Knock, Knock — I'm Here for the resident Evil
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Movies based on video games already have a very difficult task from the very beginning, because there will always be someone saying that there isn't enough of the original game in the adaptation. Others will say that this is what games are for — to give you the full experience — while movies can only take inspiration from the world. To satisfy both sides, you really have to rack your brain to capture the spirit of the game while also going your own way.
A year ago, we got the very well-received Weapons, which was an interesting variation on the idea of a wicked witch haunting a town. This year, we got something that had no right to work, and yet somehow it does — mainly because the director went in a completely different direction than everyone expected.
Resident Evil is a movie that takes a lot from the series, but creates its own protagonist. It doesn't bother with the familiar characters and instead focuses on an unknown medical courier.
The first few minutes of the movie try to make the viewer think that this is going to be a very faithful adaptation. However, when the protagonist meets a woman on an empty road, the whole concept changes 180 degrees.
The director does a great job balancing the serious tone with situational humor, which comes up quite often because the main character isn't exactly the smartest guy around.
The movie Resident Evil combines elements from many different games in the series, taking both the best and the dumbest things from them and giving the viewer a true mixture of the best and worst elements — like a titanium padlock or an indestructible fence ;) But there are also familiar elements, such as Las Plagas (or something very, very similar), the dogs (I forgot what they're called here), and a little wink toward the finales of the RE games ;)Is it a good movie? Yes, because the comedic elements make it genuinely interesting to watch. There isn't constant action like there was in the Jovovich movies. Instead, the focus is more on the protagonist surviving and actually getting the package delivered.
The protagonist behaves rationally, often like an ordinary person who has never had any experience with guns. He almost desperately tries to figure out what to do, just hoping that something will work or actually fire. Thanks to this approach, the viewer gets to feel what a player feels while playing a game.
This whole noob aspect is a great move, because every one of us, when playing something for the first time, feels like Stevie Wonder at the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
I also have to praise the fact that the zombies here are really fast and can slightly resemble the ones from World War Z (you know, the Brad Pitt one).
One thing has to be said — combining a well-made survival movie with comedy that works perfectly in the situations where it appears is done really well here.
My rating for this movie is a strong 8/10. The tension drops a little toward the end, and you can feel that what was supposed to happen doesn't quite deliver the expected result. Nevertheless, it's still one hell of a great movie.
Rating: 8/100
