Picking up immediately after the events of Resident Evil, the T-virus has been released, transforming a majority of the population of Raccoon City into zombies. Alice (Milla Jovovich) and a few other survivors must save the daughter of a scientist in order to get his help in escaping the city which has been quarantined by the Umbrella Corporation.
This is a sequel with all the normal connotations. That means the concepts are less original, the characters are less developed, the plot is less interesting and makes less sense, and the action is less exciting. Resident Evil was a fast-paced, enjoyable, horror/adventure romp. Resident Evil: Apocalypse is…less. That doesn’t make it a bad film as there is a lot of room under Resident Evil. It’s still fun to watch a sexy girl (two in this case), a good-looking man, and some red-shirts shoot everything that moves and blow things up (a few too many things). The FX for the monsters is a bit better, but I can’t say I cared while watching. I did care about the many improbable events. Why did Umbrella allow some people out of the city if they were going to hush up everything? Where exactly was Alice before she crashed through the church’s window (are there multi-story ramps outside of churches in Raccoon city?) and how did she know there was a place to land and people to save on the other side of that stained glass? Are the numerous screw-ups during and at the end of the film part of Umbrella’s plan (if so, they really suck at planning)? I always enjoy Milla Jovovich and the pace is good, but unlike the first, I don’t feel a need to repeat my viewing experience anytime soon.