
Resident Evil (2002): A titillating beginning Sony To appreciate the sneaky brilliance of that revelation, though, we have to go back to the beginning. So it is brainless, yes, but also rather effective, and perhaps even sneakily brilliant in its own way: The revelations in The Final Chapter provide a whole new lens through which to view the series.
RESIDENT EVIL EXTINCTION FULL MOVIE HD YOUTUBE SERIES
Indeed, as one of the first modern action series to feature a powerful female action star, Resident Evil’s overall arc offers some surprising insights into the essential nature of female action stardom - and tries, in its own pulpy way, to subvert those expectations even as it meets them. It’s also an excellent showcase for series star Milla Jovovich, whose determined physicality holds the entire series to together. The series also serves as a consistent vehicle for strong female action performances from the likes of Michelle Rodriguez and Ali Larter. Throughout the franchise, which tracks the spread of a virus that turns most of humanity into rabid undead, there are a slew of crisply directed action sequences and some fascinatingly odd characters and performances. The Resident Evil franchise is brainless but effective action filmmakingīelieve it or not, the Resident Evil films do offer more than dumb fun.


To understand why, it helps to understand what these movies are trying to do - and what they aren’t. The Resident Evil movies, which individually come across as little more than extended excuses to stage elaborate action sequences, together add up to one of the most reliably successful brainless action franchises in the Hollywood landscape, and a lone success story in the vast wasteland of failed video game movie adaptations. While it’s not that unusual for poorly reviewed action movies to have surprisingly long franchise lives - see also: the Underworld series - Resident Evil’s endurance is unique among movies based on video games, which are rarely successful enough to warrant one sequel, let alone five. With a 39 percent fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes, the sixth and most recent entry, The Final Chapter, is the best-reviewed of the bunch. The movies, which have grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide since 2002, clearly have their fans, but they are not especially loved by critics. The franchise, based on the popular video games from Capcom, traffics in crude characterizations, hackneyed storytelling, and pulpy sci-fi and horror clichés. No one would ever mistake a Resident Evil movie for high art.
