RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION
Repetitious, violent action best left for home viewing.
Should You Watch It?
Resident Evil: Retribution offers a familiar mixture of monsters, gunfire, explosions, and people fighting to survive. It also gives Alice a little girl to protect, and its good-versus-evil framework has a clear moral center.
But the movie is more retread than adventure. It begins by replaying the same action sequence, offers few surprises, and divides its threats among zombie monsters, human enemies, and an evil computer. Alice also never seems to be in real danger until the end. The graphic action violence earns the R rating, even though the foul language remains limited.
For discerning adults who still want to see it, wait for home, where you can control the experience. It is not appropriate for children or young teens.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAlice is trapped inside a huge Umbrella Corporation testing facility, where an evil computer has unleashed human and inhuman monsters. The facility contains mockups of cities and a suburban town, and a rescue team is trying to reach Alice before the computer sends massive reinforcements.
Along the way, Alice finds a little girl hiding in one of the testing sites. Protecting the child gives Alice a new mission as she fights to escape.
Is It Any Good?
Two stars means this is a weak, repetitious entry with a few new ideas but little freshness. The movie does add a little girl for Alice to protect, and it offers new twists within the franchise.
The filmmaking stumbles early. The opening action scene runs backward and then forward, repeating material the audience has already seen. The movie also has three groups of enemies, which makes the conflict less compelling, and Alice never seems to be in real jeopardy until the end. Overall, the action cannot overcome the retread quality.
The Worldview
The film presents a clear division between good guys and bad guys, with Alice protecting a little girl in a dark world. Its central villain is the Red Queen, a self-aware computer that has taken over the Umbrella Corporation and its biological weapons. The Red Queen represents technology gone awry and an arbitrary, inhuman authority.
The movie’s moral framework is straightforward, but its world is bleak. Human beings and monsters become tools of the Red Queen, while Alice and her allies resist that control. The film’s strongest moral idea is not technological sophistication but protection: Alice takes responsibility for a vulnerable child and fights to keep her safe.
That longing for protection points toward the biblical picture of God as a refuge for those in danger: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong moral worldview of good guys versus bad guys with heroine protecting a little girl, but set in a dark world; 10 obscenities (but no “f” words) and no profanities; constant action violence, some of it graphic, as zombie monsters attack people to bite them (no eating is shown), large monsters attack people, people shoot guns at monsters, people fight each other, explosions, large monster kidnaps little girl but she’s rescued, fighting between people includes two X-ray shots of people and their hearts after they’ve been hit in the chest (no gore, just white outlines of hearts); no sex scenes, but woman playfully hits husband on rear in kitchen and man places hand on woman’s thigh but she removes it; brief partial nudity from a distance in one shot when woman’s body is barely covered with two flimsy hospital gown pieces on her front and back and some female cleavage; no alcohol; man smokes cigar; and, kidnapping, greed, manipulation.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Alice takes responsibility for protecting a vulnerable child. What does Scripture say about caring for the weak and defenseless?
Psalm 82:3–4 · James 1:27The Red Queen represents technology used as an inhuman authority. When can power or technology become an idol or master?
Exodus 20:3 · Matthew 6:24The film divides people into good guys and bad guys, but many characters act as tools of a greater power. What does the Bible teach about resisting evil?
Romans 12:21 · Ephesians 6:10–13The movie’s violence is presented as a way to survive and defeat enemies. How should Christians think about vengeance and overcoming evil?
Romans 12:19–21 · Matthew 5:44The Final Word
Resident Evil: Retribution has a clear moral struggle and a new protective relationship, but its repeated action, weak editing, and graphic violence make it a poor family choice. If you still want to watch it, wait for home and reserve it for discerning adults. WAIT FOR HOME — ADULTS ONLY. Consider these alternatives instead:
