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The most helpful favorable review
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28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
A film that is just total fan service for "Resident Evil" video game fans. Not so much for the live-action RE fans.
The Resident Evil series has become one of the top selling titles for video game company CAPCOM. Known in Japan as "Biohazard", the series has sold over 34 million games and among the series, one of the most popular titles was the 1996 Sony Playstation game "Resident Evil 2 which introduced us to the characters of Racoon City rookie police officer Leon Kennedy and...
Published 21 months ago by Dennis A. Amith (kndy)
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Good Not Great and Kind of Letdown
I love Resident Evil and really enjoy the video games a lot even though I am not to much on the live action movies. With that said I was surprised that I liked this movie even though I didn't love it.
The video quality is pretty awesome in the blu ray version with pretty thing I noticed wasawesome sound. The one thing I noticed was the close up of faces...
Published 20 months ago by j-rob-82
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28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
A film that is just total fan service for "Resident Evil" video game fans. Not so much for the live-action RE fans., December 13, 2008
The Resident Evil series has become one of the top selling titles for video game company CAPCOM. Known in Japan as "Biohazard", the series has sold over 34 million games and among the series, one of the most popular titles was the 1996 Sony Playstation game "Resident Evil 2 which introduced us to the characters of Racoon City rookie police officer Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield (sister of "Resident Evil 1 hero Chris Redfield).
The two were popular characters that fans enjoyed and in 2005, "Resident Evil 4 featuring Leon Kennedy became a huge hit earning "Game of the Year" by various publications.
With the popularity of the character of Leon Kennedy, how fitting was it when CAPCOM announced the reuniting of both Leon and Claire. As a fan of the video game series, I was definitely excited and couldn't wait to see the film. "resident evil: DEGENERATION" takes place seven years after "Resident Evil 2.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
Picture quality is pretty good. The film is entirely in CG and was created in Maya. The CG was well done but not as fluid as "Final Fantasy: Advent Children" but still looked very impressive. The rendered character models were just great to look at (especially at the beginning when you see the airport or even the WilPharm HQ. Both look very realistic!) and Leon, Claire and Angela Miller model renders were just very well done. If anything, there is slight jerkiness when it comes to a close up of a character and trying to make it do natural and realistic movements during a conversation. But during the action scenes, the movements were very nice and overall, the CG was very well done.
If anything, fans of the video games will more than likely enjoy these CG rendered scenes.
As for audio, the audio is featured in Dolby Digital 5.1 and during the action scenes (which there are many), sound does come alive and sounds very good on my system. Dialogue is quite clear. As for the music, the ending theme "Guilty" is by Japanese music artist ANNA TSUCHIYA.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The DVD features quite a few special features which include:
* The Generation of DEGENERATION featurette - This featurette interviews Makoto Kamiya and other CAPCOM staff and their goal with the film, why they used the actual English voice actors in terms of the motion capture (including having them learn how to hold a gun) and more behind-the-scenes footage on the creation of the film. Also, fan reaction at San Diego Comic Con.
* Character Profiles - Profiles feature a text blurb on each character and you can access a video or photography profile (from parts of the film).
* Voice Bloopers - This is more or less bloopers but not sure if it was intentionally created or if it was actual bloopers. One featured Leon Kennedy telling the others about his "fee". Quite funny to watch.
* Faux Leon Interview - I'm not quite sure what this feature was about. A man is interviewing one of the motion capture actors and the actor is talking about working with Kamiya-san and others on the film.
* Resident Evil: Degeneration Trailers - Trailers for the film
* Resident Evil: Degeneration Tokyo Game Show Trailer - Tokyo Game Show trailer
* Resident Evil 5 Special Game Footage - Promotional video for the upcoming Playstation "Resident Evil" game.
* Resident Evil 5 Game Trailers - Trailers for the upcoming Playstation 3 video game.
