DVD review (region 1 & 2)
Directed by Russell Mulcahy
Starring Milla Jovovich, Oded Fehr, Ali Larter, Iain Glen
Release date Out now (region 1); 18 February 2008 (region 2)

Seasoned zombie killer Alice joins a group of survivors crossing the Nevada desert. Perils this time around include killer crows…

Once upon a time Russell Mulcahy almost seemed like a contender for Ridley Scott’s long-held title of most visually arresting director. But his career peaked too early with his first effort, the stylish Highlander and soon crashed and burned with Highlander II and an assortment of straight-to-video shockers.

Somehow Mulcahy seems the natural choice to take on the third in the entertainingly schlocky Resident Evil series. His direction of what is a fairly dull narrative manages to lift the story from a predictable ‘who will survive?’ gore-fest to a genuinely tense thriller.

Make no mistake; this isn’t even nearly a classic. The dialogue is functional rather than sparkling and much of the acting is rather flat. But ultimately this is the kind of film that is best judged on its special effects and sense of spectacle. While unlikely to win major awards, the effects are well realised and on the whole very convincing. A rather Hitchcockian attack by gruesome-looking crows is an undoubted highpoint, providing high tension amid the more obvious scenes of gore and stylised violence.

Of special note is Ali Larter’s turn as survivor Claire Redfield. Tough, resourceful and heavily armed, she’s not too far off being a carbon copy of Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor – not necessarily a bad thing. She often looks in danger of dragging the limelight firmly away from the glamorous but vaguely ridiculous Alice, who fights away dressed in her Sunday best.

While Resident Evil: Extinction might not live up to the potential that Russell Mulcahy displayed over 20 years ago, it’s a solid romp that’s far better than any third entry in a movie series instigated by Paul W.S. Anderson and based on a videogame has any right to be. A commentary from the director and producer are the highlights of a functional set of extras. Jonathan Wilkins

VERDICT: 7/10
Far better than expected, Resident Evil: Extinction isn’t a prize winner but it’s a fun Saturday night rental.