The dead are to be feared in RESIDENT EVIL 2.
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Film to Game Comparison: RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE

I had a chance this weekend to take in the latest RESIDENT EVIL film, APOCALYPSE, and compare it to my experiences playing through the RESIDENT EVIL franchise of games as it falls squarely in the realm of RESIDENT EVIL 2/3.

I was a pretty big fan of the first film. I thought on the whole it was a great zombie flick that was a lot of fun to watch. On the level of movies it was absolutely a popcorn film, but it was well worth checking out and how can you refuse Milla Jovovich fighting zombies in a short dress?

But director Paul W.S. Anderson moved over to work on another videogame adaptation (the laughably bad ALIEN VS. PREDATOR that didn't merit column space in the games section), perhaps he should've stayed with the RESIDENT EVIL franchise it might've been better for him and both films.

The film

Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr), Alice (Milla Jovovich) and Angie (Sophie Vavasseur) try to escape Raccoon City in RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE

© Screen Gems, Milla Jovovich, Oded Fehr, Sophie Vavasseur

The film does do an OK job at adding a little bit of backstory to the series. However, it does it in a hokey and not really that interesting way. It was almost laughable at times. Still, there was plenty for fans including Nemesis vs. a group of S.T.A.R.S., the Lickers making an appearance and of course, a K-9 unit gone T-Virus. Jill enters a room filled with zombies and her comment is: "Don't worry, they're slow, we can go around." This comment is probably accurate of the way many gamers play. The zombie dogs quickly change the situation.

Throughout the movie though it just turns into a giant run-away film considering it portrays RESIDENT EVIL 3 events, it does this well. But there is a reason RESIDENT EVIL 3 is generally considered the least favored of the game (not counting prequel RESIDENT EVIL 0, but that's another story entirely). The game always felt empty, and the film conveys that somewhat well.

There will be some inaccuracies that don't fit with the story of the game well but as a whole, it worked for me as part of the RESIDENT EVIL series. What didn't work for me though was the fact that the film feels as deep as the kiddie pool of a game it is based on. If you can't stand any addition to the Jill getting out of Raccoon City storyline, this movie will drive you nuts, I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.

All

Alice (Milla Jovovich), young Angie (Sophie Vavasseur) and Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory) look on in this shot from RESIDENT EVIL APOCALYPSE.

© Screen gems