FSU: Movie Analysis - Resident Evil

Positives:
+The Resident Evil movie is based on the Capcom video game franchise of the same name.
+ It is a prequel to the games and explains the events that led up to the first game.
+ Even though it’s a prequel it references various elements found through-out the game franchise. For example, at the end of the movie the Nemesis program from Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is referenced.
+ Great zombie special effects. I especially love the Zombie Dogs. The special effects used to zombify them were very well done, even if the dogs did keep licking the blood and meat off the prosthetics.

Negatives:
- Some viewers may consider it excessively gory.
- Zombie Dogs may be disturbing to some as most don’t think of animals when they think of zombies.
- The “Licker” monster is out of place both visually and story wise in the movie although it is featured prominently throughout the game franchise.
- If you don’t pay attention the plot seems to get lost in the zombie action sequences.

Thoughts:
~ George A. Romero was signed on as the original director and screenplay writer of the film. He used actual gameplay as research for his script, so it followed the game’s storyline pretty well. For some reason, the powers that be at Capcom didn’t like Romero’s script and so fired him. The movie languished until Paul W.S. Anderson was hired by Sony to rewrite the script and direct.
~ The film is full of references to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. The computer who controls the Hive is called “The Red Queen”. The main character’s name is Alice. The wall that opens to show the train depot looks like a mirror. So, when the team goes through, they are going “through the looking glass."
~ Even though the movie is overflowing with them, the word “zombie” is never said.
~ The studio had wanted the movie to be rated PG13 but Anderson, the director, insisted that it should be rated R to stay true to the game franchise. I wonder how much would have to be edited in order to make the movie PG13 friendly? I think that would make for a very short movie.

Would Like:
* I’d like to see the “Resident Evil” that Romero would have made! The Godfather of all Zombies would have rocked that movie!
* Even though another sequel just came out I’d like another. I like the world and the story and want to dive even further into it.
* A bit more merchandising. It is true there are a multitude of Resident Evil inspired t-shirts, coffee cups, and even an umbrella in the Umbrella Corporation colors but I’m not talking about that. I’d love a pair of the boots Alice wears through-out the movie.
* A compilation of all four movies on Blue Ray disc. I know it is coming but I’m impatient.

Credit where credit is due:
Foundas, Scott. (2002, March 10). Resident evil review. Retrieved from http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=review&reviewid=VE1117917196&categoryid=31&cs=1 (Link broken as of February 2023.)

IMDB, Various. (2002). Resident evil (2002). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120804/