Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Resident Evil: Degeneration.  (2008) Directed by Makoto Kamiya

Leon S. Kennedy: The only way to stop this spread of infection is to destroy the infectees' brains.
Angela Miller: Destroy their... brains?
Leon S. Kennedy: Shoot them in the head.

It has been seven years since the disaster at Raccoon City, and while Umbrella Corporation has fallen, the world continues to turn, and there have not been anymore episodes of the ‘T' virus like that disaster...except for that little incident in India...

Now, Wilpharma, a major pharmaceutical company, implicated in the India outbreak, is developing a vaccine so the events of Resident Evil can never occur again.

Sadly, it is not as cut and dried as that.  Terra-Save, a terrorist organization, is staging strikes demanding Wilpharma release information on their research facility in India.

As the story takes off, Claire Redfield (Alyson Court) survivor of Raccoon City is being picked up at the airport.  At the same time, the press, tipped that Senator Ron Davis (Michael Sorich) is arriving at Harvardville Airport, have that corrupt politician trapped, eager to ask questions about the shady deals around Raccoon City and India.

However, not all the zombies wandering the terminal are protestors in masks, and the situation quickly spirals out of control.  To make matters worse, the terminal is hit by a plane full of zombies.  Does this have something to do with the Wilpharma drug, or is it a terrorist attack.

A special agent is sent to extract the survivors, Leon S. Kennedy (Paul Mercier).  He takes a team of three, himself and Special Response Team members Angela Miller (Laura Bailey) and Greg Glen (Steve Blum).  Anymore risks infection.

A harrowing trip through a blacked out terminal full of the walking dead intent on eating your flesh; yep, it is definitely a Resident Evil movie.

The Senator and a handful of survivors are extracted, though not without cost....

In the aftermath, while the Senator works on the spin, and Kennedy and Miller go over the operational aspects of things, terrorist blow up the only supply of Wilpharma's vaccine.  Claire heads off with Wilpharma executive Frederic Downing (Crispin Freeman), a charming brit, to the research dome to see what can be done to rectify the situation.

However the plot acquires several twists as the terrorist, Collin Miller, is spotted inside the facility.  Worse, there is something called the ‘G' virus that makes the ‘T' virus seem like chicken pox.... 

Once more, it's a fight to the finish, trying to kill the infected and escape before the facility can kill you.

The Analysis

So what makes this different from the Resident Evil Films starring Mila Jovovich?  This one is truer to the video games in several really significant ways; one, all the characters are drawn from the games, and two, the entire movie is animated with CGI.  It really is like watching the video game come to life.

As a horror movie, it is fairly interesting, as a part of the overall RE franchise, it is a fine addition, and as an add for the video game, it is absolutely brilliant.  Most video games become movies suffer from a dissonance of purpose.  A movie is a story told by the film maker.  It is linear, and finite.  A video game is a cooperative effort between the game designer and the player.  The designer sets the world, far more than is needed for a movie, complete with side treks and flavor bits, and red herrings.  The player sets the pace, and writes the plot with his decisions.

Frequently, this means that video game movies have a feel of too much being stuffed in them, or they do not properly highlight their source material.  This phenomenon can be clearly seen in Max Payne.  However, this movie was made before the game was released, by the same people who made the game.  It has a much more believable flow, without the chopped up jury rigged feel that other games to movies suffer from.  Yes, it sort of limits the scope of what the movie can be, but by the same token, makes it a very good match to the source material.  Basically, it makes a movie that will be passionately loved by fans of the game.

Dead Space: Downfall took this route, with animation and lower production values.  This is a far superior effort, and may be the wave of the future.

The CGI is absolutely brilliant, with an almost natural movement, and a very rich urban gothic feel, with great zombie and plenty of pixilated gore.  Also, as realistic as they make the heroes faces, that is how far afield they can go with the victim of the ‘G' virus.  CGI makes for monsters you really can't build any other way.

All in all, a good effort.  The plot is a little simplistic, and it has been done before, but it is done well, with enough artistic flair to make it worth your while.  It ain't deathless art, but if you love video games, or zombie movies, this is definitely worth checking out.

Video Game Movies:

Resident Evil
Resident Evil Degeneration
Dead Space: Downfall
Max Payne
Hitman
Silent Hill


The Dead Shall Walk the Earth!

Romero: Father of Zombies.
Night of the Living Dead
Diary of the Dead
Land of the Dead

Another kind of "Zombie" Movie:
28 Days Later
28 Weeks Later

England's first true Zombie Movie:
Shaun of the Dead


Assorted Flavors of Shamblers:

Return of the Living Dead
Edges of Darkness
Zombieland
Tokyo Zombie
Resident Evil: Degeneration
Resident Evil
Dead Space: Downfall

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older