Customer Reviews

Resident Evil [VHS]

5 star:		(322)
4 star:		(187)
3 star:		(107)
2 star:		(54)
1 star:		(68)

 

 

It was really funny when this DVD came out because it is titled "Resident Evil: DELUXE EDITION" and in actuality there are more special features on the original release. The only thing one could label "Deluxe" about this edition is that it has a small about a 2 minute clip from Resident Evil 2.

So, if you are looking to buy Resident Evil, then its a fun movie. But if your looking for "deluxe special features", then this is most definately the wrong place.

To my surprise, Resident Evil was a excellent movie. I really did enjoy Anderson's, "Mortal Kombat" so it was no surprise that I would enjoy this movie. Don't get me wrong though, because I did have my doubts about this movie. Most video game movies tend to flop for example, Street Fighter and Super Mario Brothers. Don't get Paul Anderson confused with Mortal Kombat Annihilation because he had nothing to do with that HORRIBLE movie.

The movie actually takes place one month prior to the Playstation Game Resident Evil and ends at some point within Resident Evil 2 and 3. How? I will explain later in the review. The only think I disliked about the movie was the mansion set used in the movie itself. It looked nothing like the Mansion used in PSOne Resident Evil. The interior of the mansion followed the style of PSOne Resident Evil, but many hardcore gamers will immediately point out that the Mansion is completely different on the outside. Every thing else follows close the game format and can possibly be tied into the game.

Many people will immediately identify Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriquez in the movie. Other actors are no names, but one actor named Eric Mabius is one to keep a eye on. The movie is centered around a huge underground laboratory under Raccoon City called the Hive which is owned and operated by the Umbrella Corporation. A virus is unleashed by a insider within the Hive and you know what comes next...Zombies Galore! If you remember the games, Umbrella is known for one thing, cover ups and they attempt to cover up this mess by completely sealing the Hive off with everyone trapped inside. A special ops team is dispatched to clean up the mess by making sure if this leaks to the public, Umbrella will not be blamed. Milla is dragged into the mess not knowing that she also works for Umbrella. When the team fails to accomplish thier mission, their new mission is to get out of the Hive ALIVE! Get ready for some excellent nail biting suspense and action as they attempt to get out of the Hive.

It has been announced that a Resident Evil 2 is in the works already and will star Milla Jovovich and Eric Mabius who will play the "Nemesis". Resident Evil ends somewhere within PS1 Resident Evil 2 and 3. You have to remember that in the PS1 Resident 3, PS1 Resident Evil 2 took place when Jill Valentine was injurned and poisened by the Nemesis. Two other characters from the game will be showing up in Resident Evil 2. Gina Phillips will be cast as Claire Redfield and Natasha Henstridge will be cast as Jill Valentine. This is going to be interesting to see them together on the screen when they never really met in the Playstation Game Series Resident Evil. We know that Claire was in Raccoon City looking for her brother Chris and Jill Valentine was attempting to get out of Raccoon City Alive. I sure can't wait to see how Paul Anderson will bring this movie together in Resident Evil 2. If you are a fan of Resident Evil, I know you can't wait too!

I have to confess that I don't play video games - eye-hand coordination and lightning reflexes weren't included in my genetic package, so this review is based on the movie - and nothing but the movie.

Other than Milla Jovovich, no cast member did any real acting. Michelle Rodriguez had a fairly difficult role to play, but the snarling and eye rolling was just too much at times. She was necessarily tough, but the dialogue also really let her down. The rest of the cast was on par for a B Grade horror movie, and only slightly more animated than the zombies.

This movie is what happens when you mix too many good things in a haphazard way. Imagine trying to write a coherent script when your "must" list includes zombies, were-dogs, sloppy genetic mutations with long tongues, a controlling computer system, an impregnable "fortress", a knockout babe with amnesia, a SWAT team, biological warfare, viruses, spies and saboteurs, a battle on a train, and guns - lots of guns.

The zombie scenes failed to impress, no gore to be seen anywhere - they just looked like a typical crowd of people in the mosh pit at a rock concert. The mutating tissue-thing was straight out of a Dean Koontz book, and most of the suspense scenes weren't very suspenseful, because whatever you expected to happen - did.

On the cool side, you had the wicked lasers to do the slicing and dicing, Alice's (Milla) hot red zombie-kicking slit-way-up the side dress, and the fight scenes. Many parts may seem familiar, mainly because you've seen scenes just like them in other popular action movies.

Next time let Alice do some Mortal Kombat with Lara Croft and you can call it a Final Fantasy.

Amanda Richards, February 22, 2005

For not being faithful to the game, this movie was suprisingly great. This is the kind of movie where you get SO envolved in it that when it's over, you're just sitting there thinking 'man, that was just...WOW.' I was so shocked that it was so GOOD. I mean, when alot of people go to see a movie based on a game, they basically think 'you just wait, this is gonna be corny with no real plot.' Well, I THINK NOT! Of course, you know there's gonna be alot of critics out there that are going to terribly underrate RESIDENT EVIL. Take my advice, DO NOT LISTEN TO THEIR [comments]. I am so fed up with critics! What do they know? When YOU see a movie, YOU judge if YOU like it or not. EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT TASTES IN WHAT MOVIES THEY LIKE. Ok, enough said about that.

