It’s difficult to be overly critical of a horror/monster movie, after all these types of films are made for pure entertainment, right? Resident Evil: Apocalypse is one of those fall releases that teeters on the edge of greatness, but never quite makes it. Entertaining? Yes, especially if you are a huge fan of Milla Jovovich wearing tight clothes and blazing guns. Is it going to win any awards for best screenplay? Never.

The one thing that this movie does right is pick up directly where it left us in the first film due to Paul Anderson’s writing. However, Anderson was not able to direct this installment as he had a prior commitment to Alien vs. Predator. Alexander Witt made his directorial début with Apocalypse. Rarely does a new director come out of gate with a smash hit but we will forgive Witt as he is an accomplished director of photography and camera man (Pirates of the Caribbean, Daredevil, Casino Royal, XXX).

The plot of the movie is a rough melding of Resident Evil: Nemesis and Code: Veronica. Umbrella has unsealed The Hive and the deadly T-Virus has spread to all of Raccoon City. Characters from the Resident Evil game sequels include Jill Valentine, (who knows a lot about how to kill zombies although we are never sure exactly why) and Carlos Oliveira. The S.T.A.R.S. are prominent in the film as well, but become victims as Umbrella unleashes Nemesis to dispose of all witnesses to their mistake. The city is on the verge of destruction from a nuclear device sent by Umbrella to erase any evidence of the virus once and for all. Valentine, Oliveira and company race to find a missing professor’s daughter and escape the city before it is too late. Enter the wildcard, Alice, who has since been experimented on by Umbrella and has gained new powers that may help save those still alive in the city.

There are a few scenes we could do without. Who walks through a cemetery knowing that a virus re-animates dead flesh? Come on! It was clearly just another excuse to have Milla go “Buffy” on the walking dead. There were also a few great fight sequences that make it all worth while. But there was something lacking in this film that was present in the first – it was not scary. Apocalypse is a mere shadow of the first film in terms of suspense and edge of your seat mayhem. Marilyn Manson does not show up on the scoring either and while the soundtrack features some fantastic bands, most of the music is “inspired” by the film, not in it! For shame!

Overall, Apocalypse is a nice jaunt down zombie road and a must see only if you are planning to watch Resident Evil: Extinction coming this September 21.

Director: Alexander Witt

Writer: Paul Anderson

MPAA RATING: R for violence, partial nudity