Resident Evil (2002) Retrospective / Review

[@miek99]

the dvd commentary with Paul, Jeremy, Mila and Michelle is absolutley entertaining as hell, well recommended. Listen to Mila and Michelle are so down to earth and funny i was so surprised.

[@fruitwobbler]

Paul Anderson is a very generous filmmaker I think: he is incapable of fleshing out ideas but he throws SO MANY of them at the screen! Only director who ever signed a DVD for me too. Thanks, Paul!

[@wstine79]

I will say the score for this movie is creepy as hell. The composer of "Scream" and Marilyn Manson worked well together.

[@jonmurphy4889]

Score sucks just like the movie.

[@JimElford]

Marco Beltrami also did The Wolverine and Logan

[@DrQuagmire1]

@@JimElford not to mention, "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"

[@RealBradMiller]

@@jonmurphy4889 So uh, why are you here then? Wish I had the need to find stuff I didn't like and complain about it to people who like it, it'd be a simpler life.

[@jonmurphy4889]

@@RealBradMiller LOL you better get off the Fuckin internet then because I don't think you're using it properly...

[@justenbeashel]

Still to this day the resident evil movie theme gives me goosebumps. It's so haunting to me, dunno why, just love it 😍

[@Dopeymanthing]

Im like that when ever i hear resi og games soundtrack. Hairs stand up on end

[@AbuHajarAlBugatti]

1:15 Especially where they show the hive

[@TheBeird]

Your assessment of Paul being a frustrating director is spot on. I’ve wanted him to do better. Like genuinely, I want him to succeed. Aside from Mortal Kombat, Event Horizon and Death Race though, I don’t think he’ll change. Doesn’t need to really, he’s living the dream we all wanted at one point; making movies with your lover.

[@edwarddore7617]

Soldier is good

[@ChairmanKam]

I really love just this first film. There's something in its pathos and aesthetics that captures me just the right way. I still say it's the best "Aliens" clone made. I think it's cause you can feel the (admittedly misguided) passion behind and in front of the camera. Is it a good adaptation? Hell no! But I enjoy watching it every time, and I rewatch it annually. If nothing else, it inspired me to make the perfect true-to-games adaptation of the games.

[@drop_messages6226]

What do you mean by perfect true-to-games adaption of the game? Are you an indie game maker?

[@ChairmanKam]

@@drop_messages6226 No. Though I AM working on a perfect full 3D render of Raccoon City, based on a real world city where the films should actually be filmed. I am an indie screenwriter. I have a tonal and story adaptation I'm working on that still works as a film and not a let's play. Plus plugs some plot holes that always bug me.

[@drop_messages6226]

@@ChairmanKam very cool, I would like to see your work.

[@DrQuagmire1]

@Juan Sotelo I hope that Oliver does a retrospective of "Alien vs. Predator", as he mentions it here and in his review of "Predator 2"

[@AlbionPatterns]

@Juan Sotelo Michelle Rodriguez always piqued my 17 year old interest

[@MrNegativecreep07]

it's not saying much, but this is definitely the best of the series. However the first 3 RE games just needed a straight adaptation to the big screen, they're already perfectly self-contained stories.

[@umacalopsitaeumviolao]

Netflix is making a resident evil reboot with green arrow cousin and a bunch of other c-list actors. They revelead it this week. It's gonna be as bad as Mila's movies.

[@zachthezombie]

@@umacalopsitaeumviolao but the CGI series and live action reboot are looking promising

[@zachthezombie]

@@umacalopsitaeumviolao but the CGI series and live action reboot are looking promising

[@zachthezombie]

@Trump4Prison2021 er yea so whenever a book is adapted like say lord of the rings or something they should of just used the name and then made up the rest and had frodo doing matrix back flips and running up walls because who the hell would want to watch the film if it's the same as the book right

[@brandonginsburg3120]

@@zachthezombie Well-played.

