If you love the game, you love the movie!

Rating: 8/10 (12 March 2002)

Friends, Gamers, Fellow movie goers, your friendly neighborhood SmackmYackm had the opportunity to see a special sneak preview of the new Resident Evil movie. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity, since it was free.

Let me first start by saying that I walked into the theater tonight completely biased and almost hoping for the movie to be a complete and total turd that didn't even deserve to be placed in the porcelain throne. I was totally certain that this movie was going to stink so bad that the stench would rise above the audience like a foul flatulent cloud and drive everyone out of the theater demanding their money back for a movie they didn't even pay for in the first place. Well friends, I was happily disappointed.
From start to finish the movie just oozes everything that made me fall in love with the games. From the eerie atmosphere to the jumpy feeling to the hundreds of zombies this movie was from start to finish, Resident Evil. Those familiar with the game will start to see the resemblances right away and continue to see them all throughout the movie. The train, the mansion, the ending that screams sequel and most importantly the walking dead, its all there with the exception of the poor voice acting and the frustrating control scheme. Surprisingly, it doesn't rewrite the story, but expands it. Very easily just another chapter in the story, it could be tied together with the other chapters like a finely knit sweater. Even if you didn't like the game, but found the story compelling, you will like this movie.

As a movie it plays very well. It has action, suspense, a little drama and a whole lot of `what happens next'. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time wondering what was lurking around the next corner. The acting was very good considering the fairly unknown actors and the few, which in my opinion just aren't very good in the first place. All in all it is an action movie but does not feel like one. A few scenes suspend belief, but after all it is basically science fiction. No overdone fight scenes or Matrixesque `wire fu' but a whole lot of run for your life. All these pieces come together to make a very well done movie. I also found out that this isn't a `Hollywood' movie so that may have something to do with the reason it didn't suck, but I would like to think that movie producers are finally starting to notice that the movie goers are not all as stupid as they think we are.

The bottom line, Resident Evil is a thrill ride good for both movie fans and gamers alike. I myself couldn't have been more pleased and I think you will feel the same. Whether you're a fan of the series or a gamer that would like to see a gamer movie made well or just a fan of the cinema, you should try this one out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.