Let me first say that I am a big fan of the "Resident Evil" series and I own nearly all the US releases. "Resident Evil 2 really was innovative when it first was released for the Sony Playstation and was my favorite R.E. game until "Resident Evil 4 was released and that video game was just incredible.
So, that being said, watching this film had me smiling because I absolutely adore both the characters of Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. How this film furthers the storyline of the two characters but also builds on certain situations that may have major ramifications for future video game releases is quite exciting.
So, with that being said, I enjoyed the film because the creators really wanted to pay homage to "Resident Evil 2 and "Resident Evil 4 video game series and its fans. But I realize that many people who are not familiar with the video game series are wondering how the context of this film is to the live-action film series featuring Mila Jovovich.
There is a relation by name and of course, the virus that turns people to zombies but really, this film was created for the fans of the video game series in mind.
Also, with this being a video game-related film, many who crave a deep storyline with character development of who is Claire and who is Leon may feel disappointed. The reason why video gamers who played the video games is that through those video game moments of playing these characters for hours, there was a vested interest.
I would assume that many viewers not familiar with the video game series won't pick up the importance of Claire or Leon to the actual "Resident Evil" storyline. In fact, some may wonder why they should care about these characters especially at the end with the politics surrounding the viruses.
So, with that being said, "resident evil: DEGENERATION" is an awesome film for those who followed the video game series. The film features plenty of non-stop action, bloody violence courtesy to the zombies and you even get a scene with blood that splatters on to the camera. But the enjoyment comes from those who had the experience of playing "Resident Evil 2 and "Resident Evil 4 and to see Claire and Leon again.
The CG looks great and there are some moments that I was just really in awe but at the same time, there are some movements that were jerky and robotic at times. But overall, the model renders were good and Leon and Claire look very good. So, the bottom line is that this film is just total fan service for "Resident Evil" video game fans. So much that I highly recommend this DVD.
For those who are not familiar with the video game series, you may enjoy it but if you are expecting a continuation of the live action films, then this DVD may not be for you. In fact, some may be disappointed because there is no strong plot for them to truly enjoy these characters especially without playing the video games. So, I can understand if they don't get into it.
Again, if you are fans of the "Resident Evil" video games, you can't help but have a smile on your face because there is now a "Resident Evil" film that was created with the RE video game fan in mind. And for that, I recommend this DVD for you!
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23 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
This is what it should be, November 20, 2008
This review is from: Resident Evil: Degeneration [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
I watched Degeneration in NY Horror Film Festival. At first I didn't expect a lot from this movie, cause the live action trilogy is very disappointing and I just didn't dare to expect it would be good, but it is. If you're an RE fan, it's a must-see movie. You won't be disappointed. Luckily the movie doesn't focus on fighting zombies too much. It is a drama/thriller. The movie successfully combines T & G-virus storyline fans are familiar with. Although not much character development, you can enjoy the story. CG part in my opinion is not as good as Final Fantasy. Characters' facial expression is a little stiff, and their "stares" are dull. Women look like they had plastic surgery. But these are not serious problems, just the technical parts they need to improve. Degeneration story is much better than FF. After watching its premiere, I can't wait to buy the DVD.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Good Not Great and Kind of Letdown, January 7, 2009
This review is from: Resident Evil: Degeneration [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
I love Resident Evil and really enjoy the video games a lot even though I am not to much on the live action movies. With that said I was surprised that I liked this movie even though I didn't love it.
The video quality is pretty awesome in the blu ray version with pretty thing I noticed wasawesome sound. The one thing I noticed was the close up of faces are greatly detailed but from far away look like they have kind of a plastic coating or something that reminded me of Advent Children. I enjoyed certain scenes of the usually overdone slow motion, like when Leon throws Claire a handgun in the airport or Leon shooting a mutant in the face in the facility are really great. The animation is great but not really an as advanced as I hoped from when Advent Children. I did notice more vibrant colors and the flame effects are very good with fantastic lighting and rich blacks.