[@pupax2000]

It is one of my favorite movies still. Not taking itself too serious, great visuals, takes the time to build tension, mostly practical effects, awesome soundtrack and sound effects by Marilyn Manson. It is great creepy entertainment, from start to that epic end shot. I love it. Too bad it was downhill from there.

[@Nerevar5me]

Yeah, the tension building as they first work their way in the hive where one of the group hears moaning coming out of the one of the vents and it being a ghost facility was great.

[@merces47letifer4]

Man the series had so much potential. This flick was pretty solid. Then.. Well... Yeah.

[@axids6371]

like literally no one cares... the worse they got it never changed the enjoyability

[@alexduran1967]

Each game could be its own film without changing much. That's a lot of money saved not having to write a completely new script.

[@rorydonaldson2794]

I always did a sever job of shutting down my brain to watch them. The first film was pretty solid, as a kid it scared the shit out of me. The second film was so so, no way near as good but it was palatable, young me still enjoyed it. After that I started shutting off my brain, mindless fun at least. I don't wanna talk about the last 2 films though..

[@NerfZombieHunter]

The Fire Nation attacked...?

[@alfreddreamerphotocomics4880]

I never played the games or was familiar with it, but I enjoyed the first 2 movies.. Maybe that’s why.. I don’t know. It’s hard to say.. I haven’t watched most of the other movies.

[@anubusx]

The best live action Resident Evil is the intro to the PS1 game.

[@MarcoCaifan87]

No lies there

[@Gruntvc]

Barry The Legend and Chris "I got a Shotgun!" Redfield.

[@MarcoCaifan87]

@@Gruntvc Nooooo!!! Don’t go!!!!

[@EdgeO419]

NO DON'T GO!

[@muznick]

@@MarcoCaifan87 "Wait!...Don't...open...that...door!"

[@shainewhite2781]

To tell you the truth, this is a pretty good sci-fi action horror film from Director Paul Anderson, and the Licker in the film is the creepiest looking monster throughout.

[@michaelcullen5308]

The entire lift sequence, from them hearing the other lift plummeting, to the head trapped in the doors, is one of my favourite sequences in any film.

[@EnE85]

Wow listening to George Romero talk about the executives criticism of his script seemed spot on. If he made the movie it probably would have been great. Obviously the man knew Zombie films but he also seemed to get video games a medium too. Dude was a gem.

[@morlockmeat]

I loved this movie, but thought all the sequels weren't anywhere near as good.

[@WraithDesignz]

I have such memories of this movie. was around the same time I met my best friend who was a big fan of Resident Evil games as I was. Sadly, he passed away May of this year. :( But thank you for this retrospective. It's like a sign from him.

[@22freedom33]

I didn't know the zombies were professional dancers, that makes me thibk of Thriller

[@drhonknbonk5798]

Thriller was scarier than than these films

[@adamgray1753]

Yes, @@drhonknbonk5798. Fun "fact": Micheal Jackson made some cameos in the RE movie franchise.

[@MrBigangry]

Final fantasy had a cool thriller dance in the dvd.

[@pennydreadful5163]

@@adamgray1753 yeah right

[@CybershamanX]

Thank you, Oliver! You saved me from a depressing rabbit hole of current events! And now...on to the show! :)

[@MarcoCaifan87]

This is perhaps my favorite “guilty pleasure” movie. Just thinking about it takes me back to middle school, talking with all my friends (each a gamer and Resident Evil nerd in their own right) during lunch about the rumors surrounding the film, and then finally watching the film on a burned CD during computer class. Good times, haha. In retrospect, it is a decent but flawed film, and a far cry from the crap films that followed it.

[@MarcoCaifan87]

@giftofgab247 outside of 9/11, the late 90s - early 2000s were some of the best of times haha.

[@BrokenGlassesGaming]

I recently rewatched this & had my mind blown when I realized, 21 years later, that the reason the leaves were blowing so hard outside the mansion (thus freaking out Alice) is because the helicopter carrying the strike team was approaching.

