Resident Evil: For Better or Worse  Spoilers

I remember seeing for the first time Resident Evil on winter of 2002, the first feature film based on the famous video games that scare a whole generation and are still doing it with even animated tv series. I am quite conscious that the fan base really hated all 6 films that were release during 2002 to 2017, but it can’t be denied that the saga become a huge box office grosser after earning 1 billion dollars worldwide.

I was very young when the first videogames were on the market, honestly, I preferred to play Tomb Raider because I tend to get easily scare with horror games. It took me months to complete Doom 3; therefore, it was never in my cards to play a Resident Evil game specially for the camera angles. I saw my brother get killed or jump every time a zombie appeared from nowhere, so at that time I thought that dealing with High School was enough.

But then, Paul W.S. Anderson decided to make an adaptation in a way that explain the origin of the T-Virus, and I really enjoy it seen it on screen with real actors and dangerous scenarios. Also having beautiful women as Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez fighting deadly zombies, I could not ask more. Seeing both in action was amazing, that and the laser room which give me nightmares for a while.

I always asked myself why the hate on the Alice character? I know it was created as such to serve like a guide for people like me, that did not know anything about the games. But, if everyone accepted Steven Rogers as a superhuman, why Alice no?

Both had amazing power caused by special serums. Both can fight, jump and do some espionage. I really love what Milla did to this character, it was something flesh that help attract people to the Resident Evil lore. But I understand, but also I know that hated or loved, even the new Netflix Series and the 2021 reboot film could not live the hype the same way and style of all Anderson and Jovovich's versions.

What I love about the first Resident Evil film is that it reminded me of Aliens, since I was a child, I loved these type of survival horror stories about monsters and fighting them. Above all, surviving. Suddenly Alice waking up and not having a clue of what is happening due to her recent erased memory and forced to infiltrate the Hive to reboot the AI, referred as the Red Queen, after killing all the personnel due to the unleashed T-Virus.

It is fascinating that everything is a set up and in the end the Umbrella Corporation commits the same mistake as Weyland Yutani did with the xenomorph. Instead of controlling the situation, they condemn the world so it is up to Alice to try to stop the apocalypse. The final scene, when she wakes up in a abandoned laboratory and goes to the streets to see everything is destroyed it is one of the best scenes ever for the zombie genre.

After that, I became a huge follower of the Saga and went to the cinema theater on 2004 to witness Resident Evil: Apocalypse, and discovering Oded Fehr as Carlos Oliveira, I went nuts because he recently participated on The Mummy films. Also having Sienna Guillory as Jill Valentine, become easily my greatest team for this sequel. They way this three moves together and acted keep me interested all the way. It was bigger, badder and visually superior than the first. Like The Empire Strikes Back of Resident Evil.

Starting right where the first ended, it went crazy since the first minute, Umbrella reopening the Hive, unelashing the virus and sending STARS Commands to contain the situation on Raccon City but at the same time activating Alice and Nemesis projects to deal one another so that way Umbrella can choose the better version to keep and still working. Aside from recreating some famous scenes from the video games, the final showdown on top of a building was awesome. Still.

Now for my favorite, Resident Evil: Extinction, I love the inspiration on Mad Max to put Alice in the middle of the desert due to how the world is literally destroyed. Opting for clarity in the image instead of the darker tones, it truly changes the meaning of making horror action films. Seeing Las Vegas buried under the sand and the confrontation with the super zombies, was a highlight. It hurt not having Jill Valentine and it even hurt more the death of Carlos.

Claire Redfield was a good addition and Ian Glen function as a good villain but I felt his death weak. We even had Christopher Egan, the actor from Letters to Juliet, make a good impression even if he ended up dying. It really hurt watching that. Seeing all Alice’s clones outside the bunker really impact me and in some way, it make me feel nostalgic because back then, I thought this was truly the end for the saga. And it could have been a good end, because it made sense that the original Alice will revert the situation using her blood as an antivirus and with the assistance of all her clones.

But the real problem began with Resident Evil: Afterlife because it contradicted everything that followed after Extinction. Sure I enjoyed the attack on the Umbrella Headquarters in Tokyo and the confrontation with Albert Wesker on the ship after escaping a prison. Also having the Redfield reunited brought warm feelings to my heart. Best trio ever. I even wish to have Chris back but never happened. Truly sad.

I did approve the removal of Alice's supernatural powers, but the difference was minor due to acting the same way as she did when she had powers. Maybe it was like a reflection on her muscles, I lied to myself about that to enjoy this fourth film which I did even if it was predictable and less original. Again, omitting what the White Queen said about Alice's blood was a huge error continuation the same as deleting Angela's fate.

Now, I confess that I became obsessed with Resident Evil: Retribution, I declare myself guilty. I went three times to the movie theater, watch it on 3D and once available on demand, I rewatch everytime I had a chance. What can I say? I love everything: the designs, the music, the arenas, the technology… it reminds me of the original and having all characters from the previous films plus two new ones, it was a crazy ride that I am still enjoying every now and then.

Obviously, the story does not make sense, Albert Wesker still alive and now offering Alice to help him only to discover that he is even below Dr. Isaacs in such mastering and corporate control. The Red Queen is not bad as we thought, it is very difficult to understand taking into account the direction of the Final Chapter.

It is no strange that the girls (Angela and Becky) does not even get a mention, it is like they never existed and suddenly the great reveal that the release of the T-Virus was orchestrated by the same Umbrella to assist the rich in the new world, and also discovering that Alice was indeed a clone from a woman suffering from an accelerated age disease it felt awful. Even the action was not great, nor the designs. They only thing that make me laugh was the Trinity of bitches line from Dr. Isaacs. Said that, I don't even want to get into the Red Queen situation.

Like I said it before, the second trilogy was without direction, but ignoring all those narrative errors, omissions or contradictions, I truly enjoyed this ride that started on 2002 and ended on 2017. Talking about 16 years of Alice killing all types of zombies. They even joke about a Final Chapter Part 2, thank God it did not happeneed. I must say that the only regret I have is not seen the White House Battle that Retribution teased us at the end with all the iconic characters.

No, it simply put us ahead of the battle, and following again a lonely Alice dealing with Dr. Isaacs. I think we would never know why it was written that way, but again, this guilty pleasure of mine is something that I am still enjoying despite all of the imperfections, and this is my lovely dark secret. Here to hoping not to be the only one.

Until next time...