I was hoping for more of an open movie instead of being in claustrophobic atmospheres and Leon has too much perfect hair. Even at the end of the movie no one seemed roughed up to bad and their hair and faces remained intact unless you suffer from a case of zombiefacationism of course. Like I said earlier this movie surprised me that I enjoyed it. I wish it felt bigger and on a larger scale but the whole thing just felt small be it the amount of the immediate cast or the location. The only open part being the airport at the beginning and thank goodness they didn't make the whole thing based in the airport. The whole movie could have been a bunch of cut scenes from a video game like a new Resident Evil game and why so serious all the time Leon. I think I enjoyed this better than the current Resident Evil trilogy and wonder why this isn't the route they took instead of live action. The story doesn't feel like a movie but more part of a mini series which is why I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have by the end.
Fans of Resident Evil should watch since it is a nice inclusion and it didn't hurt the series or make it look bad. The blu ray is fantastic to show off its capabilities since it just looks so pretty even if sometimes character movements aren't always fluid and an occasional plastic texture face. Special features aren't the greatest but still nice to have and I guess they will have a special edition later. Though it is three stars for me I still enjoyed it and its a 5 star just for its picture and audio quality but that's not enough to warrant a purchase. Rent it if you love than give it a buy.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Action-Packed, Fun and a Nostalgic Return to Classic Characters of the Video game franchise!, December 27, 2008
It has almost been a little more than 10 years since the first "Resident Evil" (aka. Biohazard, Japan title) video game hit store shelves and introduced and defined "survival horror". The game series became a phenomenon in the video game industry. Hollywood made attempts in bringing the franchise to life with its "Resident Evil trilogy" into somewhat mixed reactions from the public. Now, Japanese animators with director Makoto Kamiya at the helm, re-introduces the saga in the form of a computer-generated motion picture, "Resident Evil Degeneration" (aka. Biohazard Degeneration) and captures the essence of the Capcom video games.
A Zombie attack brings chaos to Harvardville Airport. Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield (voiced by Paul Mercier and Alyson Court respectively), who fought the sinister Umbrella corporation during the Raccoon city tragedy 7 years ago are back. They're ready to combat the designs of a rogue extremist leader named Curtis Miller who is seeking for revenge after his family was killed in the Raccoon city incident. The deadly G-virus is unleashed and a new mutated "Tyrant" monster goes on the rampage. Will Claire and Leon be able to avert the spread of the much deadlier virus before history repeats itself.
While the knowledge of the plotline of the first 5 Resident Evil may indeed aid in the film's appreciation, it isn't really essential to its enjoyment. The film captures the elements of corrupt authority figures, government cover-ups, corporate espionage due to the draws of power and greed. The big "Umbrella Corporation" is no longer a big player in this installment (or are they?) and a new player in the corporate game "WilPharma" is at the center of all the mayhem. Lust for power and riches on the part of Senator Davis (Michael Sorich) and Frederick Downing (Crispin Freeman)is the main motivation. Classic characters Claire Redfield is just in the middle of it all, and Leon Kennedy is his usual "take care of business type" of agent.
The film is action-packed. The rescue mission at the airport in the film's first act is somewhat short but it was quite intense and captures the feel of the games. The plot then slows down a little as it slowly unravels the secrets of the WilPharma Corp., fleshes out its main supporting character, Angela Miller (voiced by Laura Bailey). The film does have its share of emotions but it felt a little too predictable, although I do believe it managed to do the best it could given its source material. There is also quite a number of violent scenes (it is R-rated), the CGI blood and gore plays a minor part in the film's enjoyment.
