Have an Account?
| Register Now
Movie Poster

Remove ads with our VIP Service Facebook logoTwitter logo
Resident Evil
A secret experiment…a deadly virus…a fatal mistake. Based on the popular video game series is this action-packed battle of good and evil, human versus computer, the living against the...  View more >

Starring Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Eric Mabius...  View more >

Add Movie to Favorites

Seen It?

How would you rate this movie?
[--- See Now! ---] [--- Good ---] [--- Wait for Rental ---] [--- Stay Away! ---]

Reviews Summary


Please Note: Reader Reviews are submitted by the readers of The BigScreen Cinema Guide and represent their own personal opinions regarding this movie, and do not represent the views of The BigScreen Cinema Guide, or any of its associated entities.

[--- See Now! ---]by  
Mar 16, 2002
Surprisingly well done. When I realised that the movie was based on the video game, I immediately thought of Wingcommander. If you remember that game/movie you know what I thought. But i was very pleasantly surprised/impressed.

I don't remember the last time a movie made me jump so many times. The story was well done, acting was rather good, and I found myself drawn into the plot.

Overall it probably wasn't oscar material, but it was definately worth seeing if action/horror movies are your cup of tea.
[--- See Now! ---]by  
Mar 16, 2002
GO SEE NOW!

I've waited since the release of Resident Evil 2 for Playstation for this movie to come out (inside the game case came a contest entry form to be a walk on.)

Anyways I have to say I'm quite impressed with the film overall. The movie will keep you on the edge of your seat.....or hiding your face in your partner's or friend's shoulder.

Let me break it down for you, if you DON'T like being scared DON'T see this movie. The movie was great in terms of entertaining and frightening a person, and if you are a fan of the games i recommend you GO SEE IT NOW! ok ok....I know I'm a teenager and i have to figure in the older audience too (no offense but a lot of older people don't like "teen slashers")

If you are a fan of Romero, the movie probably won't quite live up to your expectations, but is still a scarefest.
[--- See Now! ---]by  
Mar 17, 2002
Wow is about all I can say! This movie rocks. It is the most aggressive onslaught of violence I have ever witnessed. It is a cross between Alien and Night of the Living Dead.

It starts out right away with constant motion. You get to know the characters as they drive deeper and deeper into the heart of the enemy. The odds are overwhelming and the fierceness of the enemy is only matched by the defenses of the Artificial Intelligence which runs the entire complex.

This isn't a movie to bring the kids to, or even the wife. I'm not a big slasher flick fan but I was carried along like a ride on a roller coaster. I was really impressed with the script and especially the female star. Not only was she beautiful to look at but also she can really fight her way out of a real mess.

Don't worry if you cannot follow everything that is happening at first, just wait and know that the entire story comes out during the movie. All the pieces are tied together with expertise. Don't go if you are too squeamish, but go if you like a rocket ride of a movie experience.

I have a feeling technology will continue to enable moviemakers to show us things never before dreamed of. And this is a good example of where we are heading.
[--- Good ---]by  
Mar 17, 2002
Well, it's definitely not a "See Now!", I can say that much.

I was enthusiastic about this movie after I walked out of the theater because I was expecting oh-so-much less, but when I look back there are some problems. There are times when you'll wonder when and why the characters have split up and gone in different directions, and when they have gotten back together.

Also, there are three guys who look quite similar, and there were times when I got them confused (hey! I thought he was dead!). And finally, the soundtrack is very very loud. Whenever something scary happens, there's always a huge, loud, techno-sounding jangle of music to accompany it. At first it's okay, but as the movie goes on I started to get annoyed with it.

But that's the bad. On to the good. The acting is decent for a horror movie. The beginning is confusing, but it all clears up by the end, and you get a bigger satisfaction for having to wonder why or how certain things happen instead of having it all spoon-fed to you as the plot develops. We actually learn as Milla Jovovich's character learns, which helped me grow more of an attachment to her otherwise flat character.

