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Resident Evil
Sony Pictures Entertainment / Screen Gems Inc.

Resident Evil reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 33 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
6.7 out of 10
based on 24 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 78 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: R for strong sci-fi/horror violence, language and sexuality/nudity

Starring Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Eric Mabius, James Purefoy, Colin Salmon, Marisol Nichols, Heike Makatsch, and Joseph May

A secret experiment...a deadly virus...a fatal mistake. Based on the wildly popular video game series, Resident Evil is an action-packed thriller starring Milla Jovovich in a battle of good and evil, human versus computer, the living against the Undead. (Sony Pictures)


GENRE(S): Suspense/Thriller  
WRITTEN BY: Paul W.S. Anderson  
DIRECTED BY: Paul Anderson  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: September 7, 2004 
Video: July 30, 2002 
Theatrical: March 15, 2002 
RUNNING TIME: 100 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: Germany / USA / UK / USA 

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

63
Chicago Tribune Robert K. Elder
One of the few video game movies to truly re-create the gaming experience -- from the three-dimensional maps to the structure of encountering increasingly grisly and dangerous foes at higher levels of play.
Read Full Review
63
Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach
About as good as the genre gets.
58
Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
A splattery futuristic zombie thriller, designed as a jolt-a-minute freakout for young audiences who were numbed into submission long ago.
Read Full Review
50
Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov
Is this the future of horror or just some bizarre fluke? Don't ask me, I'm having too much fun to care.
Read Full Review
50
USA Today Mike Clark
Evil's one strong presence is lead Milla Jovovich -- and not because the script gives her supercop/soldier anything interesting to say.
Read Full Review
50
New York Daily News Jami Bernard
The dialogue is nothing to speak of, but the movie has a dynamite opening sequence in which the corporation turns on its workers, leaving them, if not dead, then with "virtually no intelligence," like office workers everywhere.
50
Chicago Reader Hank Sartin
Hits the ground running and never looks back. But after an hour of propulsive pacing the shock value wears off, and all that's left is pop-up carnage.
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50
Variety Scott Foundas
Despite a promising setup, pic never really goes anywhere, instead immersing viewers in a kinetic onslaught of flesh (namely, that of Milla Jovovich) and flesh-eaters (most of the rest of the cast).
Read Full Review
50
San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
There's a psychological undercurrent. The movie occupies a zone where science fiction and nightmares collide and intertwine.
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50
Film Threat David Grove
Technically impressive horror film and sometimes fun to watch, but totally undistinguished.
Read Full Review
42
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Ellen A. Kim
Like many video games, Resident Evil has a drearily long setup, then a lot of blood and gore, then an overextended ending.
Read Full Review
40
New Times (L.A.) Luke Y. Thompson
Jovovich isn't at her best, but that's mainly because her character is required to be in shock most of the movie, except when she remembers that she's a Charlie's Angel, or happily sheds clothing to maintain that R-rating. Frankly, most of us can live with that.
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40
TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
Handsome and sometimes creepy, but formulaic in the extreme.
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38
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen
While computer games can boast an abundance of nifty graphics and odious villains and plucky protagonists on long journeys, they're invariably a tad wanting in the cinematic essentials -- you know, stuff like plot and characterization and theme.
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30
Washington Post Richard Harrington
In the end, it all looks and plays like a $40 million version of a game you're more likely to enjoy on a computer.
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30
The New York Times Stephen Holden
The movie has a frantic staccato style that is more game-oriented than cinematic.
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30
The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin
Too grim and humorless to even qualify as trashy fun.
Read Full Review
30
LA Weekly John Patterson
The interchangeable males all resemble Freddie Prinze Jr., and Anderson's direction is no less anemic, making one yearn for an Escape/Quit button that, sadly, doesn't exist in this medium.
Read Full Review
25
Boston Globe Loren King
A video game cum movie that substitutes shrieking decibel levels for a coherent plot and any resemblance to originality.
Read Full Review
25
New York Post Lou Lumenick
It's so incoherent that at first you wonder if the reels are being shown out of order.
Read Full Review
25
Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
The movie is "Dawn of the Dead" crossed with "John Carpenter's "Ghosts of Mars," with zombies not as ghoulish as the first and trains not as big as the second. The movie does however have Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez.
Read Full Review
20
Los Angeles Times Jan Stuart
A ditsy and dizzying spook-house thriller in high-tech, high-hemline gear.
Read Full Review
10
Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek
Mildly grisly, assaultively noisy and tremendously boring.
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0
Miami Herald Charles Savage
Such a bad movie that its luckiest viewers will be seated next to one of those ignorant pinheads who talk throughout the show.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 78 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Tom n. gave it a10:
A brilliant movie, above the standard action film. While it may not have the best lines in cinema histyory, and some of the acting is a bit cack (matt never changed his expression, once), it still stands to be a great fun film. With some of the best music ever heard in an action film, hectic and exciting action scenes, and a depressing but cool ending, this film doesn't fail to disappoint. The laser corridor, Rain's first zombie encounter and the final battle on the train are among the films highlights, and Mila Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez put on decent performances. This film is easily worth a rent; remember that these critics putting down Resident Evil are the same ones that said Pirates Of The Carribean was not a fun film.

Blar408 gave it a0:
This movie is made up of massive amounts of suck and fail. It is as if they simply re-wrote the plot of one of George Romero's zombie movies and replaced the time, setting, and character cast, included only a few elements from the actual game, those elements being the virus and the corporation that made it. Suck and fail is the only thing you will see. Another movie trap to entice gamers who have played the actual game to waste money to watch this craptastic movie.

Exors1st Dead gave it a0:
This movie sucks hard. Why did the disgrace the best zombie game ever? Why is it even called Resident Evil if nothing in the movie is based on the game except for zombies and a virus? The movie use swift punch and kicks special effects to much. Every single time they punch or kick, wtsh! It's so annoying. Is it so hard to include the plot and the characters from the game? NO it isn't. Terrible disgraceful movie.

[Anonymous] gave it a2:
this movie is not great but it does have some good moments such as the licker but this game does not really stay true to the storyline of the resident evil series people may argue with that cause it is based in the hive which is just belw the mansion but i will have to diss this movie wtch it if u like resi games but dont have high hopes for this failure of a movie.

Lee gave it a10:
Brill movie, great action and great for if you want to watch a good horror!

sam j. gave it a1:
The movie was ok but in relation to being true to the vidio games it was bull. the thing that makes it so much worse is that people who dont play the games will never know the true majesty of resident evil. and the same goes for movies like final fantasy and doom. how hard is it to keep the story the same as the original? God! if you are blinded by this terrible reproduction you should play the games for yourself and see just how good it is.

alex gave it a1:
As a big fan of the games and other zombie movies, I was very disappointed! The only good part was the end, which 28 Days Later did much better. Not scary at all, and the CGI monster looked like crap!

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