Resident Evil
Starring Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez

Directed by Paul Anderson

Rated R

**1/2 out of 4 Stars

Released March 15, 2002

Running time: 100 minutes

**1/2

by Kevin Lang

"Resident Evil" was a movie that was on the verge of being a real treat. I don't mean that in the sense that it would have garnered unanimous critical acclaim. I'm speaking in the B movie arena where films like "Evil Dead" and "Army of Darkness" reign supreme. It's a place where movies are fun. Yet, there are no expectations for evoking tears, and the word Oscar is not part of the language. However, we still watch these movies, because what if the zombies and monsters come after us someday? We have to be prepared, right? Not to mention that there is a sick sense of enjoyment in seeing our larger than life hero splatter the guts of creatures that even our worst nightmares can't conjure.

"Resident Evil" was directed by Paul Anderson, whose previous efforts included, most notably, "Mortal Kombat" (1995), "Event Horizon" (1997), and "Soldier" (1998). Like "Mortal Kombat", "Resident Evil" was also based on a largely popular videogame. I've never played the game, but I hear it's gorier than the movie, which should be a comforting thought for parents.

The storyline was not hard to follow, except for the allegiances of certain characters, which in time were all revealed. The basic idea behind the plot was simple. A biological research company known as the Umbrella Corporation was conducting illegal experiments in its enormous underground facility known as the hive, with a deadly virus that it had created called the T-virus. Someone purposely broke open a sealed vile and contaminated the entire facility. Run by a large supercomputer known as the Red Queen, the hive's defenses kicked in and killed off all those who were contaminated to prevent their escape and further exposure. A special unit was sent in to shut down the computer, only to find themselves trapped inside at the mercy of the Red Queen's defenses, not to mention the mutated workers who had come back from the dead, as well as a few other surprises.

There are two or three scenes that stand out in my mind for the sheer gruesomeness of the violence that they displayed. One scene involves several characters trying to dodge laser beams moving across a room. I'll leave that one to your imagination, but let's just say that the cutting room floor was not littered with film at the end of the scene. Another scene involved a woman who was stuck partially out of an elevator. Again, you know where I'm going, and one can only hope that it's not up or down.

Despite several shockingly gruesome scenes, "Resident Evil" failed to draw the audience close enough to its characters. It played like most videogames do. The weak bonds between its characters emphasized its impersonal nature. There was almost just as much camaraderie among the undead as there was among the living. The strongest bond developed between the films two female leads, Alice (Milla Jovovich) and Rain (Michelle Rodriguez). However, even that bond was weak at its strongest moments. I wanted to feel the horror of being trapped in the facility with the main characters, and that's something that the film, for the most part, failed to evoke in its audience. I was never attached enough to the main characters to fear for their lives as if I too was with them.

This is not to say that the movie didn't evoke some fear. It's just that the fear was never as intense as it could have been. The movie's ending, however, was interesting as it seemed to act as a warning of just how quickly we could lead to our own demise. I only wish the filmmakers had done a better job reaching it. I wanted to have more fun. I wanted to enjoy it more. In several scenes the music began to pump beats as if payback time had come, but several seconds later the beats died and the energy was gone. I found myself wanting to hit the reset button to let the filmmakers try it again.