But how are the scares? That's what this movie is about, right? Well, the suspense builds up quite nicely until an action-packed zombie feast somewhere in the middle, and from there the movie turns into a thrill ride. The last half is basically one big action scene in which our heroes flee from vaious beasts including zombies, zombie dogs, and the inevitable giant monster thingie. The special effects are good when the camera holds long enough for you to enjoy them.

Other things happen in between to advance the plot, and there's a thread involving a character that has been bitten by a zombie that grows more prevelant towards the end (the last one drew me in more than alot of other horror movie subplots).

The ending is one of those twists that has gotten more popular in movies since "The Sixth Sense", but it also sets up a sequel, not to mention the videogames, quite nicely.

ALL IN ALL, a great guilty-pleasure horror flick that kept me entertained throughout, and although there are some faults, I think any fan of horror or action movies (or the videogames, for that matter) will find alot to enjoy here.
Mar 20, 2002
If you have ever played the games you will probably like this movie. It's not excellent, but it was worth the time. A good job by the creators, overall.
Mar 27, 2002
Milla Jovivich is the best thing about "Resident Evil," a film based on a video game.

She along with Michelle Rodriguez are two strong women who helped battle zombies, zombie dogs and a powerful monster. What a joy to watch Jovivich in leather boots and a short dress to battle the undead. what an idea for a heroine.

But the film comes up short due to a depressing script. A close call.
[--- Stay Away! ---]by  
Apr 9, 2002
It's not quite Plan 9 from Outer Space, but it's down there.

Movies made from video games seem to fall into two categories: comedies and
disasters. For example, Super Mario Brothers was so obviously silly that it had to be treated as a comedy. On the other hand, Wing Commander proved conclusively that one of the best and most dramatic video games ever produced could be made into a terrible movie, totally devoid of all the dramatic elements that made the video game great.

Resident Evil is firmly in the disaster category. This is particularly frustrating because it could have made such a good comedy.

Just think of it! Like Scary Movie, Rustlers' Rhapsody, and Hot Shots! Part Deux, it
wears its derivations on it's sleeve for The Birds to peck at (Othello).

Those single-genre satires, however, were not as ambitious as this one. Resident Evil takes on a whole array of latter-day pop classics. It takes place in a huge secret laborotory installation (The Andromeda Strain) where the controlling supercomputer has killed off all the residents (2001: A Space Odyssey) requiring an elite military team to investigate (Aliens).

The team successfully shuts down the computer program, called the "Red Queen," but only after her defenses take off a few heads (Alice in Wonderland). The power shutdown unlocks all the super-secure containment areas (Die Hard) releasing the
contents. The major problem is then hoardes of flesh-eating zombies (Night of the Living Dead) with a final supercharged monster (Alien) that mutates using the DNA of whatever or whomever it eats (The Thing).

Those references, of course, are only a sample of the rich smorgasbord of derivations obvious in this movie. With such limitless possibilities for satirical humor, the producers and the director instead decided to play it straight, ignoring the subtle humor built into all such video games and setting the stage for the disaster that this movie became. The derivations that could have been the basis for great humor have become billboards proclaiming "No Originality Here!"

All is not lost, however. As with such other classics of bad cinema as Reefer Madness and Plan 9 from Outer Space, you can have a good time with Resident
Evil. You just have to approach it with a mindset similar to Mystery Science Theater 3000. Wait for it on cable and watch it with your most clever and sarcastic friends. Make a game out of listing all the movies from which elements of this turkey were derived. Whatever you do, though, don't waste your money on theater tickets to this bomb. You might encourge the producers to do more like it!

Now that would be a real horror!

Looking for more opinions?

Check out our Featured Movie Reviews for Resident Evil.




New Movies - Box Office - Favorite Movies - All Movies
Coming Soon - Search



Home - About Us - Feedback
News Headlines - Theaters - Movies - Reader Reviews - Movie Links
Your Account - VIP Service

The BigScreen Cinema Guide is a service of SVJ Designs LLC. All graphics, layout, and structure of this service (unless otherwise specified) are Copyright © 1995-2024, SVJ Designs. The BigScreen Cinema Guide is a trademark of SVJ Designs. All rights reserved.

'ACADEMY AWARDS®' and 'OSCAR®' are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Find Us on Facebook
Find Us on Instagram