"Good luck with that."
This fifth entry follows on directly from the previous franchise top-earning film, and at this point the series serves two main functions - to provide nifty cool (3D) visuals and to show Milla Jovovich kicking butt, and Retribution definitely delivers on both these counts. It is also a series for the fans, as the ongoing narrative and returning characters (some previously dead, others with shifting motivations) are all but impenetrable unless you have been with the franchise from the start, and there are some neat twists provided in both of these aspects. However, at this film's heart is a painfully simple mission, with an attempt at added Aliens-style Ripley/Newt emotional heft which never really gains traction, and the set pieces often feel somewhat skimpy and glossed over. The Red Queen never feels as menacing as in the first entry, and indeed Alice is so invulnerable to whatever she faces that there is never any real sense of danger. Anderson has grown more effective and efficient as a director as time has passed - particularly evident in the final ice-bound showdown - and he pulls off a couple of very effective beats, but this Resident Evil Greatest Hits feels very familiar and perhaps makes less impact than previous entries.
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