Entertaining Zombie Flick

Rating: 7/10 (5 November 2006)

Resident Evil is one of the few films based on a video game that, as a whole, didn't disappoint me. As far as I am concerned, it was a very good video game-based movie, and an entertaining zombie flick. Let me break it down.
Story: Alice, a woman with no memory, is brought into a world she doesn't understand when a team of paramilitary commandos take her down into a research lab to aid them. Apparently, the entire lab was wiped out by the area's supercomputer, entitled "Red Queen." Their mission is to wipe out the supercomputer, and determine the cause of why everyone was killed. The trouble is, a deadly virus was released through the facility, and the people that were killed are still walking around. Resident Evil is a film about conspiracy and scientific experiments gone horribly wrong.
Direction: Paul W.S. Anderson, in my opinion, is a fine director. He knows exactly what he wants to achieve in each film, and sets out to do it. Anderson knows how to build up the audience, and submerse them into a film. The pacing of the film is terrific, with just the right blend of action and horror. Anderson can work wonders with a budget, and knows how to set up the mood for the entire picture, and keep it that way. Solid! Rock on, Mr. Anderson.
Acting: This was the part where the film faltered. While not horrible, the acting isn't top par, either. Milla Jovovich(Alice) played the part of the amnesiac quite well. She was definitely the finest actor in the film. The girl has talent. Michelle Rodriguez(Rain) played her usual tomboy no-nonsense character almost as good as usual, though something was missing in this performance. Eric Mabius(Matt) did a poor job. His performance was just not believable to me. James Purefoy(Spence) is a gifted actor, and I look forward to seeing him more often. As for the rest of the cast, some were good, some were poor, and some just plain sucked.
Score: Marilyn Manson and Marco Beltrami composed a fantastic score for the film. Their combined efforts really helped set the tone for the entire movie, and fit in so well with what was going on. I loved it.
Violence: Unlike most zombie flicks, this film is not extremely gory or revolting. The zombies shed very little blood, because, as stated in the film, it has already coagulated. Still, there are a few bloody bits. We get countless head shots, gunshot wounds, decayed zombies, some creature violence, and a particularly nasty segment with a laser.
Profanity/Sexual Themes: Of course, cussing is found in this film, though I must say, it is almost always justifiable in the flick. As far as sexual themes, there are two very brief sex scenes between Milla Jovovich and James Purefoy, with a brief glimpse of nudity on Milla's end.
Substance Abuse: None.
Overall: By the end of the movie, I found myself thoroughly entertained. Resident Evil is a good video game adaption, and a pretty entertaining zombie flick with the perfect blend of scares and action. 7.5/10