Resident Evil is based on the wildly popular video game series. Alice and Rain, two members of a commando team assigned to infiltrate the Hive, an underground research laboratory owned by the faceless conglomerate known as the Umbrella Corporation. To do so, they must get past theRed Queen';s deadly defenses, face the flesh-eating undead employees, fight killer mutant dogs and battle The Licker, a genetically mutated savage beast whose strength increases with each of its slainvictims.
On its own terms, Resident Evil updates the zombie genre with an anti-corporate message while still scaring its audience and providing heart-pounding action.
A merely acceptable adaptation that feels more like a supernatural thriller with a couple of references to the game, involuntarily funny dialogue, and decent performances, than a terrifying production. [Full review in Spanish]
Hats off, however, to the production team for the set designs and one very imaginative death-by-laser sequence. The rest is a derivative, tedious mess.
It all looks and plays like a $40 million version of a game you're more likely to enjoy on a computer.
Lyles' Movie Files
September 11, 2012
This adaptation captures the spirit of the video games and with its fun, anything can happen mindset and tons of over the top violence, 'Resident Evil' proves there may be a future for video game movies yet.
Despite a promising setup, pic never really goes anywhere, instead immersing viewers in a kinetic onslaught of flesh (namely, that of Milla Jovovich) and flesh-eaters (most of the rest of the cast).
