Milla Jovovich is back and still battling zombies in "Resident Evil: Apocalypse,” which was written by Paul W.S. Anderson, who directed recent blockbuster "Alien Vs. Predator”. • Screen Gems

"Resident Evil: Apocalypse” is filled with edge-of-your-seat action and thrilling special effects. Here, a motorcycle crashes through the stained-glass window of a church. • Screen Gems

 

"Apocalypse” mixes original story with video game action

By Kara Ogushi
Daily Forty-Niner
Assistant News Editor

Imagine waking up in a brightly lit, white medical room, with tubes stuck in every part of your body. You are completely naked, except for a small white cloth that barely covers you. In agony, you rip out the tubes and needles and try to find a way out. You walk through the bright corridors, disoriented and weak, until you find the front door. When you push it open, you immediately see massive carnage everywhere; cars over-turned, buildings on fire and no one is in sight — no one alive, that is.

This is the world that Alice (Milla Jovovich) has reawakened to in "Resident Evil: Apocalypse,” the sequel to 2002's "Resident Evil,” based on the popular video game of the same name.

The movie mixed a lot of the original game's features and had some new twists, as well. In the film the heroine is Alice, former head of security of the Umbrella Corporation, who is one of two survivors of the contained biochemical disaster in the original movie.

Alice is joined by Jill Valentine, a former Raccoon police officer, Carlos Olivera, a member of Umbrella Corporation's Special Tactics and Rescue Services (S.T.A.R.S.), Terri Morales, a cocky journalist, L.J., a hilarious citizen, and Nikolai, Carlos' partner. They are all in search of Angela Ashford, the daughter of Dr. Charles Ashford, who has promised to help them escape if they find his daughter.

In the game on which this film is loosely based, "Resident Evil 3: Nemesis,” Jill Valentine is the heroine; Alice does not even exist. Jill is featured in the film as a side character, along with Carlos Olivera, who was also in the game. Jill's costume and look, a blue tube top and black skirt, are identical to her character in the video game and the Nemesis' grotesque appearance is also on par with the game.

Dark halls lit only by Jill's flashlight and sudden attacks by armies of zombies added a nostalgic element to the movie that fans of the game will appreciate.

There are a few contrasts, however. In the game Nemesis was a massive, unstoppable, machine-like monster who stalked Jill at every corner. He was a fearful presence and a tough opponent. His identity, something that is never disclosed in the game, is almost immediately obvious to those who saw the first film, and the movie blatantly points it out. Once Alice recognizes the man behind Nemesis, the movie seems to take on a strange "Beauty and the Beast” theme. This odd turn of events culminates in a conclusion that leaves the viewer wondering if a love story really needed to be included.

Watching the film made me want to play the original game again just so I could look for any other similarities. It was a fun movie, but I wish that the fight scenes were clearer; the action was filmed so fast that all one can really see is blurred figures.

I recommend this film to anyone who is a fan of the game because they will truly be able to appreciate all the details. If you aren't a fan of the game you might get confused, since the story line is somewhat weak. I enjoyed the film, and like most of the games, there seems to always be room for another sequel.