Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

'Retribution' is an improvement over 'Afterlife' however like its predecessor, it suffers from many of the same problems and wastes a lot of potential that could have pleased both fans of the games and action films. Milla Jovovich returns as Alice, now being kept within a strange virtual reality type world where she faces old enemies, friends that have returned as enemies, and of course various undead and biological monsters manufactured by the Umbrella Corporation. This film is also written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and while he's undoubtedly a strong visual director his action scenes can tip between obnoxious and fun popcorn movie levels. Unfortunately, 'Retribution' tends to lean towards the former with the over the top 3D slow motion fight sequences returning, though this time around at the very least being much better choreographed.

This sequel also introduces some new characters to the film franchise including Leon Kennedy and Barry Burton, both longtime fan favorites. Sadly, they're squandered here, standing in as mere cosplayers rather than the live personas of these video game icons. Many video game series that become a film adaptation tend to follow this philosophy and it's getting tired. Get a good actor rather than a lookalike and we can forgive you if they don't look exactly like their alter ego. Now, after all the complaints, I have to give the film credit and say it's a much better film on a technical level this time around. Even though the 3D camera work is quite pointless it's clear that the crew and director have a better idea of how to utilize it properly, a major flaw with 'Afterlife'. The action scenes themselves while nothing too special as I stated, still hold your attention and are some of the best in the whole series. The Russia set piece and fight with Michelle Rodriguez's cloned character are particular highlights.

'Resident Evil: Retribution' is easier to recommend than 'Afterlife' or even 'Apocalypse' but whether or not you'll enjoy these flicks is really up to how much 'what?' moments you're willing to put up with. If you're a big action buff like me, then that threshold is quite high and you'll likely enjoy this one even if you never return to it again. For fans of the game or a general audience, that's a little more of a vague area. It's a solid 3 out of 5 film to be sure, but really doesn't need to be sought out all that quickly.