Resident Evil: Afterlife Blu-ray Review

Resident Evil: Afterlife's Blu-ray 1080p transfer emerges as a visual powerhouse, yet it remains an intricate blend of exceptional and flawed elements. The AVC MPEG-4 video encode, presented in the 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio, delivers extraordinary detail, characterized by sharp clarity and vibrant colors. Fine details, such as individual droplets of rain and the texture of dirt terrain, are captured with impressive quality, while the rich black levels and neutral flesh tones create a well-balanced visual experience. However, the transfer also exposes the limitations of its 2D presentation for a film originally intended for 3D. Certain CGI effects lack the seamless integration into their surroundings, producing a separation that detracts from the overall realism, making some scenes appear like unfinished green-screen setups.

Despite the minor setbacks, the high-definition resolution enhances the viewing experience significantly, bringing out textures in clothing and combat gear with remarkable precision. This meticulous attention to detail sometimes works against the film, particularly in scenes with digitally created characters that fail to match their live-action counterparts convincingly. Colors like slick shades of blue and gray are offset by striking reds, enhancing the visual appeal while maintaining a clean, noise-free print. Nevertheless, occasional artifacting in darker scenes slightly mars the otherwise smooth and immersive picture quality.

In summary, Resident Evil: Afterlife on Blu-ray offers a visually captivating experience with its sharp clarity, vibrant colors, and rich black levels. The video transfer excels in capturing minute environmental details and textures, although it reveals the limitations of translating a 3D-intended film into 2D. Despite minor imperfections in CGI integration and occasional artifacting in dark scenes, the 1080p presentation stands out as a visually engaging part of this Blu-ray release.

Resident Evil: Afterlife roars onto Blu-ray with a thumping DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that solidifies its status as a reference-quality soundtrack. This immersive audio presentation features crystal-clear dialogue that remains coherent even amidst the film's cacophonic action scenes. The mix employs a robust and accurate use of the surrounds, giving a palpable sense of directionality as aircraft buzz overhead, bullets ricochet around, and undead hordes growl. The LFE is punchy and aggressive, delivering some of the most convincing and impactful explosions and gunfire heard this year. The climax of this mix is undoubtedly the score; the engaging hard electronic rock beats elevate the experience, providing aural depth that effectively carries the film's high-intensity sequences.

While the atmospherics aren't as prominent as perhaps they should be, the inclusion of subtle environmental effects and louder elements like screeching alarms adds remarkable realism. Each sound effect—from heavy machine-gun fire to shards of glass shattering—has been meticulously crafted to maximize the horror-action experience. The mix offers seamless imaging and directional effects, creating an encompassing soundstage that brings the film to life. Music transitions crisply across channels, and the rears are particularly active, providing dynamic movement and localization that enhances the immersive quality.

In summary, the soundtrack for Resident Evil: Afterlife is an auditory powerhouse, characterized by its boldness, precision, and engaging sound design. Both ambient noises and spectacular set-pieces are executed with a meticulous balance that ensures an exciting listening experience from start to finish. This DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix transforms your home into an apocalyptic battlefield, making it a stellar example of demo-worthy audio reference material.

The "Resident Evil: Afterlife" Blu-ray extras offer comprehensive insights and behind-the-scenes content, making it a notable value addition for fans of the franchise. The standout feature is the "Undead Vision" picture-in-picture track, presenting interviews with cast and crew, coupled with conceptual artwork and animatics, enhancing understanding of the production process. However, the Audio Commentary by Paul W.S. Anderson and producers is largely technical and effects-focused, which may not engage all viewers. The deleted and extended scenes section, though informative, lacks final visual effects. The outtakes deliver brief but amusing moments from the set, while a series of featurettes cover various aspects of the film's creation, from casting to 3D filming technology. Additionally, a sneak peek of "Resident Evil: Damnation" and several trailers round out the extras.

Extras included in this disc:

• Undead Vision: PiP Track: Cast and crew discuss production with behind-the-scenes footage and artwork.
• Audio Commentary: Insightful but dry discussion by Paul W.S. Anderson and producers.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes: Eight unfinished scenes providing minor narrative expansions.
• Outtakes: Entertaining bloopers featuring the cast.
• Featurettes: Comprehensive look into different facets of the film’s production.
• Sneak Peek of Resident Evil: Damnation: Preview of the animated sequel.
• Trailers: Various movie previews including notable titles like "Salt" and "The Social Network".
• BD-Live: Online content access.
• MovieIQ+sync: Interactive motion picture intelligence.

"Resident Evil: Afterlife" continues the saga of Alice (Milla Jovovich) in her quest against the Umbrella Corporation. This installment delivers relentless action, slick visuals, and a heady mix of stylized violence that targets fans of the franchise. Director Paul W.S. Anderson showcases impressive effects-laden stunts and signature slow-motion sequences, albeit with a noticeable homage to “The Matrix.” The film's plot is straightforward and relatively thin, serving mainly as a vehicle for high-octane action sequences that place style over substance.

The narrative picks up four years after the T-Virus outbreak, with Alice infiltrating Umbrella's Tokyo headquarters with an army of her clones. Stripped of her superhuman powers by her nemesis Albert Wesker, Alice embarks on a journey to find Arcadia, a supposed safe haven. Accompanied by Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) and newcomer Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller), they encounter survivors trapped in an abandoned Los Angeles prison overrun by zombies. Fluid action scenes, including a standout battle with the Axeman, entertain but rely heavily on visual spectacle over character development.

Presented on Blu-ray, the film’s video quality excels in terms of clarity and vibrancy, though the transition from its native 3D format makes some scenes appear flat and artificial when viewed in 2D. The audio mix is robust, delivering dynamic surround sound that enhances the visceral zombie encounters. Overall, “Resident Evil: Afterlife” offers a visually immersive experience defined by its polished action scenes, yet it falters in narrative depth and cohesion. It's a must-watch for the franchise's aficionados but may leave newcomers puzzled without prior context from earlier films and games.

"Resident Evil: Afterlife" on Blu-ray delivers a visually stunning yet narratively shallow experience. The film, rooted in the well-known video game franchise, offers predictably spectacular action scenes filled with zombie mayhem and intense stunts. Despite its lack of originality and weak plot development, the movie manages to entertain hardcore fans of the series by sticking to its formulaic yet effective structure of big boss battles and relentless adrenaline-pumping obstacles. The Blu-ray release truly shines with its excellent picture quality and robust sound design, ensuring that every explosion and gunshot adds to the immersive experience.

The supplementary content on the Blu-ray is noteworthy, featuring a commentary track rich with fascinating technical insights, though it may not be the most captivating or humorous. Additionally, the long list of featurettes provides an enjoyable behind-the-scenes look, making the package satisfying for dedicated enthusiasts. However, the story itself feels more like a hollow excuse for continuous action rather than a deeply engaging narrative. "Afterlife" fits snugly in the middle tier of the series, outperforming its weaker predecessors but failing to capture the charm of the original.

In conclusion, "Resident Evil: Afterlife" is good for what it is—a movie based on a video game full of big action scenes, all culminating with a boss that must be beaten to move on to the next never-ending obstacle. As a movie itself, it is pretty shallow on plot and has some weak performances but looks and sounds great. Therefore, it comes highly recommended for fans of the franchise. The nearly hour-long group of featurettes are enjoyable, and the commentary is filled with technical nuggets. Overall, this Blu-ray release classifies as a worthy addition for fans but may be better suited as a rental for the general audience.