A videogame flick that doesn't stink.

Rating: 5/10 (14 April 2002)

The fact that the movie is based on a videogame hurt the movie at the box office because it turns off mainstream audiences. But all the stinkers based on videogames, like Street Fighter and Super Mario Brother, or mediocre attempts like Mortal Kombat and Tomb Raider, had a problem with the translation. Resident Evil in the other hand is a very cinematic videogame, which makes it a natural for a movie translation.
Just to say that a couple of things from the videogame would have helped this be a much better movie. Unlike the videogame, the movie environment looks too clean and bright for the horror factor. If you've seen films like "The Sixth Sense" you know than an eerie atmosphere makes the movie scarier tenfold. The camera angles
for the videogame which makes a sense of uneasiness, are very scattered through the movie, and the techno soundtrack, though good in the action scenes, is annoying at some points.
The combination of horror, science fiction, and action is not an easy task for any film, which is an effort worth of appreciation for this film. The plot is also interesting, and original though it borrows from other action and horror films.
I hope somehow this movie makes up for the cool box office reception on video and by word of mouth. The R rating didn't help, but it was right for the story.