The previous films in the franchise took the same approach, mostly with Milla Jovovich violently dispatching the creatures (directed by her husband Paul W. S. Anderson). This new film is from upcoming director Zach Cregger, who’s made a name for himself with his first 2 films, “Barbarian” (my 1-star review) and “Weapons” (my 4.5 star review). He’s gone back to the video game roots (which I never played) for a simpler approach. Austin Abrams plays a hapless medical courier whose latest mission takes him to Raccoon City, but not before he encounters the outbreak of mutated monsters. There are indeed the crazy creatures with the expected attacks, but other than a few jumps, it’s not that scary. What’s going for it is the upbeat direction and Abrams’ continually comic asides. His “regular guy” response to his predicament is a constant source of amusement. That serves to make this an inventive and fun monster flick. BTW, that’s Cregger’s voice on the hospital intercom. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars
