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Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week, the latest "Resident Evil" flick.

Resident Evil: Retribution

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Oded Fehr, Michelle Rodriguez, Sienna Guillory, and Shawn Roberts

Synopsis: Doubtless there were few people a decade ago thought that the “Resident Evil” franchise would become a solidly reliable one in cinemas. In 2002, Paul W.S. Anderson unleashed the original “Resident Evil” film on the world. Ten years later, the fifth installment — “Resident Evil: Retribution” — is the No. 1 movie at the Box Office. The films, based on the popular video game series, are somewhat interconnected. There is a continuous, flowing narrative. But that’s not really what people want out of these films. At the core, “Resident Evil” films are pure, escapist action pieces. Of course, this is a cultural period where zombies couldn’t be bigger. While the creatures in “Resident Evil” have a bit more of a complex back story — one that involves nefarious corporations and shady experiments — this film is basically about heroes with big guns wiping our flesh eating creatures. I wasn’t totally sold on the “Resident Evil” films in 2002. It was well crafted, but incredibly impersonal. It was mostly about the lavish action sequences, using the basic story as the glue that connected the action set pieces. A decade later, that hasn’t really changed. However, as the series progressed, it’s been easier to appreciate what the films for what they are. The films have, to a certain extent, gotten better. Though all loosely connected by an ongoing narrative, the strength of the films has been the solid anchor performance from Jovovich — who is an ideal choice as Alice — and the incredible action sequences. In 2010, “Resident Evil: After Life” upped the ante by coming out in 3D. The film used 3D well, and it enhanced the visual presentation. “Retribution” tries to continue that trend, but this film feels like a huge step backward. That might sound like a strange condemnation of a series that isn’t all that deep, but this installment felt rudderless. It picks up shortly after the action of “After Life,” but this feels like the most contrived of the films. This, again, is a strange criticism for a series based on video games, but “Resident Evil: Retribution” feels the most like watching a video game of these films. It feels like it was ripped straight from a Playstation 3 fever dream, and offers little in the way of narrative focus. That is something essential for adapting a video game to the big screen. Also strange is the way this film morphs the characters. Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Rain, and Oded Fehr, who plays Carlos, both return even though their characters were killed in previous films. This, of course, is all too conveniently explained. For Rodriguez, this could be the start of a new career movement since her character, previously killed, is returning to the “Fast and Furious” franchise too. There are long, boring stretches in this film. That is followed by loud, nonsensical, and pointless action sequences. These films have always been more about lavish action sequences than story, but this film pushes that to the extreme. This film features characters, set pieces, and sequences from previous films strung together in a ridiculous way. Equally as ridiculous is the lack of closure. While all these films have left the door open to future installments, “Resident Evil: Retribution” seems to exist merely to set up the inevitable sixth installment. As such, it’s wholly unsatisfying in its final act. “Resident Evil” was never a deep concept, and it’s a film series that has likely far exceeded initial expectations. That being said, given the poor fifth installment, this seems to be a film franchise that has run out of gas and creativity.

Rating: R for sequences of strong violence throughout. Enter with caution.

Verdict: One star out of four.

Upcoming Releases:

Friday, Sept. 21 — "Dredd 3D," "Trouble With The Curve," "End of Watch," "The House at the End of the Street"
Friday, Sept. 28 — "Won't Back Down," "Looper," "Hotel Transylvania"