Resident Evil: The Movie (Review)

Resident Evil won't bag any Academy Awards next year, but the film may be a long-awaited turning point for flicks based on top-selling video games. Though the plot was grossly undernourished, this movie milked the suspense, effects and heroic antics of Alice, played favorably by model/actress Milla Jovovitch.

The film is set a few days before the first Resident Evil game. The deadly T-virus has been set loose in the Umbrella Corporation's secret underground facility, the Hive. The Hive's central computer, the Red Queen, detect the virus, shuts down the Hive and exterminates everyone inside. The Umbrella Corporation sends in an elite military unit to shut down the Red Queen and contain the virus within three hours. Along the way, they pick up an amnesiac Alice and discover a few more surprises along the way, which may or may not include hoardes of flesh-eating zombies.

The movie's highlights includes a spooky cast of zombies, some truly special, special effects, a raging gothic soundtrack by Marilyn Manson and a few suspenseful moments that could make the most jaded viewer flinch. Milla Jovovitch and Michelle Rodriquez play kick-butt female operatives with ease. Too bad the unimaginative dialogue often overshadows these two solid performances. Film buffs will appreciate director Paul Anderson's homage to several classic zombie films, most notably George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. The famed horror director was initially slated to write and direct Resident Evil, but left due to "creative differences."

Resident Evil's defect is that it's too much like the video game series, brimming with non-stop action. Extended action sequences are great in video games; the player has the challenge of guiding the main character through the game. Take the game out of the video-game based movie, that's when the trouble begins. The film's plot twists and turns to accommodate the action sequences, with no distinct peak or satisfactory conclusion. Character development also loses out as well. At the end of the movie, the main characters are still little more than attractive mannequins, and the gaming audience is dissatisfied with its lack of involvement.

Despite its inherent flaws, Resident Evil is one of the best video-game based films to date, surpassing last year's Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy: Spirits Within. If you love the game series, the movie will not disappoint. If you're yearning for a congruous plot and rich characters, buy a ticket to see Robert Altman's Gosford Park instead. - L. Goad