[@SlyBeast]

As an RE fan, this movie broke my heart. And it looks as if fans of another Capcom franchise are about to know that pain...

[@shadowleon659]

In a way the Resident Evil live action films and the Transformers live action films have so many similarities with each other.

[@jacktomlin6304]

Yes. They're both pretty rotten. Trump4Prison2021, I dig your handle! That made me laugh on a dark day!

[@mkproductions2.0]

@Trump4Prison2021 I dig your handle too thank you Trump is a piece of shit.

[@DrQuagmire1]

@Trump4Prison2021 i'm still fucking pissed at how "The Golden CompASS" beat out the first "Transformers" for the Best Visual Effects Oscar (which was repeated again in 2012, when "Hugo" beats out "Dark of the Moon" for the VFX Oscar as well). which sucks, because I feel that the guys of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) did a fantastic job on the film's visual effects

[@TheLukeylala]

Both series have a fun and watchable first movie and then get progressively worse with each installment. That's my take anyway.

[@redbigun]

The first and third were average and the rest were shit?

[@sean5558]

I would say I got chills the first time in theatres I heard the axe being dragged by the zombie with the creepy industrial music scored by Marylin Manson

[@sicilianotoronto]

I actually enjoy this film as a guilty pleasure!

[@thejonner2036]

My son is the same age as this movie. He's aged considerably better.

[@TheMartPlante]

Hahaha

[@zacharyjochumsen9677]

The Jenner I was born in 2002 as well

[@darthdavius4780]

Doubt that

[@thejonner2036]

@@darthdavius4780 Aw, did someone say a mean thing about a movie you like?

[@darthdavius4780]

@@thejonner2036 I don't care about others' opinions regarding movies.

[@1king4all]

Man, I remember seeing this in theaters back in 2002. I had to pretend to look old enough to be allowed into the theater. Played my part of a 17+ year old so well, they didn't bother to second guess me, even though I was 4 months shy of turning 15. Miss the good old days, but thankfully I have the memories to look back on and smile. Great adaptation though, this and the second movie. Sure, they both deviated from the source material, and both could've been shot differently as with any movie, but they worked with what they had thought best at the time. This one remains my favorite of the two. The rest after, I'll keep my silence golden.

[@southernfried19]

My exact take as well. After the second movie, this film “franchise” can pound sand.

[@IvyMike783]

The music and the dark cold industrial look in the hive made me like this movie

[@killerVeNoM101]

Paul W.S.A.: "this is the ultimate RE movie!" Chris: " hahaHahaHAHAH! " Paul W.S.A.: "...Chris?, Stawp it!"

[@NebLleb]

Chris: "Anderson, You're pitiful!"

[@mmickle6191]

You nailed it with describing this movie as being written for an audience new to Resident Evil. I very much enjoy this film. It's a fun action flick and Jovovich was an excellent casting here, but I much prefer the story of the games. My girlfriend on the other hand isn't a gamer, and loves this movie series and puts these films on multiple times a year! Jovovich as Alice is as important to her as Ellen Ripley is to me in Aliens! (Ripley could take her)

[@joshuapeterson8575]

I knew a great deal about these films, but the preproduction information was a welcome bit of new facts I was not familiar with. Combined with your exceptional editing, narration, and presentation, you’ve once again provided a fantastic retrospective. I just recently was able to see In Search of the Last Action Hero, and it was everything I had hoped. Thanks again for an excellent video, Mr. Harper, and I can’t wait for the next one.

[@52BLUE]

I love that you use the Safe Room music throughout the video, Oliver. A true fan of the games knows what's up.

