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Resident Evil (2002)


Cast:

Milla "Leeloo from the The Fifth Element" Jovovich is Alice
Michelle "I swear I'm not trying to act like Vasquez from Aliens" Rodriguez is Rain Ocampo
Eric Mabius is Matt Addison
James Purefoy is Spencer "Spence" Parks
Martin Crewes is Chad Kaplan
Colin Salmon is James


What the box says:

A team of paramilitary commandos must battle flesh-eating undead, killer mutant dogs and a supercomputer's deadly defenses before an unleashed virus consumes humanity in this adaptation of the hit video game series!


Plot:

The screen crawl informs us that the Umbrella Corporation is the largest corporation in the world. It is the leading force in computer technology, health care, and military technology. Even, more, they also have been working in developing viral warfare and genetic manipulation.

Someone in a full body containment suit uses a set of manipulator waldos to fill a case with a virus. As he leaves the lab, he throws a vial of the virus against the wall where the vial shatters. The virus is airborne and gets into the ventilation system.

Various scientists and office workers head to the offices, the doors begin to seal. Everyone from the lab workers to those in the elevators is puzzled. The computer begins cutting the emergency rakes on the elevators so the carts crash. The people trapped by the doors are gassed.

One elevator cart didn�t crash. A woman tries to squeeze out but gets decapitated in her escape attempt.

A very wet and naked Alice awakens in the bathtub. She has a flashback and seems very confused. She finds a drawer full of guns.

A computer monitors her every move.

Alice discovers a picture of her with her husband. She searches the creepy house and discovers Matt.

Suddenly, the Colonial Marines burst in after waiting for the appropriate moment of cool to appear. The leader, who wasn�t given a name, demands a report from Alice. I�m dubbing the leader as Laurence Fishbourne-wannabee.

Apparently, Alice doesn�t know who they are.

The Colonial Marines will take Matt and her into the HIVE.

Through a secret passage, they secure the perimeter. Rain restores the power to train. Cheap scare ensues. The rest of the Colonial Marines bring the supplies with them.

They get on the train that will take them to the subterranean HIVE. Aboard, they discovers Alice�s husband, Spence. He is suffering from the same amnesia, too.

As the train pulls in, the computer spies them approach.

Laurence Fishbourne-wannabee explains that Alice works for the Umbrella Corporation like he does. The mansion is a secret entrance to the HIVE she was to guard. Alice is a security agent to guard and protect the HIVE. The HIVE is under Raccoon City. A nerve gas was released that causes temporary amnesia.

The Colonial Marines finally cut through the main door.

The room looks like a typical building lobby. They see that the elevators are out of commission and will have to scramble down the stairs. We learn the Red Queen is the artificially intelligent computer that runs the HIVE.

Most of the labs have been flooded. Laurence Fishbourne-wannabee reveals the Red Queen killed everyone in the HIVE. Their mission is to deactivate the Red Queen. Cheap Scare ensues.

Flashback of Alice and Spence ensues.

Matt thinks he sees something. No of them spots one of the drowned lab workers that moved.

The Colonial Marines do their Aliens best. They search for survivors in a very Gigeresque warehouse room. Another Cheap Scare ensues. No one knows what are in the cargo pods.

The Red Queen is proving harder to hack into than expected when the door suddenly opens.

Several of the Colonial Marines enter the Cube-like Hallway. Laurence Fishbourne-wannabee is able to bypass the security code on the door on the other side of the corridor. The others come in carrying the electromagnetic pulse generator. The doors trap most of the Colonial Marines in the hallway.


Quit crying, it's a long way from your heart.
A high laser beam manages to cut some fingers off one to the soldiers and decapitates the medic, too. Another pass takes another of them out. Laurence Fishbourne-wannabee is the last one left in the hallway. A laser grid rushes towards him.

Kaplan is able to stop the grid in a blink of second in time. Wait, not in time, Laurence Fishbourne-wannabee is cut into finely sliced pieces. At least, I don�t have to type LF-wannabee anymore.

Kaplan is going to complete the mission. Heading on, Alice joins him.

He readies the computer core and the electromagnetic pulse generator. The Red Queen hologram warns them to leave. Rebooting the system will cut the power for a few seconds. Kaplan restarts the system. All the doors that have held the zombies back have opened.

The remaining Colonial Marines, Matt, and Spence are in the warehouse. Rain checks out a noise and finds a woman that bites her. Well, at least, Rain caps the biter.

Kaplan and Alice get back to the others who learn the rest of the team was massacred.

More zombies head for them. Matt manages to uncuff himself. The gunning of zombies ensues. A lot of bullets hit the tanks and cargo pods. Flashback to Alice offering to get the virus for a price.

Opening the door, one of the Colonial Marines gets ripped to shreds by waiting zombies. Everyone pulls Rain away before she gets to be the second course by trying to save the guy.

Somehow, Alice loses Matt.

Rain realizes restarting the computer let the zombies out.

