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Resident Evil
EMAILPRINTSony Pictures Entertainment / Screen Gems Inc.

Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 24 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 87 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller
Written by: Paul W.S. Anderson
Directed by: Paul Anderson
Release Date:
Theatrical: March 15, 2002
DVD: September 7, 2004
Running Time: 100 minutes, Color
Origin: Germany / USA / UK / USA
Summary
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)
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Alien vs. Predator Event Horizon Resident Evil: Apocalypse Resident Evil: Extinction
GAMES: GameCube - Resident Evil
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
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...
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 >Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach
About as good as the genre gets.
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 >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 >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 >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.
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.
Read Full Review >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 >San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
There's a psychological undercurrent. The movie occupies a zone where science fiction and nightmares collide and intertwine.
Read Full Review >Film Threat David Grove
Technically impressive horror film and sometimes fun to watch, but totally undistinguished.
Read Full Review >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 >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.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
Handsome and sometimes creepy, but formulaic in the extreme.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Stephen Holden
The movie has a frantic staccato style that is more game-oriented than cinematic.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin
Too grim and humorless to even qualify as trashy fun.
Read Full Review >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 >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 >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 >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 >Los Angeles Times Jan Stuart
A ditsy and dizzying spook-house thriller in high-tech, high-hemline gear.
Read Full Review >Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek
Mildly grisly, assaultively noisy and tremendously boring.
Read Full Review >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
The average user rating for this movie is 6.6 (out of 10) based on 87 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Roderic R. gave it a9:
I actually enjoyed this movie a lot. I played the games and am well aware of the "lore" of RE, but sometimes the movies don't need to follow exactly. Plus, this is kind of new territory here, with the movie actually coming after the game. I still wish I could filter reviews and remove all "0" scores. A movie that bad should make you *literally* vomit in your mouth, unable to even watch it in its entirety and sad for the plot of humanity and anyone's soul who came within 10 feet of it. Thus, only a handful of movies would be able to get such a ridiculous score.
Keenan S gave it a10:
Despite what critics and some people had to say about it, I absolutely loved Resident Evil. Sure the story doesn't exactly follow the games, but it created its own identity and was a well-written, competent story. The action scenes were well done, even if the zombies lacked blood and there was plenty to go around in terms of excitement. I loved the music and it fit well with the themes. Best of all, Milla Jovovich kicks so much ass in this film! Give it a try, it's actually quite good.
Kevin M gave it a9:
This score is probably the best I can give any of Paul WS Anderson's films. I know this is the worse reviewed by critics and some of the users won't agree with me on this, but this first one to me is actually the best of the 3. Apocalypse wasn't as good and Extinction was just alright, though I like the set up for a sequel at the end of it.
steph p gave it a0:
as far as regular old zombie movies go it was mediocre at best. when i first watched it i had no idea that it was a video game as well and i actually thought the movie was okay. now i've almost completed RE0 and read S. D. Perry's 7 books on it and i had finally found out that the movies do, in fact, suck. they're an abomination, a disgrace to what RE stood for in the games; the acting was terrible, there was none of the monsters in the movies save for a couple. none of the characters were even in the movies; Alice is just a cheap Mary-Sue who probably only got into the movies because she was with the director. as far as i'm concerned the movie was made in hollywood to only make a quick buck and nothing else; the people who decided to do the movie like this are nothing more than selfish, money-hungry assbags. now, i know what the few fans of these awful movies are going to say "don't like it, don't watch" well ya know what? if i had ANY idea of how terrible these movies actually were BEFORE watching i never would have! So disappointed...and i HATE Paul bloody Anderson for screwing up the franchise...i only hope that Karma comes back and chews his self-centered ass out...Milla's too. Too bad Romero's script wasn't chosen instead- apart from Chris being a farmer (!!) it sounded excellent when i read the script. Total let down, one of mine, and a lot of other people's, biggest disappointments. Shame on you Anderson, hope you get LOTS of hatemail! which of course he most likely does :) I actually feel a little better for getting that off my chest (: oh well, i least i've got the books and games of RE, they are awesome!
ER J gave it a7:
I love this movie. Not perfect, pretty flawed, but i love it.
S. D. gave it a7:
I like the film really. But I think, it's because I have never played the game. So, the film is a good action/zombie movie, but only for people who, never played the game. And this is the best Movie of the trilogy.
ninja bob gave it a10:
Watched this movie in theatres atleast 6 times... Brilliant acting (maybe not the best ever but put yourself in the characters shoes) and a nice story, love the special effects. First 30 min. are the best, could watch that over and over and over again.