[@goldtomlin3438]

You mentioned Silent Hill, I really really hope you do Silent Hill Movie Retrospective Review next! As Silent Hill is arguably the best video game adaptation movie ever done! It's unsettling atmosphere and bleak tone worked amazingly in that film! Also, some gory scenes/kills were just brutal! I enjoyed that film and Re-watch it every Halloween, it would be a treat to see you do a retrospective review to that as I think it deserves to be reviewed and I also think it's a highly overlooked film which didn't get enough praise as it should. As for Resident Evil, I think Resident Evil 1 and Resident Evil Extinction were the best ones out of this franchise and the only good ones, they had some entertaining sequences and gory moments that was enough to please me. I tend to watch the third film more (Extinction that is) as I love the setting, the acting is definitely better in my opinion, it has some very tense moments and pretty cool action sequences that kept me entertained, the story take it or leave it. So it would be nice to see you carry on Reviewing all Resident Evil films eventually, Extinction definitely in my opinion deserves a review from you and I would love to hear what your complete thoughts about the film are and just behind the scenes stuff would be also interesting to see also. Either way, great review Oliver can't wait for next!

[@DrQuagmire1]

the scene with the woman getting her skin ripped off was pretty nasty, but not quite as disgusting as the climax though...OUCH!!!

[@goldtomlin3438]

@@DrQuagmire1 Yes! Silent Hill is a perfectly splendid entertainment!

[@john_laser]

My dad owned and watched all these movies, I asked him why, he said " Cause if I don't watch bad movies who will?" I'm convinced these movies led to his untimely death last year

[@jounik8980]

No its about doing something that other dont wanna like picking trash or dog shit

[@aranerem3767]

This movie is awesome. That laser corridor scene is cool.

[@YusufGinnah]

Loved this movie from it's initial release and have watched it a few times. Love the background theme and listening to it immediately places you back into the movie... 😎👍🏼👍🏼

[@shadowleon659]

You know what the sad part is that the closest any of the live action films have gotten to being Resident Evil is the second installment.

[@MrNegativecreep07]

It was ok until Alice showed up in that awful church scene, and had to completely upstage Jill from then on

[@jwnj9716]

@@MrNegativecreep07 Oh God, they downgraded Jill but the actress did a great job.

[@MrNegativecreep07]

@@jwnj9716 Jill always seems to get screwed over. the RE3 remake was fun but ridiculously short, and she's nowhere t be found in RE7 or 8.

[@Gruntvc]

When RE2 tries to be RE3 1999? It's great, especially the street battle between the cops/UBCS against the zombies. But as soon as Alice the super Mary Sue shows up? All downhill for not just the film, but the sequels too.

[@MarcoCaifan87]

@@MrNegativecreep07 even back then as a 16 year old, I was not fond of Jill playing second fiddle to Alice.

[@danielwilliamson6180]

Oliver, buddy! Another good review. Resident Evil is a great movie. The movie that brought Milla Jovovich and Paul Anderson together. My favourite Resident Evil is Resident Evil: Retribution which is the only Resident Evil movie I own on DVD. I also have Soldier and Pompeii on DVD (Directed by Paul Anderson).

[@justindenney-hall5875]

Oliver Harper You make some of the most well produced content on youtube.

[@999YCM]

The behind the scenes stuff is always way more interesting and impressive for schlocky movies like this. Well done there.

[@8-BitHero]

Also again Oliver, your editing makes even the worst movies look good!

[@BubblegumCrash332]

I remember my excitement for the movie. I loved the games and my imagination went wild thinking of all interesting deaths that could happen. It ended up as a killer queen AI and most of the cast was killed by Lazer beams wtf

[@-MrFozzy-]

Thanks for all the info of the new resident evil projects, I had no idea....

[@muccmaster]

I'll never understand the argument of "If you want a direct translation of the game to movie then why don't you just play the game?". The whole point is seeing the events of the game with real people on film. Also you don't have to follow everything to a T. Probably the biggest reason of why fans WANT to see a movie version of the games events is so they can see the epic game moments done in live action. Even if that's predictable its what the consumers want, why buy the rights to the franchise if you're not even going to use what makes the franchise great? The best thing that ever came from these movies is the end theme from the first movie.

[@soldierorsomething]

@tlessmo Heh a good example of that is that fan made film about Max Payne, since it´s better than the official movie :D

[@mrmeerkat1096]

You don't have to do everything to a T! Good one!!!

