Whenever I mention my unwavering affection for Paul W. S. Anderson’s ongoing “Resident Evil” film franchise, in the comments and Twitter, people always ask why. Normally, I don’t like to be questioned about anything ever, but just this once…
1. What attracts people to genre flicks is not that they’re genre flicks; it’s that the stories are simple — and nothing is more difficult than telling a simple story. RE 1, 3 and 4, are simple and very well-told. Good concepts, plenty of turning points, well-paced, and exciting. Two and five, are weaker in this respect, but still hold my attention.
That’s all I ask of any movie — hold my attention.
2. Anderson’s stunning wife, Milla Jovovich, is the single best action heroine ever. She’s skilled, not tough; and this allows you to buy her extraordinary physical competence. Jovovich also avoids the fatal mistake many action heroines make, she never-ever acts like a guy — always feminine, always sexy.
3. In this era of incomprehensible action scenes courtesy of lazy “visceral” editing and the even lazier shaky-cam, RE’s action scenes are imaginative, superbly shot, and expertly choreographed. You always know what’s going on. Geography is vital to making an action scene work. Paul Greengrass sucks. Anderson is a master.
4. The look, feel, concept, and environment completely changes with each film.
5. Flesh-eating zombies, duh.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.