Alice gets separated from the others. She spots several animal cages that have been gnawed open from the inside. A zombie dog rushes at her. Alice gets to another room but must contend with the zombie lab worker. She Kung Fues the guy. By the way, a zombie can easily be killed by breaking its neck with your thighs. Taking his gun, she is able to cap all the zombie dogs like Tommy Kirk capped Old Yeller until running out of ammo. We get the money shot as Alice uses her patent-pending slow-motion Matrix multi-angle kick to kill the dog.

Matt is in the office and finds his sister�s cubicle.

Rain, Kaplan, and Spence check the dwindling ammo.

Matt�s zombie sister walks up behind him. She would bite him if not for Alice saving his bacon. Another flashback shows Alice was to get the virus for Lisa.

Matt is all for corporate responsibility and wants Umbrella to pay for their crimes. He had his sister infiltrate the HIVE. Lisa was to smuggle a sample of the virus.

Alice and Matt rejoin the others. They have only one hour to get out or won�t ever be able to leave.

Alice reactivates the Red Queen who explains about the T-virus. It reanimates the dead. The T-virus got into the air vents. The Red Queen can�t risk letting the virus get out of the HIVE. The computer�s main circuit breaker has been removed. If it doesn�t help them, the Red Queen will be less useful than a Microsoft application.

Our heroes are taking climbing atop the utility pipes in the sewage system to escape the zombies. The pipes break, Kaplan gets separated on the other side of the pipe from Alice and the rest. He is fighting off the zombies and wants to be left behind so the others can escape. They leave him.

Kaplan is about to eat a bullet when he decides to cap a zombie instead. He will not go quietly in the night.

Alice, Matt, Spence, and Rain are the last survivors. Flashback ensues which Alice remembers there is a cure for the T-Virus. She also remembers she was Lisa�s contact, too. All of the pieces are coming together� However, Alice doesn�t know if she betrayed Matt�s sister.

In the lab, the cure is gone. Spence has a flashback how he hears Alice will get the T-virus to help take down Umbrella. We see Spence was the guy from the beginning of the movie.

Spence gets a gun and wants Alice to come with him. They can be rich by selling the virus. He tells Rain the antivirus is on the train. However, the arrogant villain doesn�t spot the villain behind him and gets a chunk removed by the zombie bite. Spence leaves Alice, Rain, and Matt trapped in the lab.

Apparently, the Red Queen won�t let Spence get out.

Spence gets to the train and readies to take the antitoxin. When he hears a noise, the Licker eats him. Our trapped threesome watches on a monitor.

The Licker mutates after every time after eating. The Red Queen didn�t mention the antivirus which isn�t as effective the longer after being infected. Alice will be given the code to open the door if she kills Rain. Rain asks for Alice to do it.

Suddenly, the power cuts off, shutting the Red Queen down. Kaplan opens the door. They have to get out before the Licker gets them.

They get to the train platform and carry Rain aboard.

Alice gets the gore covered antivirus case. She also swings a mean axe into the skull of a zombie.

The love train heads out of Dodge. Rain is given the antivirus. If it doesn�t work, she wants Alice to insure she doesn�t turn into a zombie.

Rain dies. Alice gets the gun ready and is just about to fire when Rain grabs the gun. She is fine and not dead yet�

The Licker scratches Matt and the train, too. The beast also caps Kaplan and gets into the train.

Alice opens fire on it. Matt and she are able to pin the licker down with some pipes. However, Rain is now turned into a zombie.

Matt has to contend with zombie Rain.

The trapdoor the Licker is standing on is opened. It gets dragged under the train and over the electrified tracks.

The train pulls to the stop. Alice and Matt get out before the blast doors are sealed shut.

Alice is blaming herself for everything. She stops the pity party when Matt begins twitching.

Suddenly, a flock of guys in germ suits carry Matt away and take him to the Nemesis project.

They hold Alice back from doing anything.

Alice is to be taken to another facility. The HIVE is to be reopened to uncover what happened.

The almost naked Alice, save for a couple of paper towels, awakens in a surgical room. She picks the lock and wanders through the hospital.

She steps onto the street, the city looks like it has been through a riot. Vehicles are overturned. Newspapers proclaim the dead are walking. Alice finds shotgun in a police car. She�s ready for action.


What I say:

This is one of if not the newest movie I've reviewed. I do remember going to watch it in the theater. Yes, the trailer had Milla Jovovich use Matrix-multi-angle kick on a zombie dog. That few seconds convinced me I had to see the movie. It was so ridiculous. Kung Fu versuses a zombie dog. The movie could have been complete trash, but I had to see the movie just for a zombie dog fight. Too bad Resident Evil: Apocalypse didn't have Matrix dog kicks. I still saw that one at the theater, too.

I hadn't ever played any of the Resident Evil games. All I knew it had zombies and lots of shooting. Coming into the movie, I had no background of the story. So, I can't complain about if the Lickers were realistic to the source. That is funny coming from anyone who could anesthisize virtually anyone by explaining comic book continuity. So, rejoice if you thought I'd nitpick continuity flaws from game to movie.

The crack military commando squad got wiped awfully fast. In fact, I wanted to call them Colonial Marines for all the Aliens fans out there. Imagine Laurnce Fishbourne from Event Horizon without having any personality, and you've got the squad leader.

