A tactical team
is sent into an underground facility to take over a computer gone
haywire. Inside this facility is a man-made virus, called the
T-virus, which spread through all the workers and killed them. Or
at least they are thought to be dead. In fact, the T-virus turns
its victims into flesh eating zombies. The film is based on the
Japanese video game of the same name and directed/written by Paul
W.S. Anderson.
CRITIQUE
Playing the
Resident Evil game without any lights on freaked me out more than
most scary movies I’ve seen, so I thought Anderson couldn’t possibly
mess this movie up. He directed “Event Horizon,” a creepy
science-fiction movie set in space. So with that under his belt (and
not knowing he was going to make the bastard film, “Alien Vs.
Predator”), I figured he might be able to make a good zombie film, but
not reinvent the genre.
The movie follows
as a prequel to the video games, following Alice (Milla Jovovich) as
she wakens in the shower of a large mansion in RaccoonCity.
She has no idea of who she is, or why she is the only person inside
the mansion. Enter stage left: the brutes, the team that is sent to
the mansion to top the Umbrella Corporation underground facility, to
disable the main frame computer that they believe unleashed the
T-virus to the workers. One thing leads to another, and Alice and the
team are attacked by the zombies, plucked out one by one.
”Resident Evil” has
lots of shooting, blood and a cliffhanger ending. Anderson follows the
formula of an ending that hypes the audiences more than the whole
movie as a whole. On the other hand, nothing new is really brought to
the table with this film, for everything the director admires, such as
“Alien” and “Predator,” “Resident Evil” he cannot adapt any project to
film the way it really “should be.” This is a popcorn film, and
nothing more. Anderson
has the backing of the original game and its many sequels as source
material for this film, but he still hasn’t found his niche writing
nothing more that is mediocre. Then again, one isn’t looking for an
Academy Award winning summer movie, instead one is looking for
screaming, blood, guts, action and Matrix-style cinematography.
So this is the movie to check out then.
THE VIDEO
“Resident Evil”
Deluxe Edition is presented in anamorphic widescreen. For some odd
reason when things are in the corners of the screen, it seems like
they are a little too dark, un-cinematic, and almost glitch-like.
Other than that, I have no complaints.
THE AUDIO
Crisp, clean and
cool defines the Dolby Digital sound from “Resident Evil”. Same as the
original DVD, nothing different.
THE EXTRAS
Two “insightful”
commentaries: The one from the director, producer and cast is the
one to look out for. Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez completely
let go with Paul W.S. Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt as they recall
their experiences on the making of the film. The second commentary is
more of a technical recalling, less entertaining, it’s all about the
visual effects.
The making-of
featurettes go in-depth from video game to feature film
construction feature (15:03); scoring the film (11:03); storyboarding
(6:25); costume design (3:26); production design (4:07); making the
“Lickers” (5:18); the elevator sequence (1:08); death by laser
sequence (5:05); service train sequence (2:26); K9 Zombies (3:54). And
lastly, the featurettes end with what I like to call Zombie Edict
(4:30).
An introduction
from Paul W.S. Anderson begins the alternate ending that should
never have seen the light of day. It’s over the top and not a good use
of cliffhanger abilities. It’s a movie, Anderson, put a little oomph
into it!
You are given a
little treat inside this DVD, a free movie ticket to “Resident
Evil: Apocalypse” in theaters. I saw and liked the original, of
course, so I’m going to see the sequel, no doubt because I can get in
for free.
THE ARTWORK
Something about the
cover art for this DVD snap case reminds me of the “Matrix
Revolutions” artwork. All boxed separately: Jovovich, Zombie, Dog
Zombie, Rodriguez.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you don’t own
the original DVD already, I wouldn’t really suggest buying this Deluxe
Edition DVD based on the much talked about (since the theatrical
release) alternate ending. It’s not really worth it. Rent it instead.
