review: RESIDENT EVIL / RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE

Sony Pictures  //  Buy from Amazon.com Resident Evil - Based on the wildly popular video game, Resident Evil stars Alice (Jovovich) and Rain (Rodriguez) as the leaders of an elite commando-team who are tasked with breaking into "The Hive," a vast underground genetics laboratory in Raccoon City, operated by the powerful international Umbrella Corporation. A deadly T-virus has been unleashed, killing the lab's personnel and resurrecting them as the evil and ravenous undead. Battling the hungry zombies and mutated lab animals, the team has just three hours to deprogram the lab's complex computer, "The Red Queen," and shut down the facility before the virus threatens to overrun the Earth. Resident Evil: Apocalypse - Jovovich returns in Resident Evil: Apocalypse as one of only two survivors of the contained biochemical disaster in Resident Evil. The sequel opens with Alice in the heart of the ravaged and deadly Raccoon City. She has been subjected to biogenetic experimentation by the Umbrella Corporation and is genetically altered, with super-human strengths, senses and dexterity. Alice ultimately joins forces with special tactics soldiers to contain the deadly virus outbreak and focuses her unbridled energy on escaping what is quickly becoming a city of corpses. The two "Resident Evil" flicks have received their fair share of flack, but I count myself as a solid fan of both, considering both films to be high-intensity, well-made, and hella entertaining flicks to sit down with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy. Too many action/sci-fi flicks these days set themselves lofty and/or unrealistic goals as far as story arcs, special effects, cutting edgeness, etc., but more often than not, they fall short and end up being weak ways of spending a couple hours in a theater or, worst-yet, boring. Thankfully, these two films suffer none of those poisons. Of the two, I actually prefer the 2nd, since the backstory and initial character development have already been covered in #1. Part 2 is far more action-packed, balls-to-the-walls, pull-no-punches whiz-bang fun, and I love that. Really dig the soundtracks in both films, the acting, the special effects, the cinematography, and so on, and so on - both these films are just good, solid entertainment, and that's a helluva compliment to pay, especially in this day & age... Video Both films get gorgeous anamorphic widescreen transfers that really let the action leap off the screen. Boasting 1.85:1 and 2.40:1 aspect ratios, Parts 1 & 2 both films look great, with no obvious flaws, defects or screen uglies to detract from the first-rate presentation!s Audio Booming Dolby 5.1 surround mixes accompany each film, and both will rattle your surround speakers and shake pictures off of your walls. Extras advance look at Part 3 ("Extinction") "Evolution of Resident Evil" featurette/recap "Diary of an Apocalypse" featurette on the making of Part 2 "Undead Bootcamp" featurette on zombies "Stuntman Set Tour" featurette memory retention training quiz still galleries trailers & game previews Closing Thoughts 2 truly kick-ass flicks + nice assortment of extras = great addition to any action/sci-fi fan's library!