Game over

Rating: 1/10 (20 March 2005)

A virus that turns people into zombies is released inside a secret research facility. A couple of expert (I'll use the term lightly) soldiers are sent in to retrieve... something... I can't remember what it was, but I'm sure it isn't very important. Along with them are two amnesiacs and some other guy. Once inside, they have a limited time to get out again. Unfortunately, the dead have risen and zombie bashing ensues.
You can't expect too much of a film based on a video game, but all the same - Resident Evil feels pretty sloppy. It has got a low budget feel to it, just witness the sparse settings, dodgy effects, and amateur make up. There isn't much in the way of character development either, so it's not easy to give a damn what happens to them. Also, it's not good when there are numerous plot holes in a film with little plot to begin with.
There is a distinct lack of action as well. It takes close to half the film before any zombies show up, and even then it's just some erratic shooting accompanied by too fast editing and deafening rock music. There's not a lot of gore and blood either, which isn't good considering that it's a zombie film after all.
It's not the worse film ever made - the premise is quite good, but wasted - but it resembles too many other films, and fails to show anything new or even remotely exciting. Milla Jovovich does her best with what little she's given, but she deserved better. Obviously, director and screenwriter Anderson doesn't have what it takes to put together even a half decent video-game film. There are worse films out there, but that doesn't mean that there's any reason to see this one. [1/10]