Resident Evil: Extinction - Another POV

Milla Jovovich + kicking zombie butt one more time, with feeling + fun companions + a dash of Mad Max = alright by me

I can agree with my co-writer that Resident Evil: Extinction (or RE3) was not quite as good as the other two films, but it was good enough. I would even raise that to pretty darn good for what it was (a videogame movie). Don't get me wrong; I am particularly amused by comics-to-screen- and game-to-screen translations, but they are never going to be included in the film cannon, and we all know that, even as we get excited about a movie's release. I don't actually play most of these games before I go to the films, but I think the medium is interesting, and the storytelling opportunities are pretty intriguing. (Maybe someday I will actually do an analysis of the transmutation of myths into videogame storylines, but that is geekdom that I will save for another day). It's a valid genre, in my opinion.

I like the Mad Max series; there is even a gawky-looking man who has a useful talent (here, adding a light moment while shaking label-less cans of "mystery food" to determine their contents (Joe Hursley, playing Otto), while Mad Max had the pilot (Bruce Spence, who has made quite a niche for himself in Sci-Fi, whether we recognize him or not). I love post-apocalyptic stories (even though I am pretty sure I would not be one of the survivors). Most of all, I love Milla Jovovich, and the types of projects that she has come to inhabit (yep, even UltraViolet), baring all for our amusement, if not for "art". I love seeing Oded Fehr; he is a manly-man, without being a chavanistic Rambo. (More about the gender-equity later.) I really do like his character in these films, and I like the affection for Alice's character that is revealed. I suppose in a world like this, anyone who you can stand, and who is willing to help you survive, is a friend.

If you check out the IMDB page for the references this movie makes to others, that is pretty amusing:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432021/movieconnections
I would like to add one: Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Was anyone else creeped out by the demented "family" broadcasting for survivors? I suppose if the world has ended, I will be too busy trying to survive, finding food and gas, to be worried about amusing myself by further whittling away at the number of people left. Still, I suppose it could count as "hunting", in a sadistic-sort of way.

I think the thing that I liked best about RE3 is that it was much more 'realistic' than the second movie; more like the first. Yes, I am aware that the previous statement is not without a touch of irony, but if you look at the "universe" created by the plot, the 3rd movie returns the scale of suspension of disbelief to more manageable levels, similar to RE1. (I mean, seriously, who was going to believe Sienna Guillory as a brunette cop? She manages to be almost as pathetically hideous as Asia Argento.)
I also liked the character of the White Queen; the idea is amusing. She could have had a bit of a larger role, but then again, too many ingredients can further unbalance an already-percarious recipe.
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