Teen Review: "Resident Evil: Extinction"

Many viewers will be disappointed by the film “Resident Evil: Extinction,” whether they’re loyal followers of the “Resident Evil” movies and games, or just garden-variety zombie lovers. But star Milla Jovovich masks the movie’s flaws and blinds the audience to seeing the fake gore or noticing the lack of a relationship to the games.

Using “Matrix”-style moves and fancy footwork, a team of survivors fight their way through zombies whose makeup resembles beef jerky. With hopes of safety in the isolation of Alaska, a few tough women and several men shelter the few survivors they’ve come across. In the wasteland of the dying Earth, the team battles their way through loads of zombies, and even when Jovovich slaughters more than 20 of them, she is left with not one drop of blood on her white shirt.

I could carp over the unrealistic details like the unappealing gore, but I won’t. I could easily tell the plot was intended to be suspenseful and interesting, but it was hard to catch the exuberance of it. I actually heard a few exclamations around me like, “Is this it?” or “When do we find out what’s going on?” Overall, it was difficult to get caught up in the storyline.

Though the movie definitely had its flaws, it was hard not to say “Whoa!” a few times when Jovovich kicks butt. I’m sure some would and could argue that this film wasn’t as great as the others in the series, but I’m not sure I think so. The movie, I could argue, was the best of them all (dominant female characters, powerful protagonist, etc.). And though I think it was, it was a poor representation of the best. For a “Resident Evil” gamer, “Extinction” probably wouldn’t fit the qualities of an amazing video game either, but it might catch the eye of a student of martial arts.

— Anya Rossa-Quade

Anya Rossa-Quade, a junior at Arroyo Grande High School, loves to write and watch films with her friends.