IR Film Review: RESIDENT EVIL - WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY [Screen Gems]
Bringing a video game or even a franchise back to its roots is always a very interesting play to try especially on a lower budget with a generation past that sees the IP perhaps as a different beast. "Resident Evil" was the breakout headliner role for Milla Jovovich and started her collaboration with director and eventual husband Paul WS Anderson (who is a producer here with John Davis --- known for his "Predator" series]. This entry "Welcome To Raccoon City" reintroduces characters we do know in a different way more in tune with the haunted house motif before later bringing in recognizable elements of the original franchise. The movie is a different beast but still regaled at times by bad characterization.
Kaya Scodelario who was fantastic in "Crawl" is almost unrecognizable with dark hair here as Claire, the variant of the Jovovich character but with throwbacks to the original video game. This reviewer thought she was Lorenza Izzo initially since many of the mannerisms matched. Her bad ass approach melds elements of performers like Michelle Rodriguez and Michelle Monaghan combined. Hannah John-Kamen, who was great in "Brave New World" on Peacock, plays Jill Valentine but this time the approach from an almost police detective working against the grain. She gives it a different feel of worldliness with still a bit of vulnerability. Again John Kamen takes on a completely different look which works but renders her quite unrecognizable.
The only person beyond Neal McDonough (who always can bring maniacal to life) is Tom Hopper, an odd choice but makes more sense since he just made "SAS: Red Notice" with John-Kamen likely right before this film. The irony is that Hopper is known for "The Umbrella Academy" on Netflix whereas the Umbrella Corporation (no relation) is the main fixture of "Resident Evil". His character floats in and out like many with some bad quips but no real backstory.
What is interesting, maybe in its cool cinematic styling and glimpses of genre timelessness, is that this Resident Evil brings to mind "Highlander 2: The Quickening" with a bunch of interesting ideas thrown together and probably shot underground in an Eastern European city with CG replacement. And, as reboots go, it is still much better than Shane Black's recent "The Predator". That said, it is fun to watch in a very basic way. It doesn't have the high concept approach of the original 1st film of the franchise but it definitely sets up a new path (while not acknowledging the previous one at all). That is the name of the game but with some solid genre talent taking its seriously with a bit of tongue in cheek, it can be fun for a Saturday night view. B-
By Tim Wassberg
