It’s time to tackle Resident Evil: Afterlife, the movie that marked the beginning of the end for Milla’s Resident Evil film series! While that’s a harsh thing to say, it’s important to be honest. But that doesn’t mean that the movie is all the way bad, as there are always some redeeming qualities. In-fact, Resident Evil: Afterlife is pretty entertaining, mainly thanks to Milla Jovovich and Ali Larter! So with that being said, it’s about time we cut to the chase, right? Here are the top 5 best characters from Resident Evil: Afterlife!
Check out all of the Resident Evil list HERE!
5. Bennett
I believe that Bennett is a better character than Wentworth Miller’s Chris Redfield. While it’s just my opinion, I doubt anyone was happy with how poorly Chris Redfield was portrayed? I mean, this interpretation is literally the polar opposite of the video game character. But don’t get it twisted, I’m a fan of Wentworth Miller’s work, and I love Prison Break. However, there’s no excuse for the way this character is written and portrayed. Therefore, I’m forced to place Kim Coates‘ Bennett over Wentworth Miller’s Chris Redfield.
Bennett is the comedic relief of Resident Evil: Afterlife. Whether he’s acting goofy or delivering laughably bad jokes, he does what he must to be entertaining. While comedy is subjective, he did his best with what he had to work with. In turn, I won’t criticize him too much. Kim Coates does a decent job overall, while obviously being a poorly-written character with a horrendous story arc. And it doesn’t take a genius to understand that his entire part in the movie could be scrapped without anyone caring. Thus, I’ll give him the 5th spot, but that’s all I can muster.
4. Luther West
While I could question Boris Kodjoe‘s acting ability all day, there’s not much he could’ve done about his poorly written character, Luther West. I’m referring to his ridiculous role in the story, his slightly offensive outfit/look and his super-human abilities; the guy can pull down a plane. Therefore, I’m putting the bulk of the blame on the writer, Paul W.S. Anderson. What can Boris do when his character is over-the-top ridiculous? Not much. Not much at all.
Luther West is simply a bland side-kick who doesn’t serve a purpose, and who’s constantly all too involved. I’m just saying that his character is written so poorly, that Luther West comes across as a glorified main character, which he’s not. In turn, I feel like the character should’ve had a smaller role that would’ve made him stand out. Sometimes less screen-time can give a character some mystique and make them more interesting. This is one of those cases and I’m disappointed that they missed this opportunity to make Luther West more dark and complex.
3. Albert Wesker
Albert Wesker is an iconic villain in the world of gaming, so these shoes were never going to be easy to fill, but how did Shawn Roberts do? Honestly, he did a decent job! I was actually a bit surprised when I first watched Afterlife, but he’s unquestionably solid. But that doesn’t mean he’s a good portrayal of Albert Wesker or that he’s a better character than Claire Redfield or Alice, because he’s not.
Considering the lack of good characters in Afterlife, I feel fine placing Wesker at #3 on my list, as he’s still “good enough”. Shawn Roberts seems comfortable portraying a caricature of Albert Wesker. Whether it’s the fight scenes or the dialogue, he delivers everything with a bit of “umph”, if you know what I mean? There’s a poetic flair to his words, and it’s noticeable. While not a negative, it isn’t a positive either. It’s just a matter of opinion. Do you like it? I’m “fine” with it, and thus, I’ll gladly put Albert Wesker into the top 3!
2. Claire Redfield
I must admit that I liked Claire Redfield in Resident Evil: Extinction. While Ali Larter’s portrayal isn’t true to the video game character, she does a damn good job, all things considered. But in Resident Evil: Afterlife, I feel like she took a few steps back. Not in terms of acting, but in terms of her character’s role in the movie. It just seemed like it was far more about Alice than anyone else and therefore Claire’s character suffered. She needed to be fleshed out in this movie, and that didn’t happen. So in turn, she did better in Extinction than in Afterlife.
With all of that being said, how is Claire Redfield #2? It’s pretty self-explanatory, isn’t it? There are no great characters in Resident Evil: Afterlife, and the only two good characters are easily Claire Redfield and Alice. Therefore, Claire ranks highly, as there’s no competition. But keep in mind that it doesn’t mean she’s a bad character. Like I just said above, she’s a good character. It’s just that there wasn’t much going on with her, and the only form of “good” came from Ali Larter’s performance. The writing, on the other hand, was atrocious.
1. Alice
What can I say about Milla Jovovich’s Alice in Resident Evil: Afterlife? She delivers entertaining action sequences and seems comfortable with the awkward lines she’s delivering. It’s another solid portrayal of Alice, and Milla seems to be getting better and better each Resident Evil film.
When it comes to Alice as a character, Afterlife feels like the movie that finally solidifes Milla’s spot in the Resident Evil franchise. From this point forward, it seems like she’s loving the role and that she’s genuinelly trying to do a good job. It doesn’t feel forced or difficult, and while it can be somewhat uncomfortable watching her deliver poorly-written lines, she’s doing it with personality and flair. While that might not seem like a big deal, it’s huge, as Afterlife is pretty much only worth watching thanks to Milla’s Alice. She’s the highlight of the movie, and she’s involved in every good moment.
This is the 3rd time I’m giving Milla’s Alice the #1 spot, and it’s well-deserved once again. She is the best character, and deserves the #1 spot on my list of the top 5 characters in Resident Evil: Afterlife!
