Good beginning and end make up for "eh" middle.

Rating: Null/10 (17 March 2002)

"RESIDENT EVIL" was a scary video game. The game captured perfectly the claustrophobic atmosphere of an abandoned mansion, mixing it with the occasional zombie (or horde of zombies) and some bizarre villains along the way.
George A. Romero's script for "RESIDENT EVIL" is more like the game. It uses the characters from the game, adds some more, and leaves room for a sequel. He also involves the giant plant from the first game and the Tyrant... which I believe is the final baddie in the first game, but I'm not sure.
The film you can go to the theatre to see, though, is far different from the game. Characters are different, for one. The movie also creates a prequel and combines it with details from the first game. The sequel seems to involve details from games two and three, as the ending mentions details and exact location replicas from both games.
This is the part of the movie I really enjoyed. Anderson's script quenched my thirst for a connection to the game. It's cool when a writer can throw in something to please the diehard fans, and Anderson dd just that.
The movie, though, is okay. Some details seem reminescent of "CUBE," and one section actually copies the film's opening death exactly. Jovovich and Rodriguez are both good, but the latter needs to stop scowling like she did in "GIRLFIGHT".
All-in-all, I liked the film that was produced. I would have rather watched Romero's script, as it involves a hell of a lot more details than Andeson's. But I'm still eager to see the sequel, as I enjoyed this reimagining very much.