For a series revolving around an undead apocalypse, there’s a brilliant irony to the longevity of the Resident Evil series. Fifteen years ago, Paul W.S. Anderson brought us the original film, which then went on to spawn five sequels. Like the T-Virus, the franchise has evolved and mutated over the years, with each sequel bearing less and less resemblance to its predecessor. Thankfully, the franchise has a legion of fans that even an army of Alice clones couldn’t match.
Now, six films, three directors, and over a billion dollars down the road, we have finally arrived at the end of our journey. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, will bring Alice back to where it all began an an epic climax to the twisted adventure we started back in 2002. Milla Jovovich returns as Alice, to face off against Wesker and the Red Queen for the last time, with some familiar friends and foes also along for the ride.
Before we take take one last trip to Alice’s world, THN is ranking the first five Resident Evil films released thus far. Check it out!
5. Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
Although the franchise has never been known for its strong storytelling or intellectual prowess, Resident Evil: Retribution was a particularly weak entry. Despite the foreboding cliffhanger left at the end of the previous entry, the film spends most of its runtime completely detracting from the larger narrative.
This time the plot revolves around Alice trying to escape from a virtual world the Umbrella Corporation has created underground. The strange labyrinth of re-created cities and oddly-placed landscapes was a confusing plot thread. It was also painfully obvious that the film was itching for an excuse to bring old characters back from the dead, without any logical reasoning behind it. The film then struggled to decide whether it wanted to be a horror tale, video game adaptation, Matrix rip-off, or sci-fi story.
However, while Retribution is a largely inconsequential film, it does feature some impressively choreographed action, and yet-another incredible cliffhanger that will send shivers down the spin of any Resident Evil fan. With The Final Chapter apparently going back to basics, we can only hope that it delivers the straight forward zombie-action we’ve all been waiting for.
4. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
Resident Evil: Extinction, or the instalment also known as ‘the one set in the dessert’, was the third film in the series. In theory, this film should have been an excellent action adventure, with a unique visual aesthetic unlike any other zombie movie. However, the end result didn’t quite work out the way many fans had hoped.
Unfortunately, the majority of the films run time was spent focussing on characters that the audience had very little backstory or affection for. On the plus side, Extinction did introduce Ali Larter’s interpretation of the fan-favourite video game character, Claire Redfield. This is a role that Larter would go on reprise twice, in both Resident Evil: Afterlife and the brand new Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.
It also goes without saying that the franchise is well known for creating some incredibly bizarre, and horrifying creatures for Alice to face off against. However, the decision to focus on zombified-crows as a legitimate threat to forward the plot, was questionable at best. However, fans were treated to the first full-fledged appearance of Iain Glen’s villainous Dr. Isaacs, who undergoes a suitably horrific and entertaining transformation at the films climax.
3. Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
The second film in the series, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, gave fans hope that the franchise was heading towards a much more faithful approach, to adapting the video games it is supposedly based on. After the original film spent 95% of its narrative underground in The Hive, where the T-Virus was first unleashed, Apocalypse showed viewers the world above for the first time.
Taking place in the frequently-featured video game location of Raccoon City, the film displayed a brilliantly terrifying and chaotic view of the outside world. Unfortunately, the script was still wafer thin and riddled with cliched dialogue, but this was still a step in the right direction.
Sienna Guillory also made her debut as an absolutely pitch perfect adaptation of another popular character, Jill Valentine. From visual appearance, to characterisation, Guillory truly embodied the character, and this was almost enough to excuse the overall quality of the film itself. On top of that, Apocalypse packed in another reference to its source material by introducing the title character of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The reception of the characters portrayal was mixed, but the physical accuracy to his virtual counterpart is undeniable.
2. Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
After skipping the second and third instalments of the series, Paul W.S. Anderson returned for the fourth Resident Evil film. Afterlife kicked off a brand trilogy with a (mostly) new cast, and a unique visual style that reinvented the franchise in a refreshing way.
Few can deny that the film boasts some impressively staged action sequences, such as the Alice Clone army attack, and the slow motion battle between Alice, Claire, and the executioner. Having said, a film boasting James Cameron’s 3D technology in its trailers was never going to be subtle in its use of special effects. As a result, many of the action sequences in Afterlife featured a barrage of in-your-face effects, and close-up shots to remind viewers the film was shot in 3D.
Admittedly, this does get tiresome very quickly, but Afterlife is easily the best entry in terms of entertainment value alone. Wentworth Miller also makes a memorable appearance as Chris Redfield, in a role with more than a few tongue-in-cheek references to his Prison Break past. Unfortunately, the character never re-appeared after this film, and is hardly referenced in any future sequels. A huge missed opportunity on Anderson’s part.
1. Resident Evil (2002)
The film that James Cameron officially named as his favourite guilty pleasure. The original film that started it all. The first Resident Evil may not have been a critical darling back in 2002, but it certainly has its fans. Long before the convoluted storylines, overuse of CGI, and pointless story arcs. Paul W.S. Anderson brought us a tense, claustrophobic and charmingly ridiculous horror movie.
Set almost entirely unground in the The Hive, Resident Evil revolves around a group of commandos sent to infiltrate the top secret laboratory, with a memory-wiped Alice reluctantly caught in the middle. The film slowly builds up to the big reveal of its undead antagonists, who actually started out as fairly traditional zombies. This somehow gives it a strange innocence, in comparison to the rest of the franchise and its many sequels.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Resident Evil movie without some whacky sci-fi thrown in for good measure. Thankfully, the original film contains some of most memorably ridiculous sci-fi the series has to offer. Between the zombified dogs, and the infamous ‘laser wall’ sequence, this film contains a hefty dose of cheese and charm. It is undoubtedly not without flaw, but it is still fondly remembered by many movie fans across the globe.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is released in UK cinemas on February 3rd. Read our review here.
