‘Resident Evil’ (2002) Film Review
‘Resident Evil’ appears to be my latest hyperfixation, so of course I’m going to bring a discussion on it here. After watching Angel Alyx play the second, third, seventh, eighth and newly released fourth entry in the main game series, I’ve taken to playing ‘Resident Evil 2 Remake’ myself. Last year I watched ‘Welcome To Racoon City’ for the first time and loved it, and now I’m had two novel adaptations pop through my letterbox. Since sinking my teeth into the ‘Resident Evil’ universe, lore and media platforms, the movie series from 2002 onwards was one which intrigued me. I became aware the main character was created solely for these movies, and how they’re not really loved by fans. I also started to wonder whether or not I would like them as they looked so different from the games. But you never know until you try, so after picking up a box set of the six Paul W. S. Anderson films, it was time for me to delve deep into the film series. These are my thoughts on the opening entry:
There are explicit call-backs to the source material throughout the film: zombie dogs, lickers, the Umbrella Corporation, a train being the only way to safety, a last stand taking place on it and an underground facility — here it’s called the Hive, but the games call it the NEST. So much of the film perfectly calls back and seemingly riffs on important plot points and elements of ‘Resident Evil 2’, but also feels like a major departure overall. The primary aesthetic of the film seems very medicinal and clinical, something not present in the second game until very close to the end. Rather than focusing on and sticking true to the whole game narrative, the film bases itself almost entirely within the underground laboratory complex, completely missing and omitting the opening police station and parking garage scenes from the game. These were the main parts that drove me to play ‘Resident Evil 2 Remake’, giving a visual and atmospheric feeling of something much darker and grittier. They aren’t present here either, replaced instead with a sterile area packed with experimentation and lots of blue hues throughout the film. Toward the end is a scene with a strong visual similarities to the sewers Leon has to traverse however, which made me feel like not everything from the game was left too far away from the script.
There’s so many twists and turns throughout too, with my jaw often being left wide open from shock. It never let up as to what was going to happen next, and a severe deviation from the plot of the games more than likely helped with this — it became it’s own beast. If it was a true game adaptation, you’d be able to figure out the next plot points and almost spoil it for yourself. Present here was a huge sense of stepping into the unknown, never knowing what would be around each corner, and a massive sense of being watched. This comes from not only the Red Queen and security cameras, but also the slow reveals of the infected monsters and creatures waiting for the soldiers in the canteen. Are they ever truly alone in the Hive? And my investment only deepened as it went on, wondering who was going to make it out alive and who Alice was before her temporary amnesia. The knowledge of Alice surviving and having five more outings was a little downer for me, as I knew she would survive. It made me wish I could have seen this upon initial release so the stakes of her survival were so much higher.
Another downer for me was the absence of such iconic characters in the games. As soon as the soldiers burst through the mansion windows, I was waiting for them to be identified as big names like Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield. Instead you get (who I believe are) original characters, in the same vein as Alice is, and you can really feel the absence of the main characters of the series. Take the final battle on the train for example, as you can clearly see the two main characters in the scene were supposed to be — and should have been — Leon and Claire fighting for their lives. Having actors I recognised (Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Salmon and Liz May Brice) in these roles really helped me invest in and grow to love them though. There were such pangs of sadness when they were all taken out, but at least they were killed in such glorious ways.
The CGI for the lickers left a lot to be desired, as the effects sadly don’t stand up in 2023. I have no doubt they sold the monstrous experiments perfectly well upon release though, and a huge growth and development in VFX since release feels like the biggest culprit here. The practical props and models for the lickers were incredible though, really playing into a disgusting monster, gore and body horror. I would have preferred it if the physical prop was somehow used for the entire film, but I really appreciate and value the few close up shots on the physical prop. The zombies themselves also had some questionable CGI effects, but I really enjoyed the practical makeup on them, though their physicality and movement when raising a hand to their victims did seem a little off. I think the best and well done monster in the entire film were the zombie dogs, with their entirely gruesome decaying bodies and exposed tendons. Scenes with them felt really important to the film, as it not only called back to ‘Resident Evil 2’, but also gave Alice her first chance to showcase her badassery.
