“Resident Evil: Retribution” bores

By Ari Howorth
Arts Editor

Some things are better left dead. “Resident Evil: Retribution,” is one of them.

Paul W.S. Anderson’s “Resident Evil: Retribution” is a lazy attempt at a science fiction horror film. It disappoints with its flat performances, pathetic dialogue and poor action sequences.

“Resident Evil: Retribution” is the fifth installment in the “Resident Evil” franchise and the second to be released in 3-D. The films are all loosely based on the Capcom video game series of the same name. Though they do retain some key characters and locations, and are focused around fighting the undead, the plots stray vastly from the game.

The film follows Alice (Milla Jovovich), one of the last living humans, who is captured by an evil corporation and must find a way to escape so that she can rejoin her friends in the ongoing war against zombies.

Compared to other movies about the zombie apocalypse, “Resident Evil: Retribution” is perplexingly boring. The movie is set in an underwater research facility, which provides exciting potential, but does not deliver.

The film’s action sequences are excruciatingly dull at best. The overabundance of slow motion and annoyingly emphasized 3-D takes away from the intended drama and action of these scenes.

The most painful aspect of “Resident Evil: Retribution” is its dialogue. The film features a disgustingly large amount of laughable one-liners. Each of these is cheesier than the last and makes tense scenes flat and gimicky. This makes it harder to care for the already loathsome characters.

Seeing as though this is the fifth film in the “Resident Evil” franchise, it is clear that the stage i set for another installment in the series. This agonizing ending makes the viewer question whether it is worse to watch the film, or to live through the chaos that takes place in it.

“Resident Evil: Retribution” doesn’t contain the engaging action that it promises. It is poorly put together, unfocused, and accomplishes nothing. “Resident Evil: Retribution” is rated R and is playing in theaters nationwide.