Resident Evil: The Final Chapter brings Milla Jovovich’s zombie saga to a close

For those who have followed Paul W.S Anderson’s long running Resident Evil film series, much has transpired in the Sony Pictures and Screen Gems franchise that has led it to become one of the highest grossing films based on the video game series of the same name that is developed and produced by Capcom.

Starting in 2002 with the eponymous first film, audiences were introduced to an action-oriented adaptation of the saga where the main antagonist was the bioengineering pharmaceutical corporation known as Umbrella and the main heroine is Alice – played by Milla Jovovich.

After fifteen years and over a number of sequels detailing the fight for survival and the zombie apocalypse, things finally come to a head in the final and sixth installment of the franchise, which is aptly titled “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter”.

As with past movies, The Final Chapter begins where we pretty much left Alice off – trying to survive and fight back against Umbrella and the biological monstrosities it has left in its wake in the aftermath of near global extinction.

Those who haven’t seen the previous films will be glad to know that this installment will brief you on a summary of past events, with Jovovich’s Alice recounting how the T-Virus started and who were the key players involved in bringing the Earth to near ruin after the outbreak of the zombie apocalypse.

From there audiences are given a thrill ride and the proverbial “cat and mouse” chase where Alice discovers a chance to undo all the evil Umbrella has done – and ironically going back to the source of it all in Raccoon City where the events of the first film took place.

Fans of the original Resident Evil games (known as BioHazard in Japan) can expect this movie to detract from the source material and feature characters that are loosely based on their video game counterparts, with familiar names like Claire Redfield and series antagonist Albert Wesker appearing prominently in this sequel.

However, there is a degree of respect and appreciation for the way Paul W.S Anderson has handled his own take on the series, creating his own universe and keeping a continuity that is more or less consistent if you’ve followed every single chapter of Alice’s journey. Milla Jovovich is also a fine leading woman who doesn’t fail to make audiences cheer for her as she dishes out some punishment and shoots zombies and monsters out of the sky.

It’s the kind of movie that makes popcorn eating entertaining too.

Besides Jovovich playing the main role and of course the characters featured working up some surprises, Game of Thrones star and Ser Jorah Mormont actor Iain Glen serves as the main antagonist in Dr. Alexander Isaacs, reprising his role from the previous films and acting as the “final boss” of the series. 

Additionally and interestingly, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter also features appearances by local cosplay celebrities and siblings Alodia and Ashley Gosienfiao, who flew over to the set last year to join the film as “zombies” who chase down Jovovich’s Alice and want to take a bite off her. Alodia’s official Facebook page even has some videos and pictures detailing the event, so you can check those out too!

Overall, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is a decent epilogue to a saga that has spanned far and wide and literally took “Survival Action” out of the pages of previous Resident Evil games Capcom has made before going back to its roots with “Survival Horror” with the recently released “Resident Evil 7”.

Fans who have invested in this film franchise won’t be disappointed by Jovovich’s action and stunts, but those looking for a big climax story shouldn’t expect too much. It’s a worthy ending to something that started small and certainly turned into a big high grossing franchise in itself.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is now playing in theaters courtesy of Columbia Pictures Philippines. — TJD, GMA News