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Resident Evil has a decidedly mixed track record on the big screen. One or two decent scenes here or there (laser cage!), but largely forgettable bilge. This is all very strange because the property on which it is based is a very strong IP. Is this yet another example of Hollywood thinking it knows best, while proving time and again that it really doesn’t? Maybe they should try, you know, actually adapting the IP?
The latest man to try to carry the hopes and dreams of an entire generation of gamers with him, is Weapons filmmaker Zach Cregger.
He sounds like he understands that when you deviate from the lore, you need a good reason. He told The New York Times that he:
“…warily crosses his arms whenever he hears of a project inspired by a game he loves…”
He also says he expects some negative responses to his film from fans due to the places he has deviated from the lore, but hopes the fans understand and accept the tone:
“I love the idea of being pitted against a world that is hellbent on annihilating you. It just feels fun, and I haven’t seen a movie that offers that sort of experience.”
Cregger wrote the screenplay with Shay Hatten, and this story follows a laid-back organ courier sent on a late-night delivery to Raccoon City, who stumbles into the middle of a full-blown outbreak involving bio-engineered monstrosities. Cregger previously said, tone-wise, he was aiming for:
“…rock ’em, sock ’em” along “Evil Dead II lines (so he can) get crazy with the camera… It’s a weird, fun, wild story.”
The word is now starting to spread from some test screenings. And what does that word say? According to World of Reel, feedback includes the movie being called:
“…a horror version of Mad Max: Fury Road…”
Meanwhile, the tight 90-minute run time makes it:
“…all gas, no brakes…”
Other feedback includes:
“…barely time to breathe.”
“Lean, mean, and very confident.”
“Prioritizes momentum over exposition, with minimal character development and a heavy emphasis on forward motion.”
The movie is pegged as tight and claustrophobic, featuring a lot of practical effects and avoiding getting bogged down in the huge mythology of the games. Austin Abrams stars as the courier. Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Johnno Wilson co-star. Robert Kulzer, Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, Asad Qizilbash, and Carter Swan produce.
Resident Evil opens September 18th.
The post Cregger’s RESIDENT EVIL Draws Praise appeared first on Last Movie Outpost.
