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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 83 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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25
Boston Globe Loren King
A video game cum movie that substitutes shrieking decibel levels for a coherent plot and any resemblance to originality.
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25
New York Post Lou Lumenick
It's so incoherent that at first you wonder if the reels are being shown out of order.
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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.
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20
Los Angeles Times Jan Stuart
A ditsy and dizzying spook-house thriller in high-tech, high-hemline gear.
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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.
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What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 83 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

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.

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.

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