Title: Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Year Released/Rating: 2004 R
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Oded Fehr
Directed By: Alexander Witt
Written By: Paul W.S. Anderson
Genre: Horror
Star Rating: 5/5 stars
Where I Got It: I own t!
Trivia:
- According to the writer/producer commentary, Paul W.S. Anderson mentions that the character of Dr. Isaacs (Iain Glen) is a homage to actor Jason Isaacs, who made an uncredited cameo as Dr. Birkin and the film's narrator during the opening credits of the first film.
- The character of Dr. Ashford is named after the Ashford family of the Resident Evil game series. However, unlike the sympathetic film character, the Ashfords of the games were villains.
- The first sequence showing Alice waking up in the hospital through to her cocking a shotgun outside, consists entirely of footage shot for the first film.
- The weather map at the beginning clearly shows Raccoon City as being approximately where Philadelphia is in Pennsylvania. Other real-life towns such as Selinsgrove, Hazelton and Pottsville, all appear in their correct geographic locations.
- The city standing in as Racoon City at the beginning (right after the weather news) is of course Toronto. The famous CN tower is just to the left outside the frame. You can barely see its shadow. Most exterior shots were made in and around the city.
- Oded Fehr had little difficulty in playing a character so familiar with handling guns - he was trained in the Israeli army.
Summary: Alice awakes in Raccoon City, only to find it has become infested with zombies and monsters. With the help of Jill Valentine and Carlos Olivera, Alice must find a way out of the city before it is destroyed by a nuclear missile.
Review:
Not quite as good as the first one, but I still really enjoyed this movie. Thankfully we get the introduction of a few new characters, specifically Jill Valentine (straight out of the video games). I only wish the dogs were the in the movie more. They were always a bitch to kill in the video games. We should have more of those moments. Oh well. Still a great afternoon viewing.
Best Bits:
- Alice: My name is Alice and I remember everything.
- Carlos Olivera: [throws a knife which hits an enemy guard getting up behind Alice] You missed one.
- [L.J. walks into a building and is surrounded by 12 S.T.A.R.S. members] L.J.: Shit! Maybe I was safer outside. Get them guns out of my damn face. [a S.T.A.R.S. officer hands him a shotgun] L.J.: Motherfucker, please. Look. [opens up his jacket revealing two gold guns] L.J.: My shit is custom.
- Major Cain: [to Alice] You're not mutation, you are evolution.
- Angie Ashford: Are you all right? Dr. Isaacs: [a moment later] Program Alice activated. Jill Valentine: What did they do to you?