The zombies are the usual "shambling" slow-moving undead and the camera work executes the scenes fairly well. The gun battle and the encounters with the zombies prove very beneficial although the main draw will have to be our heroic duo's encounter with the new "Tyrant" creature. As with the games, it takes quite a number of attempts to stop the near-invincible monster, although truth be told, it wasn't a question of "If" but a question of "when". I suppose it may the film's weakness, as much as it is its biggest strength; "Degeneration.." definitely is a "cardboard cut-out" of the video games--so therefore, "Resident Evil" aficionados may not feel the slightest sensation of an unexpected outcome. I was hoping for more of an investigative puzzle-solving experience than your usual explosions and hyper-accelerated action sequences. I hope no one takes these comments as negative ones, because the film is entertaining and fun to watch, despite the simple plot--it feels like a "tribute" film to the highly-successful Japanese franchise.
The animation itself is amazing. The motion-capture animation is definitely an improvement over "Final Fantasy Spirits Within" and stomps on the animation in "Beowulf"--but it is a little less fluid than "Final Fantasy Advent Children", (the animation doesn`t allow wardrobe to move and mimic the characters` movements). The facial features are full of expression; pain, disgust, anger and maybe even love are so carefully animated into the characters' eyes and actions. The action scenes are animated quite well, although, some scenes may need more polishing up than others. The Tyrant monster appearance is reminiscent of the monster in the franchise with some very "feral" improvements. Light reflections and the use of shadows are perfectly blended into the sequences and the CGI generated environment is nothing to sneeze at.
I am rather satisfied with "Resident Evil: Degeneration". The film is definitely a must for fans of the video game and is definitely up there with the best from Pixar studios. I was a little disappointed with the film's plot as it offered nothing new, but the film never loses its energy and keeps on its pace with a lot of momentum. While it feels to be tailored-made for international audiences, (those familiar with Japanimation know very well that they are mostly philosophical and deep) it isn't exactly a bad thing either. The action, gorgeous animation will definitely entertain, although its emotional ramifications wasn't essentially fleshed out. The film is a welcome treat to fans of the franchise.
Highly Recommended! [4 Stars]
Video/Audio: 1.78 ratio anamorphic widescreen. Clean and near-excellent transfer, some enhancements were noticed but it wasn't really that bad. The picture is amazing on the Dvd when up-converted to 1080p. The 5.1 Dolby Digital English track is clear but unfortunately, there is no Japanese language track. I think this was a huge mistake since I saw the original Japanese release and the dialogue was better suited and emotional than the English track. I wonder why they included French, Thai, Portuguese and Spanish tracks but they skipped the original language? There is no DTS-ES sadly.
Extras: Bloopers/A look at the video games/Cast Featurette/Faux Leon interview/Profiles and Trailers.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Full of clichés, February 5, 2009
The animation of this dvd is extremely well done along with the special features. The faux Leon interview is funny (and cheesy) and the other "spoofs" are clever, such as the jealous Claire. Unfortunately, these are the high points of the dvd.
The stunning animation and artwork is lost in the clichés found throughout. There is the naïve and idealistic SRT team leader, the hot headed SRT team member, a little girl in distress, corrupt and greedy politician, greedy scientist, revenge and anger filled villain who will do anything to expose the truth. Very disappointing.
The storyline takes place after the second video game, thankfully, not the horrendously written live action Resident Evil 3 movie. The storyline follows the video game world much more realistically with a new corporation taking over after Umbrella dissolves after going bankrupt from Raccoon City.
The basic storyline is an evil scientist with a politician attempt to make T virus vaccine sales, but get greedy trying to sell the T virus as a weapon to terrorists. In comes Leon to save the day and video game style, has to fight the tyrant in the finale.
What creates the low points are the incredibly cliché and stupid characters. The SRT team leader, Angela is idealistic and rushes ahead alone trying to save "victims". Despite being warned that a single bite can infect, she attempts to pick a victim up. Leon saves her the last second only to have her complain why. Leon then begins to shoot the zombies in the head, but Angela just stands their in panic mode. Even when a zombie walks towards her, she shoots it in the leg, and of course, again panics, shocked that the zombie is crawling to her.
Then Greg enters and being a hot headed macho man, shoots all the zombies with body shots. Thinking that they are "dead" he walks off, only to have the crawling zombie crash through the glass to attack him. Fortunately, Leon also shoots it in the head. Greg gets up wondering what happened, completely ignoring what Leon previously briefed both of them before insertion.