[@knightfall9394]

@@soldierorsomething what max payne fan film is that? If there’s something that’ll make me forget the wahlburg film point me to it

[@soldierorsomething]

@@knightfall9394 Im not sure if you have seen the fan film that i was talking about, but its the: "MAX PAYNE Retribution" (There arent that many movies about MAX)

[@knightfall9394]

@@soldierorsomething i havent seen it thats why i was asking thanks for the info

[@chaser1254]

Cant stretch enough, how I love Your reviews. Outstanding quality and attention to detail

[@JeremyNattagh]

Oliver, you are incredible. Best movie reviewer in my subscribed channels. Thank you so much for these in depth and very smart reviews. You really make my days.

[@Pewpewpew182]

I loved this film. Turn off your brain type of entertainment. Thanks for doing this Oliver!

[@obirobkenobi3599]

This franchise is definitely my guilty pleasure 😳

[@LandAnchor]

Thank you for giving considered, interesting reviews that aren’t just bitching or moaning. Your content is excellent.

[@Dani..663]

Rain was the best bit of this film for me I wish they didn’t kill her.. I also liked Alice in this one she was more vulnerable and scared not overpowered and smug like in the other films

[@southernfried19]

That’s how they ruined the entire series, by making her some superhuman weapon.

[@thespacesbetweenstudio3346]

For a video game movie, they did a great job. They took elements of the games but made a watchable movie on its own too.

[@robotpanda77]

Actors commentary was interesting on this one where they talk about the Alice in Wonderland analogy. James's character is alluded to be the Cheshire Cat because he is mysterious and no one really knows what his deal is.

[@norenttv_]

This movie series is a great background. Like when you got some stuff to do and you just need something playing in the background.

[@remove_marko]

Great review, as always... Would be nice if you did the second movie at least, it was the last descent one

[@dan_evilrobot]

I couldn't imagine if George A. Romero would ever did direct Resident Evil (2002) film?🤔

[@Flayne009]

I like Romero and Dawn of the Dead is a masterpiece (as is Night and Day) but I never understood the hype for him to direct this. Especially after seeing the meh commercial he did for the game in Japan.

[@lutherheggs451]

and from his script it sounds like it was going to be god awful, which is why Capcom passed on it....And I say that as someone who saw Day of the Dead in theaters while I was in elementary school...Just because someone made some great things doesn't mean everything they made was amazing...The Crazies was far from amazing as was Bruiser and Martin.

[@malkmuslistener5459]

my buddy and i were pretty obsessed with RE1 and 2 and when the movie came out we were pumped. but how they could miss such a sure-fire adaptation? c'mon... a creepy mansion, dogs jumping in through the windows... Hunters... the Tyrant?? change a little bit of the story here and there so it's not the exact same beats as the game but DAMN, you had a slam dunk if you just translated the key visual elements and characters of the games...

[@suttercane6]

A masterpiece when compared to last year's Welcome to Raccoon City

[@southernfried19]

Have you seen the Netflix show? Hell, that’s 100x worse than both.

[@ChairmanKam]

12:20 You should have mentioned that Isacs, Anderson, and Jude Law all had their premiere in Anderson's "Shopping".

[@gerbear3227]

25:08 love the reference to "street fighter" (ken/ryu) with the hurricane kick to the dog :)

[@jens256]

Great video. So many things I didn't know about the making of this movie (franchise). I always thought it was a successful Video-Game adaption for the time, in that it was perfectly watchable and entertaining, and with nods to the game and the zombie movie genre alike. At the time we were still measuring the video game adaptions fidelity to the source material against the Mario Brothers movie.

[@jens256]

Oh that initial elevator scene always got to me

[@MortonGoldthwait]

It's incredible how good the movie feels when paired with music from the original games.

[@seanbrazell6147]

Jason Isaac's, under appreciated since even before Raccoon city.