Milla Jovovich's acting alone is worth seeing this movie. She is, without a doubt, an amazing actress. The rest of the cast were really great as well.

The plot couldn't have been better. It's exciting and at the same time enjoyable. It's very hard to loose interest. I didn't mind the cliffhanger ending because I know there's gonna be a sequel.

I do have a warning. I usually don't put warnings in my reviews, but I think I should in this one. Ok, to start off, I saw RESIDENT EVIL on the day it released. I noticed that alot people were bringing in some very young children to see this movie. I'M TALKING ABOUT 5 AND 6 YEARS OLD!!! PLEASE people, use your heads!! OK, I think I got my point across.

WARNING: For people who are not familiar with or have never heard of the game, RESIDENT EVIL has strong scenes of violence and gore (not for the weak stomache). THERE ARE SOME DISTURBING DEATHS and alot of (well, of course) frightning scenes.

Overall, the movie is fantastic. The acting is top-notch, the plot is excellent with a suprising twist and the graphics are great.

So, if you're a fan of the game or horror/thriller movies, see this as soon as you can. I'm definitely gonna see it again. I can't wait till they release it on DVD!

(Oh yeah, one last thing: THE MUSIC ROCKS!)

I would rate the video game movies like this:

1- Resident Evil
2- Mortal Kombat
3- Final Fantasy
4- Tomb Raider
5- Mortal Kombat: Anilation
6- Double Dragon
7- Street Fighter

The history of video game movies has been rocky, but this one restores my faith in the genre. I saw it twice in the theatre, and I will be watching it a infinite amount of times on DVD. Something I did not like about it was the lack of gore. That is something Resident Evil [the game] had been known for. But it did not disappoint me as much as other games to movie adaptations. It starts out with a fatal mistake of a virus being unleashed in a place called The Hive. A computer then kills everyone in the building. A elite team of soldiers has been sent to clean up the mess. It's ending leaves it wide open for a sequel, which I really REALLY want to see. Mill Jovovich gives a great performance in the movie along with the other actors. This is a good movie and you will most likely enjoy it.

This was a taut, chilling, and surprisingly effective zombie kill fest. The opening with the lethal lock-down of the complex by the super-computer is at once coldly methodical, and deadly. Milla as the heroine has transformed markedly since her Fifth Element days, and does an admirable job as the anesthesia victim. This film really moves along at a great pace, the Marylyn Manson soundtrack kicks it up a notch along w/ the action sequences. A deadly virus is released in an underground research complex, the host computer kills all the scientists rather than risk external exposure of the virus. A security detail is dispatched to ascertain what went wrong, but are themselves targeted by the newly animated dead. One of the better of its breed to be sure, very polished and gritty at the same time. It works, recommended.

...on it's own, standard Hollywood fare. Don't go into this expecting a faithful take of the original "Resident Evil" game; that storyline was tossed out the window, with director Paul Anderson inserting his own cookie-cutter vision (lack of vision?), looking to cash in on the franchise name.

Anderson, in the liner notes, is called a "fan" of the RE video game series. Coulda fooled me, since his big-screen adaptation hardly has anything to do with RE. For whatever reason (ego? studio execs with zero inspiration beyond $$$?), Anderson decided to script his own "prequel" to the events of the first RE game. The game was a slow-paced creepfest, all about atmosphere. This film is typical Hollywood tripe, full of kung-fu babes, lame one-liners, wooden acting, obnoxiously-loud industrial metal music, and cheap "things popping out of lockers" scares.

The basic plotline: Umbrella, a sinister mega-corporation which profits from bio-engineering & genetic alteration aimed towards warfare while operating under the guise of a General-Electric type company, has a massive underground lab. Nine-to-fivers work there like they would in an ordinary office, live there, eat & shop there, shut away from the world above. This is all hidden under a pristine mansion. Some criminal jerk decides to steal a very lethal viral agent known as the T-Virus, intentionally loosing the virus in the process, causing all hell to break loose. Everybody down below dies, re-animate as zombies. A "crack" SWAT team swoops in to find an amnesiac agent and a do-gooder trying to bring down Umbrella. Zombies attack, and most of the squad dies in a laser room before most of the action goes down. Later, mutant dogs abd beasts attack, Milla does her "Matrix" routine....you get the point.