Meanwhile Claire, who survived Raccoon City is stranded in a zombie filled airport trying to protect a little girl. Of course, she has no weapon to defend herself or the little girl, unless one considers an umbrella as a weapon? But wait, Leon with the two SRT members finally arrive to the rescue and they all make a mad dash through the airport.
In the attempt to escape, the girl gets knocked down and helplessly panics as the zombies close in. Claire naturally jumps down and just hugs the girl with no weapon. Claire makes no attempt to move the girl to a safer area, or stand ready to fight the zombies. Only hug the girl protectively and wait to get bitten.
Leon, who is fighting another zombie hand to hand, tosses his pistol to Claire. Claire quickly shoots the zombies in the head. Leon, he's not disarmed, for after pushing the zombie off, he takes his back-up pistol to shoot the zombie. Yes, Leon held on to a back-up pistol while leaving Claire to run through the zombie filled airport unarmed, what? And to top off the stupidity, Claire hands the pistol back to Leon while still in the airport.
Needless to say, anyone who watches zombie movies, or played any of the Resident Evil games would go bonkers at the nonsense. Who gives up their weapon to be unarmed and unprotected against infected zombies? Everyone needs a weapon to fight off the zombies.
To top it off, Leon, the President's Special Agent, has no special body armor against bites. In real life, police who train attack dogs have full body suits to protect against dog bites. They also make Kevlar sleeves and gloves to protect against knives. One would imagine that if a special zombie fighting team was being sent in, they would be wearing chain mail, riot gear, or other bite resistant armor to protect against being infected.
Unfortunately, the script makes Claire look like an inept damsel in distress and the good guys incredibly stupid in not having better equipment or weapons. Fortunately, only rented it, would have been very upset if spent $20+ buying the movie. Eye candy doesn't make a good movie or video game. A good script does. Had high hopes and was disappointed.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
And You Thought That the Cutscenes in MGS4 Were Long?, January 9, 2009
This review is from: Resident Evil: Degeneration [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
Looks like a video game. Sounds like a video game. Walks like a video game. Must be....A movie!!!
But don't expect Milla Jovovich. Expect the pair that appeared together for the first time in the video game Resident Evil 2. Leon Kennedy meets up with Claire Redfield again to battle with T-virus infected zombies, a G-virus infected monster and crooked corporations. The events in Degeneration take place a year after Leon went solo to rescue the President of the United States' daughter in one of the best video games EVER: Resident Evil 4 (which for less than 15 bucks on Amazon is a steal!).
Degeneration is about 90 minutes long and packed with some great zombie fighting action. Leon, Claire and a military Special Response Team need to track down an anti-virus for the T-virus, and in some ideal video game settings like a zombie infested demolished airport and a destroyed multi-level high-rise, they set out to do so.
The entire movie is reminiscent of what you'd expect in the cutscenes in any current PlayStation 3 video game. Great Blu Ray detail & great sound. Gotta say that it was odd watching some of the dialogue-moments in the movie and expecting to have to pick up my PS3 controller when the action began. But that of course never happens. What you really get is a video game with one very long cutscene...and that's it. Cool story. Fun to watch. But, man, my hands were itching to take control of one of the characters.
There are some over the top moments and some continuity issues in the film, but mostly if you liked the video games, you'll have a lot of fun with Degeneration.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Better than previous Resident Evil films but..., February 19, 2009
The plot/story line is so thin and contrived as to be invisible. Also there is none of the tension that is found in the games or even in some of the scenes of the previous (poorly written/directed) films. The original game and its spinoffs have superior story lines and one wonders why the film makers don't follow them or, at least, use them as a foundation for their own plotlines and dialogues. Some of the characterizations are both silly and unbelievable. One really gets the feeling that the entire film was an "Ad Lib" effort with any planning or thought.
