Resident
Evil Collection 4K
(2002 - 2016/Sony 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray Box Set/Six Films/12
Discs)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: A- Picture: B+ Sound: A- Extras:
B
Films: B / C+ / C+ / B- / C+ / B-
The
Resident
Evil
movie franchise (2002 - 2016), directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (Event
Horizon),
star his real life wife Milla Jovovich (The
Fifth Element),
and are to this reviewer a cinematic guilty pleasure. Sure, they are
overly stylized, silly, and unrealistic - but they are also great
escapism entertainment. While they may differ from the stories told
in the hit video game series, the films follow the tyrannical
Umbrella Corporation and the adventures of Alice who is a super human
weapon against Umbrella and the various zombies and creatures they
unearth.
The
films all boast great production design and plenty of fun ideas and
set pieces that are hard to ignore in this lavish 6 film, 12 disc, 4K
UHD set from Sony, which is branded as part of the PS5 Essential 4K
UHD disc collection. Four of the films are new to the 4K UHD format
(Resident
Evil 1-4),
while the other two 4K UHD releases of the last two installments are
simply ported over to this release. It is worth noting that a few of
the films were released in 3D in the past (and reviewed elsewhere on
this site; see below) but are not included in this release.
RESIDENT
EVIL
(2002)
The
strongest film in the series is still the 2002 first entry, which has
the most energy and a pulse pounding soundtrack by Marilyn Manson.
The film introduces the deadly Umbrella Corporation and the virus
leak that causes the zombie apocalypse. A few members are stuck in
the epicenter of the virus outbreak and struggle to escape the
facility. There are some great moments in this film including the
infamous laser hallway, the zombie dogs, and the final creature that
is a kind of pre-nemesis.
The
film stars Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Salmon, Eric
Mabius, and Martin Crewes.
RESIDENT
EVIL: APOCALYPSE
(2004)
The
second entry isn't as strong as the first, but features the classic
video game character of Nemesis, who is translated to screen quite
nicely here. Jill Valentine and a few other characters from the
games appear as well. The film starts out where the first one left
and even goes as far as re-using the same shots from the first in its
opening sequence. This one has a lot of impressive set pieces and a
lot of zombies, and is set primarily in Raccoon City.
The
film stars Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Oded Fehr, Mike Epps, and
Sophie Vavasseur.
RESIDENT
EVIL: EXTINCTION
(2007)
Known
as the 'Mad Max' entry, Extinction
is set in a desert landscape and takes the franchise in a different
direction than the 2004 sequel. Alice retreats to the desert and
joins forces with a group of freedom fighters who end up appearing in
later installments of the series as well.
This
entry was not directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, but by Russell Mulcahy
(Highlander
films, The
Shadow,
hundreds of music videos).
The
film features Mike Epps, Oded Fehr, Ali Larter, Spencer Locke, and
Ashanti.
RESIDENT
EVIL: AFTERLIFE
(2010)
This
film has the best opening sequence of any of the series, which also
looks good on 4K, with a rainy foreign city and a beautiful zombie
turned into a zombie. This was a big 3D based title when it hit the
cinemas and is definitely a different film when watching it in 3D.
Afterlife
pits Alice in the future where Zombies have risen thanks to the
deadly T-Virus which was created by the sinister (and corporate)
Umbrella Corporation. After attacking an underground Umbrella base
with an army of clones of herself, Alice heads to a safe place in LA
where she meets new survivors, but soon finds (of course) more
zombies and more elaborate traps set for her by Umbrella.
The
film also stars Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Sergio
Peris-Mencheta, and Spencer Locke.
RESIDENT
EVIL: RETRIBUTION
(2012)
This
one is of the weaker entries and is more or less a bridge to the last
one. The plot is basically Alice vs Umbrella and one insane battle
after another. This time, she penetrates Umbrella Corp's secret
operations facility and uncovers some dark secrets about her past.
The
film also stars Li Bingbing, Sienna Guillory, Michelle Rodriguez, and
Boris Kodjoe.
RESIDENT
EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER
(2017)
Resident
Evil: The Final Chapter
(2017) follows the formula created by earlier installments and sews
together some loose plot hole ends that makes the whole saga a much
stronger piece as a whole.
The
film stars Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Shawn Roberts, Ruby Rose, Iain
Glen, and William Levy.
Alice
(Jovovich) is back one final time to finish her relentless war with
the tyrannical corporate entity known as The Umbrella Corporation,
which admittedly are responsible for the fall of modern civilization
and the rise of the zombie apocalypse. At first alone, Alice ends up
meeting up with one of her adversaries - Umbrella's realistic
security software - that gives her a tip of an airborne T-Virus that
could reverse the effects of the masses and save the planet. The only
problem is that she has to go back to The Hive, the secret
underground base of operations in the center of Raccoon City, where
the outbreak initially began in the first installment. Soon aided by
some old and new human faces that are struggling to survive, Alice
goes head to head with the masterminds behind the operation that
costed the lives of billions and puts her life on the line once
again.
