See No Evil?

Rating: Null/10 (8 July 2002)

A young woman with amnesia awakens in an empty mansion, alone she is soon joined by a SWAT team sent to investigate a mysterious occurrence in the mansions subterranean secret labs. An occurrence which will bring her face to face with not only her true identity. . . but the undead!
In recent cinematic history the number of films based on computer games has increased & another such film can be added to the list with Resident Evil. Its far better than most game-to-film translations but is not exactly a classic cinematic experience. The games were heavily influenced by the work of George Romero & it is this cinematic inspiration which is beneficial to the movie version. Indeed Romero was approached to make the movie but his version was deemed too gory for a mainstream audience & hence not profitable enough. His replacement was Paul Anderson responsible for such movies as Event Horizon, Soldier & another computer game adaptation Mortal Kombat.
Anyone familiar with Andersons films will know what to expect. A B movie version of James Cameron style cinema with characters to match & a techno-soundtrack. As well as action the games have a suspenseful spooky atmosphere but the film concentrates on the action elements & yes, with a techno soundtrack. It doesn't send shivers up your spine nor is it gory enough for the hardcore horror fan but is entertaining in an undemanding sort of way.
Resident Evil the film is a low budget action-movie 'inspired' by Aliens & early John Carpenter with zombies instead of extraterrestrials & a SWAT team in place of futuristic marines. Also like the work of Cameron it has a strong female lead in the form of Milla Jovovich (Alice). She is good in a pretty undemanding role as is Michelle Rodriguez but most of the characters are stock action movie types & the audience doesn't care to much what happens to them.
The script whilst not Oscar worthy even by action movie standards does work. The main characters amnesia adds to the run of the mill plot & gives a hook to drive the movie forward. Just what does Alice have to do with the situation? The narrative is not based on any single Resident Evil game & is all the better for it. The games are heavily plot driven so less surprises would be up on the screen if it was a faithful adaptation of the console smash. What it does do is capture the spirit of the game. The silver screen version gives us the Umbrella corporation, secret labs, empty mansions, mutant dogs & of course lots of zombies - all stock elements of the Resident Evil series. There are many other familiar locales, scenes & images to raise a knowing smile for fans particularly in the sequel prompting climax.
The direction is solid if not groundbreaking & the sets are suitably dark & foreboding but Resident Evil doesn't have the superb set design found in Andersons earlier film Event Horizon. The zombies themselves look OK although they are not gory enough, a general complaint against the film. Where are the exploding zombie heads, the result of close range shotgun fire? Where are the zombie hoards feasting on McHuman Happy Meals? Also the CGI effects are pretty poor during the climactic big boss battle but this is probably due to budgetary limitations. That said it does end with a great closing shot which bodes well for the inevitable sequel, just so long as Anderson is allowed to up the anti in the blood 'n guts stakes. There is also a nod to the work of Romero to be found in the movies closing moments.
Overall with Resident Evil you get what you pay for. Movies based on computer games don't exactly promise much & anyone familiar with the work of Paul Anderson will not be surprised by this film. A modern B movie with all that entails. Its fairly enjoyable rubbish, perfect for a wet-afternoon on video rather than a must see cinematic experience.