It's not easy for a series to be able to successfully translate across multiple mediums, but Resident Evil is one of the rare exceptions to this rule. There have been so many unsuccessful efforts to turn video games into feature films that it's previously been viewed as a "cursed" endeavor.
Resident Evil doesn't just represent a frightening franchise, but it's a successful reinvention of staples from the zombie genre, which has never been more popular. It's unfair to directly compare the Resident Evil movies with the video games since they ultimately deal with quite different material, but there are still many ways in which Paul W.S. Anderson's zombie franchise doesn't get enough credit.
10 They Build Their Own Intricate & Connected Universe
One area that frequently trips up video game adaptations is that they worry too much about adherence to the source material that can almost become blinding to the filmmakers. The Resident Evil movies certainly pull from the games and don't hide this fact, but right from the first movie, they begin to forge their own path.
The original story that's created across these six movies is fulfilling and works better than just translating the events of the games into live-action. Its new narrative works.
9 Milla Jovovich Is A Revelation As An Action Hero
There are plenty of reasons to appreciate the Resident Evil movies, but one of the most universally agreed upon benefits of the films is Milla Jovovich's performance as Alice. Jovovich proves that she's a legitimate action star in this role and she delivers a stronger and more impressive performance in each movie.
Jovovich has been able to use her success in Resident Evil to headline other action blockbusters, but her best work is still contained to the Resident Evil movies. The final film even allows her to play multiple characters and she absolutely pulls it off.
8 The Ways In Which They Remix Characters & Events From The Games
The Resident Evil movies make some curious decisions with the series' more popular iconography when they throw it in a blender with a bunch of original ideas. It's exciting to see characters like Albert Wesker, Claire Redfield, and Jill Valentine show up, but expectations are subverted when these characters are pushed in different directions than their video game counterparts.
It's an effective way to play around with a sect of the audience as well as create enthusiasm for characters that movie fans can then experience through a different lens in the video games.
7 Their Use Of Tyrants, Biological Weapons, & Iconic Series Monsters
One of the most beloved aspects of the Resident Evil video games is the disgusting, terrifying enemies and bosses that punctuate the frightening experience. The Resident Evil movies are smart to take some of the biggest monsters from the games, like Nemesis, and bring them into the movie universe.
At the same time, the films also create their own bio-weapon threats that are specifically suited for film. The movies are able to take the creatures that work the best from the games, but then also become their own mad scientists with original ideas.
6 They Push The World To An Actual Apocalypse
It's quite impressive to see how big the Resident Evil games have gotten in scope considering the first one is constricted to a mansion. The games have traveled to new continents and nuked Raccoon City off the map, but the general state of the world still remains at peace.
The Resident Evil movies also blow up Raccoon City, but they also go for a full-on apocalypse. The final Resident Evil pictures look more like Mad Max movies because of the fractured state of the world. It's a level of danger and nihilism that the games have never fully embraced.
5 They Succeed Both As Horror Films & Action Movies
Some people don’t play Resident Evil games because they don't want to get scared. The Resident Evil movies are steeped in zombies and death, but they've also very clearly incorporated action elements from the very beginning. These movies gain increasingly good instincts on when to lean into horror or action and it usually results in them successfully nailing both.
Admittedly, the Resident Evil games have also gradually incorporated more action elements and turned into a hybrid of the two genres, but it's a blend that works so well in these movies and properly amplifies the chaos.
4 They’re The Right Level Of Over-The-Top
Self-seriousness can ruin certain horror movies and it's important to have a sense of humor about oneself and understand the audience's perception of the franchise. It’s essential to be in on the joke otherwise the audience is against the movie.
The Resident Evil movies clue into very early that they work best as nonsensical spectacles that continually increase the stakes. This results in the final films in the franchise finding the perfect hyperbolized tone. These movies work because they know that they're ridiculous and their priority is to keep the audience entertained.
3 They Make Zombies Feel New Again
Horror is in the middle of a Renaissance, especially when it comes to zombies. Resident Evil has expanded its scope when it comes to its bestiary, but zombies have always been an important part of the equation.
Zombies have been taken in so many different directions, but the Resident Evil movies still manage to create a take on the undead that feels original and not just derivative of other cinematic zombie designs. The effects of the T-Virus continue to mutate throughout the franchise, so by the end, some of these zombies are quite different from where the series starts
2 It Does Inventive Things With 3D Technology
Film continues to experiment with new technology that can create a more immersive experience and 3D seems to be something that returns every decade in some new context. 3D is still considered a gimmick to many, but when it's properly done it can be unlike anything else.
Some Resident Evil movies received 3D conversions in post-production, but the movies that are intentionally made with this in mind look incredible. Paul W.S. Anderson really gets creative with the technology and 3D enthusiasts deserve to check it out.
1 It Turns Its Protagonist Into An Infected Superhuman
The Resident Evil video games have played around with its protagonists becoming infected, but there is typically more than one main character that allows for this infection to get experienced secondhand. The Resident Evil movies don't pull any punches in this department and they allow Jovovich's Alice to get contaminated with the T-Virus.
Alice doesn't become a zombie, but she instead manifests the virus to gain superhuman-like abilities. This adds a whole extra level of artifice and mayhem to the action scenes where Alice is arguably more of a deadly weapon than the zombies.
0 Comments