[@jasongradyphstiger6179]

Well we never know his his character name until you see his character name on IMDb that he is playing the character of William Birkin from Resident Evil 2.

[@seanbrazell6147]

@@jasongradyphstiger6179 He was fantastic in Event Horizon - easily Anderson's best film (and the last that DIDN'T star Jovovich. Not a coincidence, I think.)

[@jasongradyphstiger6179]

@@seanbrazell6147 yep indeed my friend.

[@gokaury]

@@seanbrazell6147 She was horrendously awful in his adaptation of the Three Musketeers. Ugh. The only reason she still even has a career in movies is because he put her in every single movie of his thereafter.

[@arsenal_616]

I wasn't a huge fan of the games going into this movie. I actually don't think I played them until after it came out. So as a movie that attempts to be a prequel to the games, it's fine. But as a horror movie, I like it. This film started my love affair with the zombie genre (which was eventually killed by The Walking Dead TV series). It is, by any measure, a much better film than any of the sequels, which are all guilty pleasures at best.

[@mish375]

I find the first 3 RE films are guilty pleasures of mine. But the first one does capture a sense of horror, mystery, and claustrophobia that none of the sequels had.

[@animezilla4486]

@@mish375 yeah I agree with you the first 3 Resident Evil movies for fantastic my personal favorite was apocalypse because your feet you're my favorite Resident Evil monster Nemesis in it

[@mish375]

@@animezilla4486 I mean, the first 3 are at least fun, non-sensical popcorn flicks that you can enjoy. Some fun action and horror elements mixed in. However, the series jumped the shark with the 4th film and it just got worse from there.

[@Azurath100]

Umbrella is starting to sound like Amazon.

[@wstine79]

"You're all going to die down here!"

[@jimmyeng663]

You're 100 percent spot on with your critique on Paul Anderson's directing and writing.

[@ffejpsycho]

We all work for the Umbrella Ella Ella Ella Corporation....

[@DrQuagmire1]

@Oliver Harper: with Jason Isaacs being close friends with Paul W.S. Anderson, i'm surprised he didn't cast him in "Alien vs. Predator", alongside Colin Salmon

[@pennydreadful5163]

Perhaps because Jason Isaacs was busy filming the HP series.

[@tokyosmash]

That save room music 😍

[@sooza6198]

The Paul W.S. Anderson RE films remind me of the Underworld series. The first 3 are (mostly) good fun. After that, forget it.

[@RaikenXion]

I was'nt a fan of this movie for years, but since the latest film and tv adaptations of Resident Evil, compared to them this is a masterpiece. Also i think W.S Anderson could maybe do a decent Terminator movie.

[@navybr0wnie]

if I looked at the first 3 Resident Evil movies as a regular Zombie movie trilogy, it's decent. Not like Blockbuster blowout, but good enough to have a little bit of fun with. However if we try to square it fully on the shoulders of an existing IP it's... rough, and gets rougher the further along the movies series we go. I get resident evil in general isn't the pinnacle of story telling, not by a long shot. But there's still a thread you can follow, and I feel like Anderson picked up a random spot on that thread and was like "I'll start here" but instead of following it all the way down he picked another set random spots to build his story from. I don't hate the first 3 resident evil movies, but I feel like if they didn't have the branding they'd have probably been better to consume. I will say... I love the sound track

[@silentreactor97]

This is the best Live Action Resident Evil film we ever got! It's actually a decent zombie Flick and tons of fun and probably the only Resident Evil film that is closest to the actual games by not much of course but still. Anyways, I personally enjoyed this film and Re-watch it every Halloween, it's not perfect of course it does have many noticiable flaws but overall Its tons of fun.

[@SultanSamet]

Overall still enjoyable, but the last movie... Boy, i remember being dizzy and tired, the editing was horrible and the movie made plot jumps(?). Idk.