Anderson turned a great game series into a convoluted mess. There is no "Red Queen" killer computer in the game. No underground office workers. No Alice the Zombie Killer. The script is paper-thin. Here's a great example; Team Leader: "Report, soldier." Jovovich as Alice: "What?". Good stuff, eh? Michelle Rodriguez will make you wonder how she gets paid to act, irritating you beynd belief in the process. She plays a Vazquez-from-Aliens ripoff character, snarling the entire movie in an effort to play a tough commando chick. The rest? Uh, doesn't matter since you barely even learn any of their names. Bad zombie effects, mediocre CGI work (including some zombies), blasting music....meant as a distraction, I believe, from the awful screenplay.

There's no crumbling Spencer Mansion. No odd puzzles to solve. No lone zombie wandering a dark hallway. No mouldering tombs to search. No blackened catacombs. No Trevor family. No freak mutations like the massive snake Yawn, Plant 42, Lisa Trevor, the shark Momma Neptune, or the dreaded Tyrant. No moody atmosphere of being stranded in a remote mansion, looking for your missing comrades without a clue as to what happened. No horror of discovering sinister experiments. In fact, there's nothing in this movie that made the game so creepy and effective. It was all there; perfect source material to make a truly frightening film. Sadly, it was all trashed in favor of pretty actors and lame Matrix-like action. In other words, Hollywood took another promising franchise and turned it into the typical garbage that they churn out day after day. On it's own, the film is your average Hollywood action/horror job, indistinguishable from the rest of its ilk. As a RE film, it is a complete bomb & miserable failure.

Want a great RE movie experience? Buy a GameCube and the Resident Evil remake. The graphics are amazing, and the mood is perfect. Play it in the dark and you start looking over your shoulder. Want a bad RE movie experience? Pop this film into your DVD player and you start looking over your shoulder for the nearest exit. Shame on you, Paul W.S. Anderson. What does the W.S. stand for? Writes Sh*t? Next time, stick to the storyline and spare us your own embarrassing version of things.

This movie is based on a video game that I have never played, so I can't comment on how the movie's plot follows the game. When the movie starts, there is a really cool aspect to it. A naked woman has just regained consciousness in her shower and can't remember anything. The next few minutes are packed with action, and a team of military personnel take them to the Hive (an underground research lab). Slowly each of them get filled in on the details of the mission. What that mission is, you'll have to watch the movie (or e-mail me) for.

The movie goes along great. The plot starts to materialize and things seem all right when all of a sudden the movie got derailed. Right about the point where the first living dead is discovered is when the film started to take a downturn. From then on it starts to resemble one of John Carpenter's films (particularly Ghosts of Mars. They even have the requisite train scene at the end. If you haven't seen this. Don't.) I was disappointed by this.

What I can say is that the lead actress Milla Jovovich gave it a good performance (as far as action flicks go), on top of being HOT. Sure, being the femme fetale and kicking butt is cliche nowadays. But you should see her in action.

LEAP rating (each out of 5):
L (Language) - 3 (no unnecessary cursing)
E (Erotica) - 3 (2 scenes with close to full body nudity, but tastefully done)
A (Action) - 4 (living dead dogs were scarier than the living dead people, but their asses still needed to be kicked)
P (Plot) - 3 (plot elements were well explained, no big surprises)

I recently purchased Resident Evil: Deluxe Edition from Amazon.com. Having never seen this film before, I realized that I played a gamble with this DVD. However, I think I did alright.

For 11.49, you really can't go wrong. This film features non-stop action, suspense, and a semi-decent plot to go with the flow of the film. Mind you, the plot has the structural integrity of a block of swiss cheese. But, bear in mind that Resident Evil is not a film that was made with the intention of getting nominated for an Academy Award.

Movies of this genre require only 2 things:

1) A beautiful female lead who knows martial arts and can manipulate a 9mm with the finesse of a Parisian street artist (that is a compliment).

2) Lots of on-screen death and destruction. Resident Evil is chock-full of "#2". Zombies are shot at, kicked at, punched at, and even head-butted at one point I think.

Grab the popcorn and Coke. Dim the lights, and turn up the sound. For 12 dollars, I do not think you will be disappointed.

5 solid stars. Not for quality, but for pure entertainment value. Do NOT expect deep, thought-provoking dialogue, and thematic material from this film.

DO expect one hell of a ride....and with Milla driving, you'll definitely be in for a treat!

The movie really rocked. Action and gore, Just what i like. I've been getting kind of mad to see the reviews saying that Resident Evil was a stupid movie, and that they walked out on it during the first 15 minutes. But i don't know what they were thinking. I loved the movie. Especially the way some odf teh zombies looked. Really nice. I'm not just saying this because I'm a huge RE fan, but it rocked.
You have to see it for yourself. And like some people already said about not listening to the critics. Don't, please don't. They're a bunch of sorry people. But anyway, go and see the movie if you haven't, or get it on DVD. You'll be sorry if you don't. There were some parts when the music got a little corny, but that didn't put it down for one second.
And i heard that there was a second resident evil movie coming out. I can't wait to see it. Although it does come out next year's october. And the good thing about it is, they'll have characters from the original game. Like Claire, Jill, and Nemesis. Overall, this movie was above the rest.