Milla Jovovich is back as gravity-defying, zombie-slaying Alice in true form in “Resident Evil: Retribution” and is joined by a plethora of cast members. Sienna Guillory and Boris Kodjoe are back as Jill Valentine and Luther West, as well as the long-awaited return of Michelle Rodriguez as Rain, who hasn’t been seen since the first “Resident Evil.” Johann Urb as Leon and Bingbing Li as Ada Wong are among the welcome newcomers who help aid in Alice’s fight against Umbrella.

The film cannot measure up to the quality of writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson’s previous Evil films and not even Jovovich’s prowess and Rodriguez’s triumphant return are enough to save its muddled plot. Rather than starting off with a bang and jumping straight into the action, the film starts out with a brief ‘Resident Evil 101’ tutorial. Alice introduces herself to the screen and proceeds to explain who she and Umbrella are. Further, she explained what the T-virus was.

After this overview, the movie abruptly transitions into a scene as believable as Rain (Rodriguez) getting up and walking away after getting shot in the head in the first film: Alice, in jeans, laying on a bed in a nice house in the suburbs with a husband and daughter. They eventually show the point of this diversion, and it does get to the bloodshed quickly enough. Still opening with these two segments makes the beginning feel all but lackluster.

The action is what you’ve come to love from the Evil films: stylized, acrobatic, bloody, gruesome fun. The Umbrella Corporation holds Alice captive under ground, and the entire plot of the film revolves around her escape. This little girl’s presence brought a new element never seen before in these films.

“Resident Evil: Retribution’s” cast, special effects and action will definitely keep you entertained.

Rating: 2.5 stars