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Resident Evil: Afterlife Review - 3D Gimmicks and Slow Motion
In this episode of Sci-Fi Graveyard, Joseph, Jeremy, and Josh reload for the fourth installment of the franchise, Resident Evil: Afterlife. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (who returns to the director's chair for the first time since the original), this 2010 sequel brings the action to Los Angeles—or rather, a prison surrounded by zombies in Los Angeles—and introduces 3D technology to the series.
The discussion centers on the film's heavy use of slow-motion and 3D gimmicks, inspired by Avatar and filmed with James Cameron's camera system. The hosts have mixed feelings about the visual style, noting that while some scenes (like the rain-soaked opening in Tokyo) look cool, the effects often feel dated and unnecessary. They debate the introduction of Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller), finding his characterization a bit stiff and "ham-fisted," despite the actor's popularity from Prison Break. The crew also breaks down the fight with the Executioner (the giant axe-wielding majini from Resident Evil 5), criticizing the logic of the battle but enjoying the spectacle. They express frustration with the "Mary Sue" nature of Alice, who loses her powers early in the film only to survive a plane crash without a scratch, and the inconsistent timeline of the movie universe. Ultimately, the group is divided, with some finding it a fun guilty pleasure and others seeing it as the point where the series jumped the shark.
Key Highlights
[02:40] 3D & Slow-Mo: The hosts discuss how Paul W.S. Anderson was inspired by Avatar to film in 3D, leading to an abundance of slow-motion shots (like the throwing stars and water droplets) that added 20% to the budget.
[06:33] The Clone Opening: A breakdown of the opening sequence where Alice and her clone army attack the Umbrella HQ in Tokyo, only to be unceremoniously killed off in the first 20 minutes to reset Alice's power levels.
[09:16] The Executioner Fight: The crew critiques the shower fight scene with the Axeman, noting the illogical moment where Claire shoots him with a shotgun to little effect, only for Alice to kill him with a similar shot moments later.
[11:53] Chris Redfield: A discussion on Wentworth Miller's debut as Chris Redfield, with the hosts finding it odd that such a major game character appears in only one movie and feels somewhat out of place.
[30:07] Prison Location Logic: Joseph nitpicks the location of the prison, pointing out that a maximum-security facility wouldn't likely be located in downtown Los Angeles, contradicting the movie's setting.
[01:11:10] Sequel Theory: The hosts share their theory on movie sequels (using Superman as an example), arguing that franchises often peak at the second movie and decline sharply by the fourth, a trend they see happening here.
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By Joseph Gettinger
4.3
33 ratings
In this episode of Sci-Fi Graveyard, Joseph, Jeremy, and Josh reload for the fourth installment of the franchise, Resident Evil: Afterlife. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (who returns to the director's chair for the first time since the original), this 2010 sequel brings the action to Los Angeles—or rather, a prison surrounded by zombies in Los Angeles—and introduces 3D technology to the series.
The discussion centers on the film's heavy use of slow-motion and 3D gimmicks, inspired by Avatar and filmed with James Cameron's camera system. The hosts have mixed feelings about the visual style, noting that while some scenes (like the rain-soaked opening in Tokyo) look cool, the effects often feel dated and unnecessary. They debate the introduction of Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller), finding his characterization a bit stiff and "ham-fisted," despite the actor's popularity from Prison Break. The crew also breaks down the fight with the Executioner (the giant axe-wielding majini from Resident Evil 5), criticizing the logic of the battle but enjoying the spectacle. They express frustration with the "Mary Sue" nature of Alice, who loses her powers early in the film only to survive a plane crash without a scratch, and the inconsistent timeline of the movie universe. Ultimately, the group is divided, with some finding it a fun guilty pleasure and others seeing it as the point where the series jumped the shark.
Key Highlights
[02:40] 3D & Slow-Mo: The hosts discuss how Paul W.S. Anderson was inspired by Avatar to film in 3D, leading to an abundance of slow-motion shots (like the throwing stars and water droplets) that added 20% to the budget.
[06:33] The Clone Opening: A breakdown of the opening sequence where Alice and her clone army attack the Umbrella HQ in Tokyo, only to be unceremoniously killed off in the first 20 minutes to reset Alice's power levels.
[09:16] The Executioner Fight: The crew critiques the shower fight scene with the Axeman, noting the illogical moment where Claire shoots him with a shotgun to little effect, only for Alice to kill him with a similar shot moments later.
[11:53] Chris Redfield: A discussion on Wentworth Miller's debut as Chris Redfield, with the hosts finding it odd that such a major game character appears in only one movie and feels somewhat out of place.
[30:07] Prison Location Logic: Joseph nitpicks the location of the prison, pointing out that a maximum-security facility wouldn't likely be located in downtown Los Angeles, contradicting the movie's setting.
[01:11:10] Sequel Theory: The hosts share their theory on movie sequels (using Superman as an example), arguing that franchises often peak at the second movie and decline sharply by the fourth, a trend they see happening here.