Resident Beasts of the Evil Wild: Alice vs. Hushpuppy

Not long ago, a friend of mine was kind enough to drag me to a screening of Beasts of the Southern Wild, a beautiful, lyrical film which reflects on the conceits of  ‘civilization’ and the triumph of the human spirit. Just the other day, I saw Resident Evil: Retribution, an absurd, erratically paced attempt to graft the experience of a video game onto the silver screen. As I watched Milla Jovovich slay one zombie after another with imaginative skill, a strange thought occurred to me. In a sense, these movies aren’t too different. 

That is, if Beasts of the Southern Wild were made by a 12 year-old boy.

On the surface, the two films don't appear even vaguely related. In Beasts of the Southern Wild, the 6 year-old protagonist, Hushpuppy, searches for a way to rebuild her island community after it is ravaged by a hurricane. And in Retribution, the fifth of the Resident Evil movies, an ageless, weaponized clone named Alice confronts the Umbrella Corporation― a.k.a. The Most Evil Organization To Ever Exist― who has unleashed hordes of zombies and terrible mutants upon the world. And yes, everybody knows which movie is more likely to score come Oscar season.

C'mon folks, we all know Milla's due for it.

But under the surface, there are more similarities than one might think. First off, both stories champion individual perseverance and the value of sticking to one's deepest convictions when the chips are down. The word 'quit' is simply not a part of Alice or Hushpuppy's vocabulary, despite the fact that both heroines have plenty of incentive to give in. In Retribution, most of Alice's former allies have turned against her, because all along they were nothing more than disposable products of the Umbrella Corporation (a.k.a. The Most Evil Organization To Ever Exist). On top of that, the world is virtually overrun by a smorgasbord of vile mutant monsters and hungry zombies. But Alice keeps on fighting, knowing that she must somehow preserve humanity. In Beasts of the Southern Wild, the Bathtub, Hushpuppy's quaint island home, is destroyed by a hurricane and state authorities eventually force them to evacuate. But Hushpuppy does her utmost to find herself, on her own terms, and uses that strength to rebuild a community where many people would not choose to live in the first place. 

Say what you want, but the Bathtub is blissfully free of mutant zombies.

The second similarity lies in both films' emphasis on aesthetics. Beasts of the Southern Wild has a consistent plot that is relatively easy to follow, but the story is told through a connection of images and settings. Viewers experience the film through a kaleidoscope of colors and curious sights, be it Hushpuppy running through a blurry night with two roman candles in her hands, her father's boat crafted from a pickup truck bed, or stampeding prehistoric aurochs. Despite often mundane settings, little in the movie appears truly real.

Except for Hushpuppy's blatant disregard for fire safety.

The opening scene of Retribution plays twice, first in reverse, and then, after a voice over/montage recaps the first four movies, the same sequence is played forward. Why? No reason, it just looks cool. The second scene involves Alice as the suburban mom of an adorable deaf girl, who she must protect from a sudden outbreak of zombies. Why? Because, hey, let's put Alice in a totally different situation and see what happens. Then the real plot begins: Alice is imprisoned in a testing center run by the Umbrella Corporation― a.k.a. The Most Evil Organization to Ever Exist― and she can only escape by fighting her way through simulations of some of the world's most famous cities. 

Of all the Resident Evil movies, Retribution most closely resembles the play of a video game. Scenes of direct exposition set the objectives of elaborate action sequences to which all narrative and character development are subordinate. This gives Alice a chance to fight two enormous axe-wielding mutants in an ersatz New York, and lets another group fight a horde of zombie Russian soldiers in a mockup Moscow. 

To an even greater degree than Beasts of the Southern Wild, Resident Evil places the aesthetic above all else. While Beasts' plot moves at a loose pace, Hushpuppy, her father Wink, and the other denizens of the Bathtub all have relatable motives and sympathetic flaws. As a character, Alice has no real flaws. After five movies, she's just a badass who must save the world, which is kind of absurd. And it is also why the movie not only underwhelmed attendees at this year's San Diego Comic Con, but has also garnered meager praise from critics.  Beasts of the Southern Wild, on the other hand, had Oscar buzz as soon as it hit the theaters, and has since been lauded by 120 out of 139 critics.

"Dear Alice, Eat it! Love, Hushpuppy."

But in all fairness, these are two very different kinds of films, and both meet the objectives they set for themselves. Beasts of the Southern Wild is a touching, thought provoking film that defies Hollywood formulas. But still, the fight scenes in the latest installment of Resident Evil movies are exciting and visually engaging, never mind that the plot fails to explain who exactly is doling out the titular 'Retribution.'  Then again, Alice and co. hauled in over $21 million their first weekend, whereas Beasts of the Southern Wild's lifetime gross is only slightly larger than half that amount.

"And take it from me, kiddo. Like it or not, capitalism always wins."