[@syxx7wun]

The retrospective I wasn't expecting this morning lol

[@Quast]

@Oliver Harper Additional Info: Around 2007 (I think) I was surfing the website of Mr. Weebl, the guy who is known for Weebl series animations, Cat Face, Badger Badger Badger, I think you remember those "cartoon" Flash animations, mostly known from Newgrounds. On this website called Samurai- or Sumo- ...something... was a list of his work credits, among those was the 3D Animation for "The Hive" in the first Resident Evil movie. xD So I guess, he was the one who did the relative simplistic 3d models and tour for "The Hive" that we are seeing spliced into the movie throughout.

[@jonmurphy4889]

This movie was such a depressing birthday present for my 13th birthday...

[@TRAVISHOWRYMUSIC]

Awww

[@coreedawarrior2000]

#Dank

[@NESQUEHONINGSfinest]

the score and soundtrack was the best part of the movie, it could have easily been in one of the games and fit and thats the best compliment u can give this one

[@gnarkillx360x]

man 20 years goes by quick.

[@JeremiahLambertArt]

wow i just watched this out of boredom so perfect timing there oliver. thanks.

[@Bluargh02]

I love the soundtrack. 2000s metal at its weirdest. ❤

[@AliceBowie]

The craziest thing is Mila Jovovich and Paul W Anderson basically made this series their entire career and income for the last 20 years. I think that's actually pretty great. Resident Evil sequels are the family business, and even if critics hate them, they make cash, and are entertaining enough for fans. I've never seen any of these movies.

[@AbuHajarAlBugatti]

The first two are very good. 3 onwards are butt

[@jonmurphy4889]

The problem is that all these production companies like Constantin don't actually own all the rights to make a 100% adaptation of the video game that's why all video game movies suck because they're their own spin on the game's story/characters etc...

[@CGB_Crash]

This movie is kinda like Transformers (2007) in that standing on its own its actually fairly solid, but the endless, awful sequels have people retroactively hating it.

[@sfighter0085]

Great review as always. I used to have this movie on VHS, bought it from my local video rental Store "Network Video" when it was closing down. Back then I had somewhat gotten into the video games from "Resident Evil: Outbreak" on the PS2. While I liked it somewhat back in the days, after playing the actual games, I began notice how unfaithful these movies were to the games. If anything, this first movie could be considered a "Resident Evil" fan film. I am a bit peeved at the fact that the studio rejected a script from the legendary George A. Romero in favor of a more action oriented movie. I haven't seen the movie recently, so its unclear where my opinion lies. However I am a bit stoked for the upcoming reboot movie, even thought we won't get the Mansion, it'll be cool see if Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy, and Clair Redfeild interact and see a more faithful interpretation of these awesome games.

[@RainBird88x]

There needs to be a binding UN resolution banning Paul WS Anderson from making any more films.

[@dbzfan655]

I actually liked the first movie. The train fight was the highlight of the film to me. This is the first time Alice is vulnerable and has to work with other characters to survive. The first two sequels were decent, until RE3 ending.

[@CRUELLANDER]

I think this would’ve worked more as it’s own standalone film instead of being part of the Resident Evil, Honeslty I would love to see a $40M-$50M horror/action thriller or Psychological Thriller movie with Milla Jovovich, Sosie Bacon, Angelina Jolie, Ann Hathaway, and Winona Ryder.

[@HurricaneDDragon]

It’s really funny to imagine dancers playing terrifying zombies.

[@Bluecollarjoe6B9]

I audibly laughed when I heard the Ken spin kick sound bite when Alice kicks the dog.

[@liamsworld3260]

It’s not perfect but as a die hard re fan I genuinely love this movie, made with passion, you kick ass man, your essay reflects that

[@Protoman85]

The thing is, Paul, that I as a RE fan WANTED the first game as a movie. I didn't want new pointless characters. I agree with everything Oliver said here except about Extinction. I don't really understand how people can attack any of the other movies for not being like the games but be okay with Extinction, which is probably the least like any of the games(no having sand like RE5 isn't enough). Apocalypse might be crappy but it's got Raccoon City, Nemesis, Jill, STARS, the nuke and oppressive Umbrella in one city. It's the most like the games and that's why it's "the best"

[@johnbooker2]

I'd like to think in a perfect universe there exist a George Romero directed NC-17 cut "Resident Evil" starring literally anyone else but Milla Jovovich.