The film could easily have been better.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Essential RE: Degeneration Review, January 25, 2009
Resident Evil: Degeneration is the first fully-animated movie based on the Capcom horror/survival video game series. This has NO affilation whatsoever to the live-action trilogy starring sexpot Milla Jovovich(Alice doesn't live here!), and takes place in the same fictional universe as the video game storyline.
Happening supposedly about a year after RE4, we meet up with RE2 survivor Claire Redfield, who is working with an enviromental preservation originization, and ends up going to an airport which has been the target of a alleged terrorist attack who are using the T-Virus to make zombies, mainly to get stop a U.S. senator who is working on an act to clean up the damages left by the Umbrella Corp. After getting herself and a few others safely away from a zombie hoard, Claire is rescued by Leon Kennedy, fresh from his European vacation in RE4.
The movie then takes a different turn after the first half-hour. Where as the first third is a setup for the plot and a basic zombie "shoot 'em up" scenario, the rest of the story involves an overly-detailed plot about a company called WilPharma which is responsible for creating vaccines to the T-Virus for terrorist outbreaks around the world. Claire goes with the company rep Frederic Downing to their research plant, while Leon heads out with Angela, an SRT officer whose brother Curtis is responsible for the outbreak in the airport. What follows from here is a shutdown of the pharmacy facility, and Curtis making off with the G-Virus(which is like the T-Virus on steroids)that he uses on himself. Leon and Angela just make it out alive, while leaving the mutated Curtis behind to go down with the rest of the lab. Its revealed that Downing set the whole thing up as a sales pitch to promote their vaccine to terrorists who were using the T-Virus.
Alot of what's missing from this to make it a decent zombie flick is the actual lack of zombies in it. After the part at the beginning with the terminal of the living dead, the rest of it just falls very flat as a horror movie. There's also a random zombie bunch that show up in the research lab for about 10 seconds for almost no explained reason, other than the movie hadn't had any other zombies in it for a good 45 minutes or so. Where as the live-action movies derailed alot from the original video game premise, there was at least enough monsters and explosions to keep the average horror buff satisfied.
As an animated movie, this is fair. The CGI isn't as good as say FFVII: Advent Children(heck, even FF: The Spirits Within was better!), but just as good as most of the cutscenes in any of the games. If your looking for a truly gory animated movie based on a video game, you'd probably be better off with Dead Space: Downfall.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Great start then trails off, but still enjoyable, January 16, 2009
This review is from: Resident Evil: Degeneration [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
Going into Resident Evil: Degeneration I wasn't sure what to expect, but I did have slightly low expectations; the first Resident Evil game was classic and I was never hooked on a game like I was with that. I would spend hours and hours playing that game, but never played the rest until Resident Evil 4. Well I played a couple of levels of Resident Evil 2. It's not that I didn't want to it's just something I never really got around to, but I really enjoyed the first and fourth game a lot. As for the film franchise, which this has no connection with Degeneration, I thought they were alright. All 3 movies are watchable, but very forgettable and on multiple viewings they tend to get worse.
If you've never played the games before you can still enjoy Resident Evil: Degeneration, while knowing the games would probably help you enjoy this a little more when all is said and done you really don't have to know the games to enjoy the movie. I've only really played two of the games, none in which had Claire, but Leon is in Resident Evil 4 so I don't really know Claire's character, but yet it didn't take away from the movie for me at all. But knowing the games again will probably help you enjoy this a little more, but it's not a must.
Even though Degeneration has no connection to the live action series I still went in with slightly low expectations and Resident Evil: Degeneration is far better than the live action series and overall far better than I thought it would be it still falls a little flat. The movie gets off to an amazing start with some good suspense and tension. The first act is set in an airport and the scenes were great. As I'm watching it the first thought I had was this is the best zombie movie to come along in ages (not counting the 28 Days/Weeks Later movies since by right they aren't zombies).
