RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER
US, 2016, 106 minutes, Colour.
Milla Jovovich, Iain Glen, Ali Larter, Shawn Roberts, Ruby Rose.
Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson.
Back in 2002, with the release of the first Resident Evil film, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich who was soon to become his real-life wife, no one would have necessarily predicted that there would be a sequel, let alone five films in the franchise over a period of almost 15 years. So, Resident evil, and the computer games, have been very successful commercially and with fans.
It is always a bit ominous when a film announces that it is the final chapter.
This film opens with quite an explanation of the background from some of the previous films, always showing the ambitious technical company, Umbrella, and this time a focus on the scientist and his little girl who became ill, his quest to find a cure for her, the consequences for her – and for his unscrupulous partner, Dr Isaacs, Iain Glen who appeared in a number of the previous films. Dr Isaacs – and there are some clones of him as well – is an arch-villain with no redeeming qualities.
So, Alice, the superhero type from the previous films is given a mission. There is an anti-virus which could heal all those infected and transform the world in order for it to grow again. Alice, in Washington, and dealing with monsters leaping out at her (as we leap out of the seat), then with a giant Dragon, then evading the undead, is advised to go to the headquarters of Umbrella, retrieve the antivirus and save the world.
Then Alice is on the road, unwittingly encountering obstacles, the undead in pursuit, conflict with Dr Isaacs but thwarting him, getting a motorbike, and arriving to gather some of the faithful from the previous films to support her (and, of course, there is a traitor amongst them).
Alice is superhuman and she has to go through all kinds of superhuman feats, from human attack, from technological attack – and the audience sometimes wondering who built all these extraordinary, vast underground what they call “facilities� – where did they get the material, who did the building, who installed the technology, how were they kept secret…? But that is a distraction from the adrenaline-pumping action, near-death experiences, the loss of some of her allies, and an eventual fight, or fights, with Dr Iaacs.
Alice learns a lot about herself, her background, cloned characters who have no memories but she encounters the ailing little girl now prematurely aged (some very effective make up for Milla Jovovich in this role) and, of course, a rapidly shortening deadline for her to achieve her mission.
For the biblically minded, in this post-apocalyptic world which needs to be saved, the saviour figure does come to mind, more explicitly when Alice is advised by those close to her that she will have to lay down her life (after such superhuman suffering which does make The Passion of the Christ look milder). So, she opts for passion and death. The biblical distraction of course is resurrection and – spoiler! – because she has committed herself to die for others, she experiences resurrection and graces the world in releasing the antivirus. Whether Paul W.S.Anderson is biblically-minded, who knows? But, certainly, the gospel outline and its many secular variations are quite archetypal.
So, resurrection. Is this really the final chapter? As regards movie sequels, there is nothing against reincarnation!
1. The popularity of the series? Computer games? Films? The appeal? Target audience?
2. The post—apocalyptic age? The ruins of Washington DC, monsters, dragons, the undead?
3. The road, the desert, the vehicles, tanks and bikes, Alice being drawn behind the tank, the undead in pursuit? The terrain?
4. Alice, audience response to her? Milla Jovovich in the whole series? Her personality? The explanation of her personality and her origins, clone?
5. The prologue, the little girl, her scientist father, her illness, the finding of a cure? His work with his partner, betrayal? Motivation for betrayal? The girl ageing, the hologram of the girl and its contents? Her contacting Alice?
6. The cure, hopes, the location in the Umbrella headquarters, Alice’s mission, her motivations, the strict deadline? Her travel, in the car, crashing, in the tank, drawn behind the tank? The conflict with Dr Isaacs? Her taking the bike?
7. Dr Isaacs, his role, his betrayal of his partner, in the tank, his staff, stopping Alice, leaving her at the mercy of the undead, the confrontation, the visuals of the fights, her escape?
8. The Umbrella facility, vast, the floors, the heights, the technology?
9. The team, Claire and the others, from the past films, their welcoming Alice, her identifying the traitor?
10. The focus of the film on the action to keep to the deadline, to save the cure? The range of dangers, the deaths of the team, progress, the traitor, the supervisor and the cameras on Alice, the interactions?
11. The range of bodies, ready for reawakening, for a new society?
12. Dr Isaacs, awake, the real doctor, the man in the tank being a clone, the clash between the actual doctor and his clone? Isaacs and the further vicious fights with Alice?
13. The revelation of Alice as a clone, the shock for her, not having any memories? The explanation given? Her being given all the memories of the young girl?
14. The young girl, now aged, the hologram, the older woman in control, her part ownership of the company, firing people, the request to Alice?
15. Alice, Claire, the amount of suffering Alice endured, the extremes, willing to die? Her death, recovery, the spread of the antivirus throughout the world? Possibilities for recovery?
16. Alice alive, and experience of resurrection? Hope? And the final chapter – or not?
