Semi-Entertaining action movie

Rating: 6/10 (28 August 2003)

Overall "Resident Evil" is way above average as far as video-game to silver screen goes, however the movie itself only provides enough entertainment to cover you watching it maybe 2 or 3 times after that the movie becomes kinda boring.
The first thing you'll notice about this movie (if you have played the games, but also if you havn't) that this isn't scary, at all. It is an action movie with a touch of gore now and again. There's a few cheap thrills which manage to make your heart jump for a second, but beyond that this movie has more in common with something like "Aliens" than "Night of the Living Dead". The script is mediocre, better than Romero's but still filled with wasted potential. The acting again is mediocre. In places this movie does get kinda stupid. The dog sequence comes to mind where she manages to kill 5 or 6 zombie dogs with one bullet each.
The zombie sequences potential for some heavy action and gory scenes were again wasted as 4 of the team going into the hive to find out what happened are killed straight away by the Red Queen which means the film has to be more conservative with who lives and dies later on in the movie. Those characters went to waste in my opinion. The use of the Red Queen in the movie removes any horror elements remaining in the movie concerning the unknown of exactly what has happened as the Red Queen explains it all. There is in fact little or no atmosphere maintained in the movie, no where do you feel anxious or claustrophobic , and by no means does this movie inspire dread.
All in all a below average action movie that tries to be something it isn't and disappointing for the game fans.