Resident Evil, one of a multitude of computer games, is the unlikeliest source of a succsessful movie franchise, but there you are. Very few critics have had any kind words for these movies, and based on the box office results, not many people have gone to see them either. Those who have, however, seem to be remarkable loyal and dedicated and now are being duly rewarded with another slice of the beautiful Mila Jovovich fighting the good cause. Resident Evil: Extinction is yet another threequel circa 2007 that wraps the computer game-based action series whose calling card is the image of evil zombies dying by the bucketload. The movie is not likely to attract any new fans to the fold, but in all fairness it does not have any such ambitions. Its modest and noble goal is to please its keen, if not particularly abundant, fanbase and it comfortably achieves this.

It is fair to say that the scope of this zombie-hunt adventure has grown significantly since 2000 when Alice (Jovovich) roamed dimly lit hallways, with a white fog conveniently veiling the budget constraints. The deadly virus of the vile and secret Umbrella Corp, which decimated an underground lab in the first film, has now spread throughout the entire world and the hoards of hungry zombies are tearing civilisation down. The one genuine highlight for both fans and stray multiplex-halls surfers is a deserted Las Vegas now being reclaimed by the desert. Oscar-winning production designer Eugenio Caballero (Pan’s Labyrinth) has done marvels with this set piece; the bad news is that this juncture of the story takes only 10 minutes of the 95-minute runtime. Most of the remainder of the movie involves Alice trying to reach the safe haven of Alaska along with a band of fellow renegades all the while encountering nefarious and bloodthirsty obstacles. As their convoy of buses and trucks makes its way along post-Apocalyptic landscapes made popular in the 80s by Mad Max and the likes, things are further complicated by the fact that the evil Dr Isaacs of Umbrella Corp is convinced that Alice’s blood and DNA hold the key to developing an antidote for the virus.

This film has been promoted as the finishing chapter to the series, and the manner in which the villain is eventually dispatched suggests some kind of an attempt at closure, yet one can’t help but note that the producers are hedging their bets by setting up another movie should this one break the bank.

Jovovich is agreeably impressive on the visual side and not so much with the dialogue. She is certainly not helped by having to make the most of well-worn lines such as “People have a habit of dying when I’m around!” The motley was evidently meant as a diversion from Jovovich’s acting deficiencies, and if little else, it makes an impression on the audience: along with Oded Fehr returning from the second installment, we get to notice Ali Later from the hit TV series Heroes and comedian Mike Epps. All in all, the movie is likely to be a satisfying experience for series fans; for curious souls willing to see what the fuss is about Resident Evil: Extinction will have the numbing charm of watching somebody having fun with their PlayStation.