Review: Resident Evil (2002)

A caveat:  I watched this on a Blu-ray released many, many years ago (Resident Evil: Extinction is one of the previews on my copy) and it was not a very good transfer.  Several scenes have a weird fuzziness to them that I am fairly certain weren't supposed to be there, so I will be refraining from discussing technical aspects of this film - not that those are ever large parts of my review, but this one will feature less than normal.

So, Resident Evil, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (he of Mortal Kombat and Event Horizon fame) and starring Milla Jovovich, Eric Mabius, and Michelle Rodriguez.  Savaged by critics when it came out, but more recently reappraised with a more positive response.  I remember seeing this one in theaters and fondly remember the viewing experience.  And rewatching it,  I am glad people have come around on it.

Now, this is a cheesy movie, make no mistake.  This was a film made about a video game in the early aughts, the fact it is any sort of good is a minor miracle.  But Anderson gave the movie the right amount of seriousness to go with the cheesy, plus a decent amount of homages to the game it was based off of, which helped win the audience over.  Most of the performances are also pitched perfectly for what the movie is (though I don't think Rodriguez is very good in this one).

The plot moves along fairly quickly, the exposition delivery is somewhat clunky but overall justified, the action is top notch.  Really, the biggest issue for this movie is the computer effects, particularly that of the Licker, aging fairly poorly.  There are a couple of scenes where a practical one is used and it is so much better looking that I wished it had been feasible for it to have been used more.

I think the only other criticism I would have would be the death of a character towards the end.  They are kept around pretty much only to serve as a deus ex machina, the abruptly killed off during the climax.  I really feel like the character should've been a survivor, or at the very least not killed off so thoughtlessly.

I know the more recent one was much more well received, but to me, this is still the best of the many movies in this franchise.  It might just be nostalgia, but it is probably more that these characters are at least somewhat competent once they realize the situation they are in.  Either way, this is a film I am generally happy to rewatch, and one I'd readily recommend.

7 out of 10

Published Oct 17, 2026