Review of Resident Evil

Introduction

Whenever the name Paul Anderson is touted online, and subsequently linked to a certain project, it`s usually followed by gratuitous moans & sighs of utter disappointment. Anybody vastly familiar with popular movie newsgroups, such as Aint It Cool News, will know that the over-looking movie gods show no remorse when it comes to incompetent directors, turning strong scripted material into utter tripe. Soldier & Event Horizon were the foundation of a host of failed projects linked with eventual Resident Evil director Paul Anderson. So you can imagine the uproar caused amongst the fan community when George Romero, an established icon in his profession, by directing some of the best zombie-oriented movies ever, was ditched from the project in favour of this sub-standard worker.

To be honest, not a lot of it concerned me, I was just pulling for this movie to actually reach the green-lighted phase, and when it did, it instantly became my most anticipated movie ever, as strange as that may seem. That said, I`ve been a huge fan of the Resident Evil video-game franchise ever since it`s birth on the Playstation back in 96. In it`s six-year reign, it`s spawned four primary chapters in the series, across all console formats, and they all re-defined the genre `survival horror`.

However, you can forget what you know or think you know about the games; because this movie is a totally new take on Resident Evil. This is staged prior to the events of the original game, and introduces characters never seen before in the series, however certain characters do carry heavy resemblances to those in the games.

Video

Incredible. This has to be one of the best transfers I`ve yet seen on DVD. The 1.85.1 anamorphic transfer is flawless, and really brings the dark underground world of Resident Evil to life. There`s no bleeding of any sort, no blemishes or edge enhancement, and the most perfect colour imaginable is implemented here.

Paul Anderson is known for style over substance, and it shows in most of his films. This movie inherits the dark & atmospheric feeling that he brought to us so well with Event Horizon, and some of the props & settings serve as a real visual treat. Like the games, Resident Evil looks great.

Audio

There are some really nice tracks, those that are scored by Marilyn Manson, but the rest leave a lot to be desired. The soundtracks that were included in the games were orchestral, which were very effective when building up the tension. Here though, the score has been replaced by some very loud & obnoxious rock music, which seems so out of place in certain scenes, it`s ridiculous & actually demotes the enjoyment of the movie.

Still, it`s all delivered in a fine, fine way, through Dolby 5.1. And the power of the track will be demonstrated at frequent times in the film, none more than the awesome train sequence at the end, you`ll feel it go right through you, awesome!

Features

There`s a two-disc collectors edition due out sometime before Christmas, and it`s a safe bet they`ll include what`s supplied on this disc & more. That said, this is a `special edition`, and there`s more than enough supplied here to justify making the early purchase. The commentary featured, between lead actresses Milla Jovovich & Michelle Rodriguez, director Paul Anderson & producer Jeremy Bolt, is a very enlightening one. To my knowledge, none of these guys have ever recorded commentary tracks before, but it sure doesn`t show! It`s a brilliant mix of good banter & professional and informative takes on the film.

There are five featurettes, consisting of on-set interviews with the cast/production team while shooting & directing the film. An awesome reel of the zombie make-up process, and the work done on their CGI enhancements. And speaking of zombies, there`s also a well-conducted interview with composer Marilyn Manson.

There are also a host of trailers, with the pick being Vin Diesel`s much-anticipated `XXX`.

Conclusion

Resident Evil doesn`t offer anything groundbreaking in terms of script, acting or dialogue, but it does deliver a few genuinely scary moments, which result in a solid genre flick. Milla Jovovich is a far cry from the kind of form she showed as Joan Of Arc, but with a character so one-dimensional as the one she portrays here, it`s hard to find fault in her performance. The supporting cast is weak & their mere purpose is just for the body count, just like most horror flicks. However that`s where the negativity ends, and if you can brush these aside, you`ll really enjoy Resident Evil, I certainly did.

The opening of the movie is absolutely fantastic & really sets the tone for the rest of the film, very eerie & tense. It slows down for about 20 minutes, when introducing the characters, but it soon picks up & never loses the pace right through to the great, great climax.

What can I say about the visual & aural presentation? Wow, if there`s a DVD that`s turned in a perfect performance in this aspect, then it`s Resident Evil. The extras are also competent enough, although we can expect better with the next release, which will feature a full-uncut version of the film.

Overall I love this disc, but it may be worth holding onto your cash & waiting for the upcoming 2-disc uncut edition, however long that may be.