It feels as though the turn of the millennium bought a need for women that are strong, intelligent leaders. 2001 gave us the first ‘Tomb Raider’ adaptation with Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, and ‘Resident Evil’ gave us Milla Jovovich as Alice a year later, created specifically for this movie and franchise. My feelings toward Alice fluctuated through the movie, beginning with an air of mystery and wonder cast over her. She seemed just as confused as me/the viewers in the beginning. As the story unfolded more, I started to feel she was a pointless character with no reason to be there before her memories began to return to her. After the elimination of the soldiers who kidnapped her however, she was forced to step up to the plate and almost instantly became a leader who called the shots, could fight off zombie dogs, and had gun handling capabilities. It did feel a little odd how nobody questioned her self-assigned authority and leading. Given the circumstance of life or death, maybe a leader being born and stepping up was exactly what the few survivors needed?
So many of her characteristics toward the end of the film highly reminded me of Jolie as Lara Croft though, another female protagonist from a video game adaptation released the year before this. Both are strong leading females, something for women to look up to, but I also couldn’t help noticing some sexualisation toward Alice similar to the way Jolie was in ‘Tomb Raider’. Alice spends the majority of the film barely dressed, her legs on show and breasts within an inch of a nip slip. Today’s social climate would see this as a way of women empowering and dressing for themselves, but back when it was released in 2002, I’m almost positive a more male audience was the one being pandered to. It’s not at all practical for Alice to be dressed how she was, a stark contrast from the female soldiers flanking her, and her attire feels like nothing more than eye candy — much in the same way Jolie’s shorts and tight fitting tank tops were in ‘Tomb Raider’. Even Alice’s red dress evokes colour imagery of lust and passion, alongside the obvious symbolism of blood.
I also picked up on several allusions to ‘Alice In Wonderland’ in the film, like the Hive facility having a sentient AI called the Red Queen who turned homicidal and was added into the story as a homage to the story. Another comes in the form of the main character Alice sharing a name with the story’s protagonist. These points made me think of Marilyn Manson’s 2007 album ‘Eat Me Drink Me’, the title track in particular; an interesting point considering he and Tim Skold co-wrote the soundtrack for the film alongside Marco Beltrami. The film is caked in their musical production, which helps amp up several scenes — like the soldiers smashing in the mansion to capture Alice and later trying to avoid defensive lasers of death. Even though a few of their OST tracks have been released, I don’t think the entire thing has, which is a shame as I would probably listen to the entire thing on repeat for days. Being a huge Marilyn Manson fan, in addition to a baby ‘Resident Evil’ fan, was another huge factor driving me to this film. From the standpoint of his musical contribution, I wasn’t at all disappointed and am dying to hear it all again.
After being such a massively influential horror game, redefining and changing the landscape, I feel ‘Resident Evil’ is more than deserving of a top notch film adaptation. Before seeing it I heard stories of how the 2002 movie was critically panned and poorly received, with the 2021 ‘Welcome To Racoon City’ reboot receiving a similar response. Even the recent ‘Resident Evil’ Netflix show was cancelled after just one season. I did see the 2021 reboot before this film, which I really loved and enjoyed, and hearing it being poorly received left me confused as I thought it did a great job of bringing ‘RE2’ to life on screen. It was definitely far more accurate and embedded within the source material than this, but that doesn’t mean the 2002 movie is without great, stand out moments and elements.
Just because an adaptation goes entirely left field from the source material doesn’t mean it can’t be good or enjoyed. It feels as though this film began an “alternate universe” for ‘Resident Evil’, severely grounded in the basis of the lore but building and becoming its own thing. Much like a licker or a zombie infected with the T-virus, it mutated and grew into it’s own beast. While ‘Resident Evil’ (2002) may not be the most game accurate film, with special effects unable to stand the test of time, I still found it deeply enjoyable. The cliffhanger ending and brief appearance of Jason Issacs also left me eager, begging for more, desperate to know what happens next. I’m looking forward to traversing the next five movies, and despite early reservations, this movie didn’t turn me away from the series at all. If anything, it made me excited to delve in deeper.
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