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This week, there are FIVE new films out for you to choose from: Milla Jovovich is back for more sequel action in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, Matthew McConaughey might strike Gold in his latest movie, there’s American sequel horror in Rings, there’s German/Austrian farce comedy in Toni Erdmann, and a true-life story of an interracial couple in Loving.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter picks up straight after the events of Resident Evil: Retribution, and since before that I’d only seen the first Resident Evil, and the fourth one, Resident Evil: Afterlife, No.5 felt like a mixture of all the others, so filling in some of my knowledge gaps. Of course, I’ve had four years to catch up with No.2 and 3, and still haven’t, but I really should.
In this finale (which I think should’ve had a better title – although they had thought of Resident Evil: Insurgence, but Independence Day: Insurgence pipped them to that), and in any event, after six films, I bet they’ll still make a seventh while it’s drawing the crowds), humanity is on its last legs in Washington D.C. As the only survivor of what was meant to be humanity’s final stand against the undead hordes, Alice (Milla Jovovich) must return to where the nightmare began – Raccoon City, where the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces for a final strike against the only remaining survivors of the apocalypse.
In a race against time, Alice will join forces with old friends, plus an unlikely ally, in an action packed battle with undead hordes and new mutant monsters. Between regaining her superhuman abilities at Wesker’s hand and Umbrella’s impending attack, this will be Alice’s most difficult adventure as she fights to save humanity, which is on the brink of oblivion.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is again written and directed by Paul WS Anderson, who really showed with ‘Retribution‘ that he knows what he’s doing with 3D, and it also stars Ali Larter as Claire Redfield, Iain Glen as Dr Alexander Isaacs and Shawn Roberts as Albert Wesker.
I thought films 1 and 4 were so-so, although I really should’ve seen the latter in 3D, but after No.5, I’m hugely looking forward to this apparent finale.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Hit!
Gold! No, not another Spandau Ballet movie, but one starring Matthew McConaughey (Kubo And The Two Strings), where an unlikely pair venture to the Indonesian jungle in search of the stuff that glitters… with a golden colour.
This rather daft-looking comedy is directed by Stephen Gaghan and written by Patrick Massett and John Zinman, and also stars Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World), Toby Kebbell (Ben-Hur), Rachael Taylor, Edgar RamÃrez, Corey Stoll, Bill Camp, Michael Landes, Bruce Greenwood and Stacy Keach, so quite a cast in there, and it certainly looks interesting.
There’s no UK date yet for Gold, but in the US, it’s due out on Christmas Day, so it’s clearly considered quite a prestigious movie. Not sure if it looks that good, though.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Maybe!
Rings
Julia becomes worried about her boyfriend, Holt, when he explores the dark urban legend of a mysterious video said to kill the watcher seven days after viewing. She sacrifices herself to save her boyfriend and in doing so makes a horrifying discovery: there is a “movie within the movie” that no one has ever seen before.
Starring Matilda Lutz, Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki and Vincent D’Onofrio, I haven’t seen any of the previous films, but while it looks odd, I’d rather watch the original Japanese movies.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Maybe!
Toni Erdmann
Practical joking father Winfried (Peter Simonischek) tries to reconnect with hard working daughter Ines (Sandra Hüller) by creating an outrageous alter ego and posing as her CEO’s life coach, Toni Erdmann.
Also starring Michael Wittenborn and Thomas Loibl, this film has had a lot of critical acclaim, but based on this trailer, it just seems merely ‘okay’.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Maybe!
Loving tells the story of Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred Loving (Ruth Negga), an interracial couple, whose challenge of their anti-miscegenation arrest for their marriage in Virginia led to a legal battle that would end at the US Supreme Court.
This is another film which has had critical acclaim, but whatever there is about this completely went over my head.
Hit or Miss? Verdict: Miss!
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.