Movies out today: Undead action, animation and magic realism
From hyper-stylised zombie slaying to quirky arthouse fare, there's a trio of new movies releasing at South African cinemas from today.
Resident Evil: Retribution:
Shot for, and screening in, 3D is this fifth Resident Evil film, moving further and further away from the video game franchise that kicked off the movie series. Under the direction of Paul W. S. Anderson, Milla Jovovich is back as ass-kicking heroine Alice, taking on hordes of undead, as well as the Umbrella Corporation, which unleashed the zombie apocalypse in the first place. The gimmick in this action-horror combo is the return of multiple characters from the other films, including Sienna Guillory's Jill Valentine, Michelle Rodriguez's Rain and Oded Fehr's Carlos.
Resident Evil: Retribution releases today with no prior screenings for critics. This is typical for the Resident Evil films though, so chances are if you enjoyed the other entries in the franchise - especially the gimmicky but fun Afterlife 3D (review here) - you'll get a kick out of this one. If not, avoid like the infected undead.
A Monster in Paris:
Screening in 2D and 3D is this animated comedy - and musical - from France. In 1910, a mismatched group of allies, including a shy cinema projectionist, eccentric inventor and cabaret singer, band together to protect a musically talented monster from nasty Parisian authorities. Eccentric, charming and fun - especially for fans of classic horror flicks. 82% Fresh.
Beasts of the Southern Wild:
One of this year's big film festival darlings; screening locally in limited release. Mixing drama and magic, Beasts of the Southern Wild looks at the effects of Hurricane Katrina from the perspective of a feisty, half-feral little girl called Hushpuppy. Probably a little too indie and arty for the average cinemagoer, but undeniably original and moving. Read my full review here. For the record, international critics helped the film achieve a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 86% Fresh.
Resident Evil: Retribution:
Shot for, and screening in, 3D is this fifth Resident Evil film, moving further and further away from the video game franchise that kicked off the movie series. Under the direction of Paul W. S. Anderson, Milla Jovovich is back as ass-kicking heroine Alice, taking on hordes of undead, as well as the Umbrella Corporation, which unleashed the zombie apocalypse in the first place. The gimmick in this action-horror combo is the return of multiple characters from the other films, including Sienna Guillory's Jill Valentine, Michelle Rodriguez's Rain and Oded Fehr's Carlos.
Resident Evil: Retribution releases today with no prior screenings for critics. This is typical for the Resident Evil films though, so chances are if you enjoyed the other entries in the franchise - especially the gimmicky but fun Afterlife 3D (review here) - you'll get a kick out of this one. If not, avoid like the infected undead.
A Monster in Paris:
Screening in 2D and 3D is this animated comedy - and musical - from France. In 1910, a mismatched group of allies, including a shy cinema projectionist, eccentric inventor and cabaret singer, band together to protect a musically talented monster from nasty Parisian authorities. Eccentric, charming and fun - especially for fans of classic horror flicks. 82% Fresh.
Beasts of the Southern Wild:
One of this year's big film festival darlings; screening locally in limited release. Mixing drama and magic, Beasts of the Southern Wild looks at the effects of Hurricane Katrina from the perspective of a feisty, half-feral little girl called Hushpuppy. Probably a little too indie and arty for the average cinemagoer, but undeniably original and moving. Read my full review here. For the record, international critics helped the film achieve a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 86% Fresh.
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