Resident Evil: Extinction Review

The "Resident Evil" franchise shuffles ever onwards with this third instalment, happily ripping off Hitchcock into the bargain. Since the second movie, the virus has rapidly spread, turning the earth into a desert-like zombie planet (a trip to Vegas allows for an amusing shot of various 'European' landmarks buried in sand, "Planet of the Apes"-style). Genetically-mutated Alice (Milla Jovovich), however, is still happily wasting zombies wherever she goes, while the sinister Doctor Isaacs (Iain Glen) searches for an antidote to the virus, using up numerous Alice clones in the process. When Isaacs realises that he needs Alice's blood for the antidote, he sends a posse of zombie minions after her. Meanwhile, Alice hooks up with a refugee convoy headed by Claire (Ali Larter, from "Heroes") and her old buddy Carlos (Oded Fehr), just in time to fend off an attack from a flock of deadly zombie crows (cue several references to Hitchcock's "The Birds").

The four leads (Jovovich, Larter, Fehr and Glen) are all fine, which is just as well, because the rest of the cast are essentially disposable extras and the characterisation is paper-thin as a result. Consequently, it's difficult to care all that much when any of them get chomped.

The appeal of the "Resident Evil" franchise essentially boils down to "foxy ladies kicking zombie arse" and in that sense, "Extinction" delivers handsomely, even chucking in a bit (make that a lot) of double-handed machete action to keep things interesting. However, there's a depressing lack of humour throughout the whole thing - none of the zombie deaths are particularly amusing or inventive and you're left wondering what the likes of Sam Raimi might have made of this franchise.

That said, it's entertaining enough, if undemanding and lacking in imagination. Part four looks like it might be fun, mind.