Cinematography and Manson's score only positive elements.

Rating: Null/10 (3 August 2002)

Impressive clinical cinematography and an appropriate techno-goth soundtrack by Marilyn Manson are perhaps the only admirable elements to this video game adaptation that was historically doomed from the get go. Director Paul Anderson (Soldier, Event Horizon) churns out yet another flat action-gore flick that would be successful if it could only satisfy the enthusiasts of the video game franchise by the same name. The plot stays faithful to the game. A deadly virus escapes a multi-billion dollar underground research facility owned by the Umbrella Corporation, mutating everyone infected into a mindless zombie. A Special Forces team led by sexy super model turned actress Milla Jovovich (Alice) is sent into the facility to investigate the contamination and stop the virus from spreading. To complicate matters, a highly advanced AI super computer, the Red Queen, toys with the team, sometimes aiding them and sometimes leading them to their deaths.
The acting is just as flat and as full of one-liners as the game itself. And while this film may not feature a star-studded cast, at least the screenplay (Also by Anderson) could have been crafted well enough to allow Milla Jovovich room to play a dynamic character (As she did in Messenger). Michelle Rodriguez plays Rain, the secondary gun totting Lara Croft wanna be. Her one-liners include `The bitch isn't standing now. ` `Blow me.' and `When I get outta here I think I'm gunna get laid.' Her contrived bravado is weak in comparison to earlier sci-fi tough girls such as Private Vasquez of Aliens.
Based on poor box-office earnings and the fact that this film was yanked from theaters quite quickly, it seems that most moviegoers preferred to wait for this flick to be stocked on the shelves of Blockbuster. And if cliché dialogue isn't enough to distract from otherwise entertaining gunfire and bodily dismemberment, the film's tedious pseudo-scientific explanations of the virus and how a human body is zombified' will remind you that your remote control sports a fast forward button. Paul Anderson and like filmmakers who attempt to rationalize the paranormal should take a lesson from horror greats like George Romano. Romano's Night of the Living Dead series didn't waste time on explanations and rationalization. There are a few disputed origins of the zombie race: maybe a meteor crashes into Earth and spreads radiation, maybe a virus escapes a research facility, fine, leave it at that. Accept the fact that zombies are the walking dead and they feed on human brains. That is all we need to know.
This film is not totally undeserving of appreciation. There are a few good scenes and some decent makeup effects. One of the best scenes showcases Milla's Alice facing off against a pack of mutant dogs, which is also highlighted in the film's trailer. It looks great partly because of the fact that the dogs are not computer animated composites. The effects team saved the CGI for the flesh-hunting mutant that acts as the movie's end level boss-an early experiment by the Umbrella Corporation that is pitted against Alice in a battle royal on a speeding train. To put it bluntly, this digital creature has the artificiality of a direct to video sci-fi release. The most nail-biting and sadistically creative scene comes early in the film. The Special Forces team, who by the way arrive out of nowhere, get pinned down in a chamber of deadly lasers as part of the Red Queen's defense mechanisms. Without giving too much away the team falls victim to an interesting game of agility and dissection. The effects here look great and will leave the faint with an upset stomach.
Photographically the film is a winner. It is clean and well lit, the colors are beautiful and the camera angles are well thought out. Unfortunately we've seen this ultra clinical cinematography a lot in recent films and it may not have been the best choice for this story. A better choice would have been to match the video game's dark, gritty aesthetic. The contrast between the Umbrella research facility and the bloodied, ragged zombies makes for an inconsistency that is all too noticeable. On a poignant note, Marilyn Manson's original score almost carries the film. It is an effective creepy mix of slow brooding goth-noise and clean accelerating techno-metal. Hearing Manson's musical arrangements sans his juvenile angst lyrics makes you appreciate his talent and puts his controversial image and ideals aside.
If you prefer movie endings not to be neatly wrapped then Anderson's habit of leaving room for a sequel will delight you. The film ends right where the second installment of the video game picks up. There is resolution of the initial conflict but then a new one is revealed just before the credits roll. A Resident Evil sequel is in the works, but as the laundry list of bombed silver screen video game adaptations suggests: Super Mario Brothers, Street Fighter, Double Dragon, Final Fantasy, Mortal Kombat (Also by Anderson), I wouldn't expect to get your $8.50 worth at the theater. Overall the film is high on action and lacks suspense. Suspense is what actually made Anderson's 1997 film Event Horizon watchable. If you want to see more of this director's work then I recommend Event Horizon. It is almost the antithesis to Resident Evil in its gritty aesthetic and tone. It also delivers good dialogue, an interesting story line, a character twist, and some wonderfully explicit gore. I rank RE a 5 out of 10.