I have a hard time considering Michelle Rodriguez as a battle-hardened soldier. It isn't hard to believe her as a pouty chick with a bad atitude. Maybe, I think her tougher if I has seen Girlfight. Consider, Jeanette Goldstein as Vasquez is a different story. She looked a lot tougher. Rain is Vasquez-lite. Anyone who can get through this movie without thinking "Vasquez-lite" I will promote to 3rd Class Winconsin Drinking Ninja.

This movie has been inspired by quite a number of other movies: Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Cube, and Aliens. That is just a short list I spotted off the of my head. I listened to part of the commentary track in which they acknowledged the hallway was straight out of Cube even if none of them had actually seen it.

For a zombie movie, they don't really have that many zombies in it. It takes roughly 40 minutes until they get to much of a zombie battle. By that point, most of the zombie scenes almost lifted from other movies. Kaplan wanting to stay behind then coming back is almost like Ken Foree in Dawn of the Dead. We can't forget one of the main characters getting bitten and slowly turning into a zombie from Dawn of the Dead, too. One of the Colonial Marines gets ripped to shreds less gorily than the soldier being pulled apart in Day of the Dead. Every zombie movie has to have someone confront a family or friend who is a zombie.

This isn't anything like the Italian zombies movies. While the gore effects were normally bad. Directors like Fulci definitely wanted gore. Paul W.S. Anderson seemed more gore happy in Event Horizon. Resident Evil doesn't have much in the way of gore. The "Cube"-hallway was probably the grossest part of tthe movie, and it seemed funnier than anything else.

Normally, I ignore the logic problems of most movies. However, there is a scene that really needs to be mentioned: the laser grid scene. We see the lasers cut most of the squad members apart. In the hallway was the electromagnetic pulse device. The lasers somehow cut apart the people. Several beams were close to the ground. For that matter, The grid beams which sliced Laurence Fishbourne-wannabee apart would have definitely gotten the pulse device. We're supposed to think that it didn't go that far down the hallway. However, we know it did.

To be fair, Milla Jovovic looks good in this movie. She looked awfully strange in the Fifth Element. Most of the movies have her as some sort of scrawny waif. Resident Evil remedies that to some degree. I can't really believe her belonging in the same category as Michelle Yeoh or Anita Mui. However, that class of kung fu babes is quite a respectable level for such attractive ladies...

There is something I'm not sure about. It may just be my memory playing tricks on me. I could have sworn in the theatrical version they stopped the grid in time even though they showed Laurence Fishbourne-wannabee getting finely dissected.

For a group ordered to shut down the Red Queen and uncover why the computer killed the HIVE workers, they sure didn't spend any time trying to uncover what happened. I guess mentioning how the Red Queen would lie and try to manipulate them was why no one asked why the workers were gassed. The movie never really explains why everyone starts wandering off and then is able to get reunited just in the nick of time. A small military unit doesn't separate into even 2 person squads. I want everyone packing superior firepower covering me. Not all over the place.

The flashbacks were a bit jarring. Although, we couldn't really suspect that Milla was the one who stole the virus at the beginning. Anyone who steals something and uses a distraction like at the beginning of the movie wouldn't make any character a hero. The Cheap Scares at the beginning of the movie were more annoying than anything else. We spent nearly an hour before getting to a zombie battle.

Guess the best way to put it. This isn't a really good movie or a bad one either. It has a lot of potential that wasn't ever realized. With as much of a backstory as the infamous George Romero script, I have to admit, it is hard to have such a downer ending in a mainstream theatrical release. Rain dies. Matt is morphing into something which will be uncovered in the sequel. Not counting the alternate ending on the second special edition of Resident Evil. The one that came out just before the sequel hit the theater.

Don't worry if you though the Umbrella Corporation was bad in this just wait until Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Wouldn't it be unbelievable to actually have a corporation trying to do the right thing? It is always the evil corporation motivated entirely by greed and profit's bottom line. I get the feeling if a movie had a good corporation in it, everyone would scream bloody murder about it not being realistic...And it is realistic to believe a company would create bio-weapons underneath a major city? I'm not ranting about this becuase of economics but for good story-telling. Has there been a single evil movie corporation that has seemed vaguely original since Weyland Yutani in Aliens? The low budget sci-fi movies always have the typically evil corporation that seems like a bad 5th generation copy of Weyland Yutani or Omni Consumer Products.



3 1/2 NINJAS

Quotable Dialogue

"The locas are inefficient."
"Prepare for entry into the HIVE."
"Red Queen has locked onto us."
"MEDIC! MEDIC!
"I implore you."
"She took a chunk clean right out of me."
"Why aren't they dying?"
"You're gonna have to work for your meal."
"I've been a bad, bad girl."
"I want him in the Nemesis Program."


Morals of the Story

Secret germ labs don't have any ways to regulte contaminated air.
Wedding rings have comapny names inscribed in them.
Mercenaries aren't bothered with being spied on by video cameras.
Computers can only be rebooted by using an electromagnetic pulse.
Laser grid only cut through people.
Holograms of English children are idsturbing.
A man's neck is easily broken using your thighs.
Super-fatal viruses are kept in very easy to break glass vials.




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