Resident Evil (2002)

Director:

Paul W.S. Anderson

Writer (WGA):

Paul W.S. Anderson (written by)

Release Date:

15 March 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

A secret experiment. A deadly virus. A fatal mistake.

Plot:

A special military unit fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident.

Plot Keywords:

Killer Dog | Spin Off From Video Game | Action Heroine | Female Nudity | One Woman Army

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Milla Jovovich	...	Alice
Michelle Rodriguez	...	Rain Ocampo
Eric Mabius	...	Matt Addison
James Purefoy	...	Spence Parks
Martin Crewes	...	Chad Kaplan
Colin Salmon	...	One
Ryan McCluskey	...	Mr. Grey
Oscar Pearce	...	Mr. Red
Indra Ové	...	Ms. Black
Anna Bolt	...	Dr. Green
Joseph May	...	Dr. Blue
Robert Tannion	...	Dr. Brown
Heike Makatsch	...	Dr. Lisa Addison
Jaymes Butler	...	Clarence the Security Guard
Stephen Billington	...	Mr. White

Also Known As:

Resident Evil (France) (Germany)
Resident Evil the Movie (USA) (working title)
Resident Evil: Ground Zero (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sci-fi/horror violence, language and sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

UK | Germany | France

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:16 | Mexico:C | Malaysia:18SG | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-15 (re-rating) | Finland:K-18 (original rating) | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Krampnitz, Brandenburg, Germany

Company:

Constantin Film Produktion

Trivia:

This is the only Resident Evil movie to be released onto HD DVD, but after Blu-Ray became the official format for high definition movies, Resident Evil then switched from HD DVD to Blu-Ray.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When they are first entering the hive and the captain is speaking to Alice, a sound microphone is clearly visible at the top of the screen.

Quotes:

Red Queen: I've been a bad, bad girl.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Resident Road Map: Reflections on the Future of the Series (2008) (V)

Soundtrack:

Cyanide 2600

One of the best zombie movies in a while

The zombie movie seemed to be a thing of the past. Sure they were still making them throughout the 90s, but we didn't really hear about them as much as we did films like Romero's 'Dead' films, the 'Return of the Living Dead' series, and so on. Nothing really new or exciting was being done with the concept. One place where it was really kept alive was in the world of video games, including one Resident Evil. Having only played the game once or twice myself I didn't know how to feel about a film adaptation. I mean let's be honest, few films based on these games get it right. Sure the Mario Brothers movie is fun in a so-bad-it's-good way, but was it really satisfying? I guess that depends on the viewer. Anyway, thanks to this movie the zombie subgenre was hot again.

Pros: A tense, terrifying opening sequence. Writer/director Anderson gives us a film that's a visual feast due to it's slickness, his use of blue lights, slow motion, etc. A cool electronic score. Moves at a brisk pace. All around, the performances are pretty good. Good special, make-up, and visual effects. At least a couple good scares. Some awesome set pieces; my personal favorite being the one involving lasers. Amazing production design.

Cons: Fans of zombie movies may bit disappointed that it takes a while for the walking cadavers to show up and wreak havoc. Aside from some original touches, this film is fairly derivative of other zombie, action, and science fiction films.

Final thoughts: This modern zombie flick is a whole new dimension. Back in the day it was either a chemical spill or voodoo curse that raised the dead. But this is like a Romero zombie movie with a futuristic twist. This may have been the start of a new type of zombie film.

My rating: 4/5