately competently put together actioner with adequate effects most of the time. Plot twists come out of nowhere – is that Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) in that group of survivors? – while others just sort insert themselves into the plot (a mole/informant? Really?).
Fortunately, it’s easy to sniff out the informant/mole/rat. As Alice puts it, ‘You’re still alive.’ Mic drop!
We also learn the last bits of the Re Queen’s story – along with why she changed her position on Umbrella Corp (think Noah).
Probably the best (read: only) new character that works is Ruby Rose’s young gadgeteer, Abigail – and that only because Rose gives her such life (she has a gift for that – her ep of Dark Matter and her part in xXx3 were great fun).
Frankly, after the way the stakes were ramped up in the last couple entries in the series, RE6 is a bit of a letdown. It may be a case of going to the well one time too many; it could be that the major retconning (see Red Queen revelations) throws things out of whack, or it could be that there are just too many gaps in the movie’s logic to give them a pass.
Whatever the case, Resident Evil 6: The Last Chapter should be the last – even though there’s a loophole in case the thing makes enough money.
If, however, you feel you have to see the series through to the (possible) end, don’t see it in IMAX. The effects seem too thin and the 3D is pretty much what you can expect when the film’s standard lighting setting is murky.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is for completists only. Not even zombie dogs can change that.
Final Grade: C-
Photos courtesy of Screen Gems