As always, the central
figure in the gritty and gripping fifth “Resident Evil” movie “Resident Evil:
Retribution” is Alice, played once again with implacable ferocity by Milla
Jovovich.
Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures |
“Milla
is a huge factor in the success of the films,” says producer Jeremy Bolt. “One
of the things that makes Resident Evil interesting is that we present a woman
as a convincing action hero. She’s tough as hell. She’s a leader; she’s
determined. If anybody’s going to beat the evil corporation Umbrella, it’s
Alice.”
Alice
has evolved with each chapter of the ongoing saga, transforming from naïve
amnesiac to superhumanly gifted warrior and, now, a battered foot soldier in
the ongoing war against the ultimate evil. After playing the character for a
decade, Jovovich has come to know her more intimately and care more deeply
about her action-hero alter ego.
“Doing
this series has been such an adventure,” the actress says. “It’s always amazing
to come back to this incredible, fantastical, magical world and to Alice. I
know her so well now. I know how she will react, what she will and won’t do.
She’s become a huge part of my life, and as I grow, she grows. I’m always
excited to see where she’s going next.”
“Milla
as Alice is a force to be reckoned with,” says producer Don Carmody. “She is
not only beautiful, she’s also genuine and funny. People think of her as ‘Milla
Jovovich, the Russian supermodel,’ but she’s very down-to-earth, very
accomplished and very dedicated. And nobody knows Alice better than she does.”
Alice
was stripped of her superpowers in “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” a move that
Jovovich believes was critical to the development of the character. “We’ve
moved closer to the original Alice, who was a little more vulnerable,” she
says. “When she’s in danger, the audience can be scared for her because she
can’t just make everything explode. She’s still a badass, just not a superhero
badass.”
As
Alice becomes acclimated to being human again, she has to learn to trust and
depend on those around her, adds Jovovich. “Without her superpowers, she
doesn’t feel as isolated. She feels more in touch with other people, and she
has to be much more of a team player. And she has been able to acquire bit of a
sense of humor about it all. If all you do is go around killing zombies and
being chased by Umbrella storm troopers, you may as well take it with a wink
and a smile.”
When
director Paul W.S. Anderson talks about the actress, who is also his wife, it’s
clear she is his muse for the film series. “Over the last ten years, as this
character has developed, we’ve had the opportunity to see her grow as Milla
has,” he says. “Alice was a blank slate in the first film because she had
memory loss and knew nothing about herself. She has slowly gathered around her
this family made up of other survivors of the apocalypse.
“This
is a big step for her,” he adds. “You see a lot of conflict come out of that
because she is a hardened warrior who has sacrificed for the battle she’s
chosen to fight. She has given up family, friends and a future. Now, she is a
slightly more complex character.”
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