…possible Resident Evil sequel options!
by J.A. Hamilton
I’ve been an avid fan of the RE games since the first one helped launch the original Playstation and had an absolute blast with RE 5 on the Playstation 3. I was overjoyed at the news of a RESIDENT EVIL film and though I did enjoy the first one I couldn’t help but wonder why they strayed so far from what the game truly is, ending up with something that was not a whole hell of a lot different from your average zombie flick. They did learn their lesson quick though and decided to be a bit more faithful with the second installment but the third really went way off the beaten path. RE: AFTERLIFE landed somewhere in the middle but still managed to be a decent action flick (BEWARE of spoilers ahead if have yet to watch RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE). Now, Mr. and Mrs. Paul W.S. Anderson are apparently looking for ideas (on Twitter mind you but I don’t Twitter) so here’s hoping they consider some of mine.
This guy was totally badass.
My biggest problem with this series is Alice. I love you Milla don’t get me wrong but I don’t understand why you guys decided to create a new female character and forsake the ones already there in front of you. Add to that, too much time is spent over the course of these films developing Alice and her arsenal of (sometimes cool, sometimes ridiculous) abilities when you should have been diving head long into the Umbrella Corporation, the T-Virus and the many other strains and developments that made the games so intriguing. You guys made Alice damn near invincible and that’s not what RE is about. The theme has always been survival horror (death on a stick around every turn) but at no point in this series have I ever felt worried about Alice. Hell, even in this latest film with her powers gone (a smart move by the way) she’s still kicking ass and taking names without so much as breaking a sweat.
Alice is insanely hot but too overpowered.
Visually these films continue to impress me, you are without a doubt a wizard behind the camera Mr. Anderson (loved the 3-D effects, especially all the ones involving water and the rain drops cascading off the actor names in the opening credits was a nice touch). You’ve also managed to keep enough gore and violence locked in to appease the mob, which is also nice. I’ll be honest, you had me back in RE 1 at the end when James Purefoy is turned and edging his way toward Alice after she goes for the briefcase, that scene was pure gold. These films get slicker and slicker as they go and there’s always a wink here and there to the games like the mansion and statues from the first film and the crows popping up from time to time (by far one of the coolest things about the third film) but where’s the depth and mystery? Where’s that extra push to make these films stand above the rest in this oversaturated sub-genre?
I’d have rathered Miller come on as Leon and get a meatier role.
Word around the campfire is this film was based loosely on RE 5 and therein sits one of the other problems I have with these flicks. Each film tries to steal a bit of lore or add a familiar name to the mix but with Alice as the lead it ends up being a moot point. Jill Valentine, Claire and Chris Redfield, even my main man Wesker are all here in the latest installment but what’s the use as they’re underdeveloped fillers most of the time. Claire was useless in the third film and remains useless here. I loved seeing Wentworth Miller come aboard as Chris Redfield but other than a wink in PRISON BREAK’s direction and a couple one liners he too becomes a fleeting memory. Albert Wesker is a big deal when it comes to the games, he was at ground zero and is a wavering presence over your shoulder at all times. The battles with him were (a little short) cool and all but to non-fans of the game he might come off as more of a Neo clone than anything else which is a shame because he’s a superb villain.
This is definitely the direction the next film should take.
The Resident Evil films are a guilty pleasure for me and I’ll love them no matter what path you ultimately chose. I’d love to see Leon join the fray and personally would have rather seen Jill keep her identity concealed at the end of the latest film only to have it revealed at the beginning of the next one, say, in an epic fight with Alice. Alice should die in this opening battle (no offense Milla, seriously, but you’re a great actress and you don’t need this series anymore) paving the way for Leon to come on board. You should jump into the Uroboros or Progenitor virus and then tackle RE 4’s setting (I can’t see you guys using RE 5’s setting) for a dive into new territory. The Axeman looked amazing as did the mutated dogs and tentacle zombies, you have a knack for creating wondrous creatures and environments so just imagine what you could do with a castle backdrop (you must have some ideas on the subject since you were attached to do Castlevania at one point). I’m all for another installment and have nothing but faith, that said I hope you consider my humble opinions in hopes of tweaking the next one and going out with a bang.