The
film starts out with a bang as the first act is pretty action packed
and includes some very well done sequences, including one with a
bioweapon that is similar to a dragon that chases Alice down in a
post apocalyptic landscape. Many moments in this entry also retread
back to the first film, with some of its iconic locations (such as
the laser hallway) and some other plot holes in that installment
filled. Also worth noting is Ali Larter's character, who makes a
comeback and lights up the scenes that she is in. (I feel that she
is a solid yet underused actress in many of the films that she is
in.) One gripe is the ending, which feels a bit open ended and feels
like another installment could be made if demanded. Other than that,
this film is surprisingly a lot of fun and miles better than some of
the previous entries (namely the second and third ones).
The
presentation of the Resident
Evil
movies is pretty stunning as well in 2160p on 4K UHD with HDR10 (high
dynamic range 10-bit color), an HVEC/H.265 codec and a widescreen
aspect ratios varying in 1.85:1, 2.39:1, and 2.40:1. Paired is the
superb audio mixes in English Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD7.1, and
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1. All of these are top of the line and
Sony did a very nice job with this set and upgrading these transfers.
The
4K UHD format lends itself to this series which has so many desolate
and detailed locations and visual effects. The outside tones are
mostly bright, while underground sequences are rich with dark blacks
and details on the sets, making it seem more real in 4K. There is a
noticeable difference in clarity and detail when compared to the also
included Blu-ray editions of the films, which are presented with
identical widescreen and audio specs as the 4K UHD discs. Some of
the digital effects look dated, but its forgivable.
Special
Features
RESIDENT
EVIL BONUS FEATURES
4K
BLU-RAY DISC
Theatrical
Trailer
BLU-RAY
DISC
Cast
and Filmmakers' Commentary
Visual
Effects Commentary
Alternate
Ending with Director Paul W.S. Anderson's Video Introduction
12
Featurettes
"My
Plague" Music Video by Slipknot
RESIDENT
EVIL: APOCALYPSE BONUS FEATURES
4K
BLU-RAY DISC
Theatrical
and Extended Cuts of the Film
Theatrical
Trailers
BLU-RAY
DISC
Filmmaker
Commentary
Cast
Commentary
Writer
/ Producer Commentary
Deleted
Scenes
"Game
Over: Resident Evil Reanimated" Documentary
"Corporate
Malfeasance" Featurette
"Game
Babes" Featurette
"Symphony
of Evil" Featurette
RESIDENT
EVIL: EXTINCTION BONUS FEATURES
4K
BLU-RAY DISC
Resident
Road Map: Reflections on the Future of the Series
Theatrical
Trailers
BLU-RAY
DISC
"Under
the Umbrella" Picture-in-Picture
Filmmaker
Commentary
Deleted
Scenes
4
Featurettes
RESIDENT
EVIL: AFTERLIFE BONUS FEATURES
4K
BLU-RAY DISC
Alice
Activated
Theatrical
Trailers
BLU-RAY
DISC
"Undead
Vision" Picture-in-Picture
Filmmaker
Commentary
Deleted
and Extended Scenes
Outtakes
7
Featurettes
RESIDENT
EVIL: RETRIBUTION BONUS FEATURES
4K
BLU-RAY DISC
Evil
Goes Global
Undead
Retribution
Theatrical
Trailers
BLU-RAY
DISC
Director
and Cast Commentary
Filmmaker
Commentary
Deleted
and Extended Scenes
Outtakes
Project
Alice: The Interactive Database
8
Featurettes
RESIDENT
EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER BONUS FEATURES
4K
BLU-RAY DISC
Maximum
Carnage: Best Kills
Creature
Chronology
Theatrical
Trailers
BLU-RAY
DISC
Retaliation
Mode with Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich
3
Featurettes
If
you're a Resident
Evil
fan then this collection is most certainly worth the 4K upgrade.
It's nice to see the films in this much clarity and to be able to
enjoy them as much as I did in the theater. The films are not all
perfect, but they are quite entertaining if you like zombie action,
and the picture and sound are top notch - which is really the most
important thing.
For
more on the films, including some animated spinoffs and a book, plus
older coverage of non-4K editions, try these links, which have more
links:
Resident
Evil
+ Extinction
Blu-rays
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6469/Resident+Evil+(Blu-ray)+++Resident+Evil:+Extincti
Resident
Evil: Retribution 3D
Blu-ray
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/11970/Resident+Evil:+Retribution+3D+(2012/Sony+Blu-r
-
James
Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