[@shanec8899]

Amen❤️

[@antiquityvarmintwesleyhoag2909]

I watched enough of the George Romero films to realized that George Romero wasn't a good fit to make Resident Evil films. Yes he made some strong horror/action films of the 60's, 70's and some 80's. He was lucky. George Romero does have serious actual storytelling flaws in later of his career and his later 80's and 90's films was.... Not great, overrated and was overwritten that caused the films to drag on. The Dark Half was a good example of this. George Romero was a heavy script writer, in a way he wrote films that was sometimes kind of unwatchable and needs a very serious editor who will edit his films and scripts down to make them work better. Even The Crazies he made suffered from heavy drama and very light on horror that made Dawn of the Dead famous.

[@Amber_xo_133]

All the minor cuts and bruises on Milla Jovovich's character are real. No make-up was applied. Milla Jovovich said the real reason she did this movie was because her brother Marko was a huge fan of the video games. The presidents of Capcom Japan and America have cameos as zombies. Capcom created the Resident Evil series. The main actors were told to prepare for the film by getting copies of the games and playing them through. Some of them didn't know if they could complete them in time so they had to get video copies of other people beating the games and then watch it. (at around 1h 30 mins) There is a shot of Alice's eye close up near the end of the film. This is a direct reference to the first game in the series Milla Jovovich's character's name, Alice, is only revealed during the credits. (at around 11 mins) The wedding picture of Alice and Spencer looks similar to the pictures from Resident Evil (1996) and Resident Evil 2 (1998) (with the subjects up close and spliced onto the background image, and always in black and white). Even though they're everywhere, the word "zombie" is never spoken in this film. (at around 1h 27 mins) Near the end, when the underground tram pulls back to the Mansion station, the serial number on the front of the lead car reads "ALEXIA" followed by a string of digits. Alexia Ashford is the final antagonist of Resident Evil Code: Veronica. Also, Underground Trams are a recurring mode of transportation in the Resident Evil games. In the movie, Alice's fake husband is named Spence. This is a reference to the first game which took place in a mansion named the Spencer Estate. Also, one of the three founders of Umbrella Corporation in the game series is named Ozwell Spencer. The makeup department and crew had a hard time dealing with the dogs, who kept licking the zombie makeup, blood and meat off of themselves. The studio, Sony Pictures, had hoped at one time to make the film PG-13 so as to make the film more marketable to the younger video game fans, but director Paul W.S Anderson insisted that to be true to the game, the film must be rated R. Milla Jovovich and Paul W.S. Anderson, who met on the set of "Resident Evil", were married on 22nd August 2009 and (as of January 2019) have two children. Like in the games, after something is switched on/off, something else happens elsewhere. When the Red Queen is deactivated for the first time, all doors elsewhere are opened.

[@adamfreddo5703]

I do think the seizure of power theme suits a character like Nemesis for sure.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

Good timing with this video since it coincides with the release of the new Monster hunter movie, also directed by the same guy and featuring Milla.

[@ChairmanKam]

24:15 Perhaps he learned in writing books/class that you mustn't have your characters act inconsistent with themselves, and didn't trust his abilities enough to not just tie them back to a core trait in every instance?

[@eliasstubbs2593]

You should definitely do a retrospective of William Friedkin's "To Live and Die in L.A"

[@charoleawood]

Paul W. S. Anderson's Three Musketeers I think is a brilliant film, very funny and surprisingly intelligent

[@jessethelopez]

I love these retrospective videos! Maybe Baz Lurman’s Romeo and Juliet?

[@joshhale418]

I love the longer retrospectives, lets me know there is some good meat there!

[@crashoveroid]

Fantastic Oliver. Resident Evil movie series is a guilty pleasure :)