Solid Film Interpretation Of The Video Game.

Rating: 8/10 (28 March 2002)

Admittedly, I had my hesitations about this film. I really, really wanted to like this movie, but the way some magazines and on-line sites were talking about the plot synopsis (a computer turning people into the undead and not the game's T-Virus), I had some concerns. Fortunately, after seeing the film, my concerns were eased, and such rumors didn't come to pass.
This film now resides in my "Top 3" (Mortal Kombat and Final Fantasy being the other two) of video game based films. And this is how the film should be looked at: A film that relies on a video game for its source material and story set-up. The film starts out slow, offering background information on the Umbrella Corporation, and introducing the viewer to the victims caught up in a situation they were ill-prepared to handle. The scenes (especially the Hive map layout) are set up like a video game. Again, for this type of film, it can get away with this and work properly if kept in that frame of mind. Once the zombies appear, the tone of the film gets much more intense, especially with scenes from some of the game's more "popular" enemies.
For a horror film, it's not as gory as I would have expected. It does have its fair share of "gross" moments, but succeeds more in some good old fashioned jumps and false "gotcha" scares scattered throughout the film. What really surprised me was that the film actually had some brief flashes of nudity in it. Then again, this really isn't a movie for kids, and I'm glad this wasn't dumbed down to be so.
The acting was decent, introducing new characters to the RE world (which kept things unpredictable as to who lived and who died, which made it more interesting in my opinion), and being the same director who did the original Mortal Kombat film, it was filled with plenty of flashy fight scenes to fast music. What really sat well with me in regards to this film is that the movie made plenty of subtle references to elements from the games (the crows, Nemesis, the mansion, limited ammo comments, etc.) without screaming to the audience "Hey, this prop is also from the game! This scene is just like the game! We included everything whether it needed to be there or not just to keep RE fans happy!" While I'm sure some people would have delighted in seeing the protagonists pushing around statues and opening doors with playing card-shaped keys, the movie rewards the die-hard fan with plenty of references if they look hard enough. The feel of the game was captured without going overboard.
Granted, some people have likened the film to "Aliens" and "Night of the Living Dead", but that's something of a moot point. Yes, there are similarities, and no the story isn't the most original thing out there, but the game series does take inspiration from such films to enhance the tension for the game. Basing these elements from the game for a movie only makes things come full circle. The film is meant to capture the feel of the game and provide some entertainment while it's at it. In that regard, it succeeds in what it sets out to do.
So is it worth it? If you enjoy the games, then yes. It's fun, it's got its creepy moments, it's got a great ending sequence (excellent "closure" for the film, if you can call it that), and hopefully the sequel won't go the way of the second Mortal Kombat film (read: bad).
Hopefully, there will be a Director's Cut DVD. I have a feeling that some scenes were cut out of this. Excellent popcorn fare, and a future addition to my DVD collection.