RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE (3D)

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE (3D)
rated R

Art--->**
Heart->1/2
Mind-->1/2
Fun--->***

Movies based on video games have a spotty record, but the Resident Evil franchise apparently shows no signs of weakening. To sum up, almost everyone in the world has turned into a zombie. There you go. The latest entry in the saga sends Alice (Milla Jovovich) on a quest for survivors to Alaska, where she discovers her former ally Claire (Ali Larter) who has lost her memory due to the evil Umbrella Corporation's tampering. They fly to Los Angeles, where they land on a prison rooftop housing the last of the city's human survivors, surrounded by legions of the undead.

And those darn zombies are relentless, eventually breaking through the barrier and infiltrating the facility. Fortunately the casting director was "brilliant" enough to hire Wentworth Miller (from FOX's TV series PRISON BREAK) to, well, break them out of prison. But before they do, the survivors (including Boris Kodjoe, Kacey Barnfield, and Kim Coates) must battle with another strain of freaks, the Mutant Zombies, and eventually the shades-wearing supposed leader of Umbrella.

Imagine the best action scenes from THE MATRIX Trilogy, but now in 3D!, and that's pretty much what you get with the fourth RESIDENT EVIL film. But for a Check-Your-Head-At-The-Door, Tough Chicks vs. Zombies movie, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Boasting the use of AVATAR's 3D camera rig, AFTERLIFE goes full-tilt with all the gimmicky gore you can throw at those $5 surcharge glasses.

No, the plot can't hold up to even the slightest critical scrutiny. Yes, director Paul W.S. Anderson completely rips off the action sequences (and even whole set pieces) of other films (specifically THE MATRIX RELOADED). Who cares. Both we and the filmmakers know this is pure genre escapism. Your choice is whether or not to embrace it. For me, killing zombies is ridiculously fun. So I had a blast.

RECOMMENDED for guys who like to watch hyper-stylized action and lots and lots of zombies. (For everyone else, you should probably AVOID AT ALL COSTS.)