Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) Plot Summary Explained

In this thrilling fifth installment of the Resident Evil franchise, the narrative picks up immediately following the events of Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010). Our protagonist, Alice (played by Milla Jovovich), along with her companions, finds themselves under siege aboard the Umbrella Corporation freighter, Arcadia. This attack is orchestrated by a formidable fleet of airships led by Alice's former ally, Jill Valentine (portrayed by Sienna Guillory), who has been ruthlessly brainwashed by Umbrella through a scarab device attached to her chest. As the Umbrella soldiers wreak havoc on the freighter, Alice retaliates with gunfire, successfully shooting down one of the airships, which ultimately crashes into Arcadia. This violent collision triggers a massive explosion, knocking her unconscious and into the water, leaving the fates of Chris, Claire, K-Mart, and the others aboard in suspense.

The storyline takes an unexpected turn as we transition to a suburban life where an apparent version of Alice seems to be living peacefully with her husband, Todd (Oded Fehr), and their deaf daughter, Becky (Aryana Engineer). However, their blissful existence is violently shattered by a zombie onslaught, revealing their suburb is actually a contaminated Raccoon City. In the chaos, Alice and Becky manage to escape to the streets, where they are picked up by a student named Rain Ocampo (played by Michelle Rodriguez). Unfortunately, their escape is cut short when a truck collides with their vehicle, rendering Rain unconscious while Alice and Becky flee. Tragically, Alice’s attempt to protect Becky leads her to be killed by Todd, who has now turned into a zombie.

The original Alice soon awakens in captivity, where she finds herself interrogated by Jill. Despite Alice's efforts to jog Jill's memory and learn about her friends, her attempts are futile. Amid a power outage, Alice seizes the opportunity to escape her cell, navigating through a laser grid and finding herself in Shibuya Square just as the contamination in Tokyo begins. Battling her way out, she eventually returns to the facility, coming face-to-face with Ada Wong (Bingbing Li), a high-ranking agent working for Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts). Ada informs her that they no longer operate under Umbrella's command, revealing that the Red Queen, reactivated after The Hive's contamination, now wields control over Umbrella.

In a startling revelation, Ada delves into the depths of Umbrella's operations, explaining that the organization, once designed to produce the T-Virus at their Kamchatka, Russia base, used their facilities to create clones and simulate outbreaks to demonstrate the effects of the virus, all while profiting immensely from the chaos. To aid Alice and Ada’s escape, Wesker assembles a freelance team including Leon S. Kennedy (Johann Urb), Barry Burton (Kevin Durand), and Luther West (Boris Kodjoe). Their mission involves planting explosives around the base's entrance, set to detonate in two hours, thereby sealing the fate of anyone still inside.

As Alice and Ada navigate a simulated New York City, they battle hostile creatures, prompting the Red Queen to send Jill to eliminate them. Simultaneously, Leon and his team encounter zombies in a Moscow simulation, intensifying the precarious situation. The duo soon enters the suburban simulation where they discover a chilling truth: Becky and the previous "suburban Alice" are clones, part of Umbrella’s ongoing experiments. Despite this shocking revelation, Alice forms a deep bond with Becky, which fuels her determination to protect her.

Faced with Jill and her mercenaries—clones of Alice's fallen allies, including a malevolent version of Rain and Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr)—Alice is compelled to surrender for Becky's safety. However, Ada ignites a chaotic shootout, providing Alice a narrow escape with Becky. The duo ultimately reunites with the "good" Rain, racing towards the Moscow simulation and encountering Leon's team. Their frantic escape escalates as they are ambushed by an Uber-Licker, which captures Becky and kills "good" Rain. In a desperate move, Alice pursues the creature and must confront the painful realities of their situation.

In a harrowing climax, as they reach a cloning facility, Alice and Becky come across copies of themselves. When Becky questions her mother's identity, Alice reassuringly responds, “I am now.” The Uber-Licker's relentless pursuit culminates in an explosive encounter that floods the facility, but Alice and Becky manage to evade disaster by utilizing the ventilation system.

Awaiting extraction, the group is blindsided by a Soviet submarine, where once again, Jill and the malevolent Rain appear, given orders to eliminate Alice. Rain, now enhanced by the Las Plagas parasite for superhuman capabilities, wreaks havoc, overcoming her adversaries. In a fierce showdown, Alice successfully destroys the scarab device controlling Jill, restoring her to her former self yet retaining her memories. The battle takes tragic turns, resulting in casualties on both sides.

In a dramatic turn of events, Alice, Ada, Becky, Leon, and Jill make their way to Wesker’s heavily fortified base—the White House, rudimentarily protected by S.T.A.R.S. and the remaining U.S. Marines. Here, they face a dire reality as Wesker injects Alice with the T-Virus, reviving her formidable powers. The story unfolds to reveal that the Red Queen's sinister intent is to annihilate humanity, marking this confrontation as humanity's final stronghold against the impending doom brought forth by the T-virus and its monstrous creations.