Resident Evil - Father of the "zombie virus" idea? Even if not, excellent zombie film!

Rating: 7/10 (16 May 2013)

As a devout Horror fan, I suggest that Zombie flicks are sort of a different genre. It could be considered a sub-genre of Horror, much like Ghost Stories and "Torture Porn", but it's more unique in it's differences, I reckon. I've seen my share of Zombie flicks. Most of them, like world famous Dawn of the Dead, take place in a zombie infected reality, where few survivors try to live through the aftermath of an apocalypse. Resident Evil predates most of the films of the passed decade, and the best thing - it shows the factors that lead to the zombie apocalypse. I must confess that I have no prior experience with the title, not the Comic books nor the animated films. But I very much enjoyed this film!
The screenplay and story feel unoriginal, but if anyone knows of the first film that has come up with the idea of a major corporation developing a virus that turns people into zombies, then gets released somehow and infects the world - let me know, because I don't. White Zombie was released in 1932, but involved Voodoo rather than a virus. Resident Evil probably ins't the first, but it was there before many others. The story is great, with good plot twists and delightfully surprising turn of events.
This film might not be a cinematic masterpiece, but it's a great and fun to watch zombies film. The acting is good (Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez of course, but I also liked James Purefoy as Spencer). Direction and cinematography are also good, done just right for such a film. I've watched this intending to continue and watch all the anthology, all the way to the latest 2012 film, including the animated films. It seems I'm in for quite a ride!