Resident Evil: Extinction Starring Milla Jovovich
Posted September 30, 2007 at 2:29 PM by Ben Nadel
I was not a huge fan of the first two Resident Evil movies. Maybe it's because I never played the video game; more likely, I suspect it's because they just weren't that good. Of course part of the problem was expectation management. I loved seeing Milla Jovovich as an action star and supreme being as she kicked ass in The Fifth Element; and I think that that movie set the bar too high such that five years later when the first Resident Evil came out in 2002, its action just fell short in comparison.
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With the first two movies being what they were, I was not expecting a whole lot from Resident Evil: Extinction. But, movie lover that I am, that wasn't going to stop me. And, I'm really glad it didn't because I am happy to report that Extinction brings back Milla Jovovich as an awesome, knife-wielding, action star. You all know that I love watching a girl beat on people (got that's so hot), and this movie fully satisfies that craving.
I think that the key here is that this movie has a low level of gun fighting. A good gun fight can be awesome (ala the bank robbery scene in HEAT), but I think too many action movies anchor onto gun fighting as their main attraction and that just ends up leaving me feeling unfulfilled. There is gun fighting in Resident Evil: Extinction, to be sure, but a lot of the movie consists of Milla Jovovich running around beating people in hand-to-hand combat. And, to top it off, she has these two ultra bad-ass knives that she uses masterfully in conjunction with spins, jumps, kicks, and general martial arts goodness.
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Resident Evil: Extinction doesn't bring anything revolutionary to the silver screen; pretty much everything in it has been seen in a dozen other movies. What Extinction has going for it is the fact that its action star is female and that the fighting has a lot of hand-to-hand combat. This combination of ingredients is in short supply in Hollywood and makes Resident Evil: Extinction a satisfying breathe of fresh air.
To be superficial for a moment, one thing that did bother me was her makeup. Everyone else in the movie comes off as rugged and beat up from living in a post-apocalyptic world full of zombies, but Milla Jovovich's face had this eerie golden glow the whole time. And, not in a good way. It's like she was wearing too much foundation and the camera lens didn't know how to deal with the reflected light. Very odd.
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Anyway, I thought this movie was a lot of fun and certainly a nice break from my ColdFusion-driven life. If you didn't like the first two Resident Evil movies, you still might want to consider checking this one out. Of course, if female ass-kickery doesn't appeal to you, then don't bother - this will just be another run of the mill zombie movie and will be more tiring than anything else.
Reader Comments
First one is a classic. Second one sucked big time. ;P Hadn't seen the third and was told to wait til it comes out on pay-per-view.
Personally, I never found Milla Jovovich all that attractive.
Don't know if you care or not (you may already know), but the knives that she's wielding are kukri (http://www.swordforum.com/articles/ams/tradkukri.php) One comic character I read a while back used to use them.
i liked all the resident evil films though the first was the best. i plan on seeing this one too.
i think the very best movie "gun fights" were the "gun kata" from kurt wimmer's films equilibrium & ultraviolet, especially equilibrium. kung fu with firearms indeed.
Yeah, Equilibrium did rock. :) Ultra-violet, not so much. :P ;)
Yeah, Equilibrium was an awesome movie. I had never heard of it and then one day I was flipping through HBO OnDemand and it was there. And, starring Christian Bale, who I am huge fan of, no less. So I gave it a try - high quality stuff indeed. Kung Fu with firearms and swords :) And he had those guns where the butt of the gun had those things that popped out to make beating people more effective - its all about the little details.
@Gareth,
Thanks for posting the knives. I tried to look them up but no one seemed to list them in terms of "the knives used in Resident Evil: Extinction". Those knives are totally bad-ass.
@Scott,
I wouldn't say she is attractive. She's actually too skinny for my tastes, but I think she makes a descent action hero. And as far as games that went movie, I think she does a much better job than Angelina Jolie who took Tomb Raider to the big screen. I would say that Jolie is more attractive (although not lately at all), but just can't do the action.
OMFG THIS IS THE BEST RESIDENT EVIL EVER!!!!
The movie was not to the expectation. Anyway i think the movie is extinct now as any more of it on the screen would be real junk.
the glowing and shining thing on her make up is not make ups that is definitely special effects. since alice (mila) is a cybernetically developed robot with human being look alike, so i think the producer want to create the impression that alice is a really perfect robot that has ever created. and as a robot, that so called skin maybe doesnt itch at all hahaha (i do regret that idea doesnt come up since RE's first movie. Cos the effect makes her soo perfectly b u tiful, where else u could find a girl with skins like that ???? unless she's japanese).
someone in the earlier comments mentioned searching for those bad ass knives. Well those are called Kukri knives and are from Nepal. you get these pretty cheap in Nepal and Northern India.
Google for kukri knives nepal
These things just look so bad-ass I think:
http://www.khukuriblades.com/catalog/
I can't believe how insanely cheap they are. It doesn't make sense. I want to get one for the office, but my boss would probably flip out... oh well.
Spammers are awesome!
Hi,
I play Resident Evil 1, 2 and 3. And in 1996 was i carzy of resident Evil. The new Film are Great!
Milla has been at the top of my list for actors since she was in her late teens. The word to describe her ability to portray such a physical action hero is simply AWESOME! Physical, attractive and substitutes speed for her lack of manly size. Her wire work is excellent and all I want to know is why we don't finance a dedicated fan club here in the states? We are eating up her movies and waiting with breath held for the next release.
Congrats on the birth of your child. You will be an awesome parent. To whom this concerns. email me and let me know what I can do to participate in the development of a comprehensive site on Milla's behalf and how I can contribute to offer a really complete piece of a fan club!
ja
i liked all the resident evil films though the first was the best. i plan on seeing this one too.
Love the Resident Evil series. #1 and 3 are great. #2 not so good. Milla really does work exteremely hardr. The amount of studnts she does herself should be recognized.
I'm hoping for #4!
the knife is a middle eastern knife called a Gurka kukri or gurka for short there really beast especially when they have carbon black blades
I think this is the best movie in five years later..
i just to say thank's....
How can u not think Milla Jovovich isn't HOT...ru GAY...holycrap that woman is A FOX.:-)
P.S RESIDENT EVIL 3 JICKS ASS
i like your costum. where did u get it? may i have one? hehehe....... u look so sexy and hot with that costum. the first i see u and your costum, i already interested. especially your acting. wow..... it's so cool. i like it. i will wait your next film. :)
2 is the worst of all, 3 was ok, 1st one is the best. Milla Jovovich is one of my top 5 sexiest women
The knives used for Milla Jovovich in the films are the official weapons of the gurka warriors in the british army. They are well known to be masters in the art of suprising the enemy at nignt and cut his throat with these knives.
Three years later and they are about to relaese another one. Not sure how I feel about this one.... but will probably see it anyway :)
@Ben,
it was done in proper 3D (ala avatar). i'll be seeing this one as well.
@Ben- Dude! Mila *and* Ali Larter? It's badass ckhickapalooza!!! What's not to love?! I think this looks much better than the last one (I still think #2 was the best one), and I will definitely be seeing it. Probably alone since when I mention it to any of my other friends they just point & laugh. ;)
I liked the movies seeing milla beat the shit outta people,the last two movies kinda cuts away from the game though like, the end of the world and every thing is dead and there's practicly no escape but that's original and makes it awsome becouse after appocolypse it becoumes its own thing i cant wait for the next movie.
