Very true to the game with an American twist

Rating: 10/10 (17 March 2002)

After Tomb Raider, I was very nervous about seeing Resident Evil.
I heard it was to be a prequel to the games, and that just made my
stomach turn more. Since Resident Evil (or Biohazard Japan) has
always been written by the Japanesse, I viewed this movie as a 90
minute fan fiction story. Standing on its own, Resident Evil is a great horror/action film. The
entire film is filled with "what's that noise" or "what's around the
corner" suspense, much like the game. I was always pleased to
see that Millia's "Matrix Move" that she uses against the dog (they
show it at the end of EVERY commercial) was the only string stunt
used. Now for the more important part. How well does the movie portray
the game? Very f***ing good. First of all, Millia's costume was very
similar to Jill's in RE3. Second, about 10 minutes of the film DO
take place within the mansion from RE1 (and if you played the
game, you WILL notice which rooms they are in). Third, a lot of the
shots in the film are similar to the game (ex: a dead body lying
against the wall and blood stains all over the wall and a pool of
blood leading to his body). Fourth, (and this may spoil some of the
movie for you, so you might want to skip to the next paragraph) the
climax takes place on a train. Overall the tone of the game is very
similar to the movie. On a down note, don't think all the monsters will be in it. No
hunters, tyrants, sharks, spiders. There is ONE Licker, who
evolves into a super Licker, but they save him for the end. The film does have very "action" moments, such as the laser
scene in the beginning, and the matrix move, but it won't ruin the
overall feel. The audience cheered and said "Oh damn!" whenever
these incidents occured. But my favorite thing about this movie... is the hidden things they
put in that only the gamers would understand. They talk and show
Raccoon City, as well as the outside and inside of the mansion.
"Biohazard" is said and shown in the first five minutes. And,
(Beware: HUGE SPOILER!) they show you who Nemisis really is,
which I thought was a very nice touch. The ending did let you hanging, like they might make a sequel
(and I hope they do). If they do it would have to take place during
RE2 and RE3, cause anyone who beat RE3, knows what happens
to Racoon City. No Chris, No Jill, No Barry (I love Barry), and no "You being the
master of unlocking" (joke for the gamers). GOOD MOVIE. SEE THIS. EVEN IF YOU HAVENT PLAYED THE GAME.