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Resident Evil  -  Movie Review

by Natalie Romano

 

Based on the hit video game series of the same name, “Resident Evil” is a futuristic thriller playing on the same field George Romero plowed himself with his “Living Dead” films.  And just like Romero’s cult classic “Dawn of the Dead,” “Evil” is mindless pulpy fun with enough cheap pop-out-of-your-seat moments, neat special effects and loud gunfire and music to burst an eardrum.

 

Armed with the original screenplay written by Romero himself, Paul W. S. Anderson (not to be confused with Paul T. Anderson of “Boogie Nights” fame) starts the film off with a frightening scenario.  It seems that the Umbrella Corporation, an internationally known mega-corporation the controls the nation’s pharmaceutical supply and military defense armaments, is secretly working on a bio-chemical virus (the T-Virus for all you who know the games). Deep in an underground base known as the Hive the virus is purposely released in the lab.  The result is horrifying, especially since the lab’s main computer--The Red Queen--locks every scientist and employee in the facility.

 

Soon a group of heavily armed commandos deployed by Umbrella to investigate what went down in the Hive underneath Raccoon City.  Along for the ride is a confused agent (Milla Jovovich from “The Messenger“ and “The Fifth Element“) and the elite squad with only one recognizable member (Michelle Rodriguez from “The Fast and the Furious“).  What they find is an eerily abandoned workplace and a great mystery: What exactly goes on in that secret lab?

 

What ensues next is not much of a surprise: the small band attempts to escape the Hive, but flesh-eating zombies, monstrously disfigured Dobermans, mutated beasts with whip-like tongues and the Red Queen herself make things very hard.  That’s when things turn ultra violent and the blood and bullets fly.  Key scenes: Jovovich takes down a pack of undead Dobermans while half the commando group gets locked in a corridor with deadly slice-and-dice lasers.

 

Milla Jovovich is actually not bad and pretty convincing throughout the movie, although it’s rather disappointing that Rodriguez is actually more pout and growl than action babe (okay, we get it, you’re a tough girl).  The real surprise is that the movie holds true to the games and although it’s not the ultimate fright fest, it’s still good old-fashioned mutated campy fun . . . somewhere George Romero is smiling.

 

GRADE: B-

 

GameZone has Resident Evil Movie T-Shirts and Posters to giveaway to some lucky RE Fans



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