But after the opening act Resident Evil: Degeneration does start to decline a little bit, but always stays entertaining it just wasn't able to keep the high level of the first act. As stated before the opening act is very solid. It has a great build up and is filled with suspense and tension. But as we get more into the G-Virus it loses a little steam and the zombies pretty much go MIA for the remainder of the movie except a couple of scenes; while the plot is pretty good it does sort of feel like it drags in some spots.
Writer Shotaro Suga does a pretty good job for the most part; the characters are all solid and entertaining, but not all works. The opening act Senator Davis (Michael Sorich) plays a pretty big part and his character seemed like it would be crucial, but after the airport scenes he barley plays a part. I think there was some potential there, but nothing comes about. The script isn't perfect, but gets the job done and is far better than the three Resident Evil movies written by Paul WS Anderson.
Director Makoto Kamiya early on creates a lot of suspense and tension and the set up is excellent, but Degeneration as I stated before does run out of steam, but Kamiya is able to keep the movie fairly interesting despite the sometimes lack of action. Kamiya manages to get some the suspense and tension back for the final act, but it never reaches the level of the opening act. But overall he gets it done and crafts an enjoyable if not slightly lackluster of a movie.
Fans of the game are probably the best audience for Degeneration, but non-fans can still watch this and enjoy it; if you're disappointed in the live action series this while not great or anything if overall a lot more enjoyable and worth checking out.
The Blu-ray looks and sounds excellent and is jam packed with special features, which are pretty much the same as the DVD except a couple of minor features excusive to the Blu-ray.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Disappointing First Effort, January 13, 2009
Having just completed Resident Evil 4 once again I was all revved up for Degeneration hoping for a continuation of the story with Leon Kennedy. All the RE games have followed a set template consisting of a lone armed man or woman fighting a hoard of undead and genetically altered beasts leading to a final confrontation with a powerful, virus infected human. The reason Capcom sticks with this formula is because it works but Degeneration breaks the pattern to its detriment. Zombie's (or virus infected human's) are present but no modified creatures. No embiggoned spiders or snakes or freaky dogs or sharks, just zombies and the inevitable G-Virus monstrosity who takes nearly half the film to destroy.
I was pleased to see that Leon is voiced by the same actor who played him in RE4. Problem is Leon looks a little bit off. Let me step back for a moment and say that the United States is clearly ahead of Japan in terms of computer generated visuals. The big problem in Degeneration is that even the living characters look undead. It appears to me that what the animators did was model the faces add some blinking and mouth movement and call it a day. The problem is it creates a very odd plastic look as if all the characters were wearing masks. The face they modeled for Leon looks like Leon except in a permanent scowl and his eyes are obscured by the shadow of his brow so you can scarcely see them. Clair looks even worse with an unexplainably odd mouth rendering. The still shots look fine but her facial movements just aren't working and character motions often look mechanical.
I really wanted to like this one. Unlike the live action movies it's put out by Capcom so I assume that it will be integrated into the series canon and I would expect to see it referenced in future games. Too bad the plot is so flat and uninspiring that maybe it doesn't even matter. There are no interesting characters like Luis Sera, Krauser, Saddler, Salazar and Chief Mendez. In Degeneration we get the laughably evil Senator Ron Davis, Fredrick Downing, Curtis Miller and Leon's potential love interest, the forgettable Angela Miller.
My only complaint with RE 4 was that it wasn't scary. It was often creepy but never scary. Degeneration takes it even further by being neither scary nor creepy. That's not quite true; the mannequin like appearances of the characters is kinda creepy. Degeneration is pure action which seems to be the unfortunate direction that Capcom is taking the series. The extra features are actually pretty good and if you watch the preview for Resident Evil 5 there is a clear tie to Degeneration. This is a pretty exciting time for Resident Evil fans and I hope they continue to make these movies but this first effort is pretty disappointing with a lot of room for improvement.
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![Resident Evil: Degeneration [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51yfYfxvtXL._SL160_SL90_.jpg)
