Resident Evil: Degeneration Review

For the first time in a Resident Evil movie, Alice is not the center of attention. And in fact, something that pleases most Resident Evil fans, she's not here at all. Instead, Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, main Resident Evil characters, take center stage, something that should have happened with the first Resident Evil movie. While it was nice to see Leon and Claire together, and it's clear why they were chosen as the leads (Capcom wanted to go with a proven formula), I would have liked to have seen two Resident Evil characters that have never interacted before, like Leon and Jill or Claire and Jill, or Chris and Leon. I really would have liked to seen this movie be one big blowout, with all the main Resident Evil characters commanding leading roles. Hopefully, that could be done with another CG movie. Something to give the series it's proper resolution. But Degeneration is just fine without every Resident Evil character stepping in. Leon and Claire are certainty the main reasons to watch, while the characters created for the film don't seem to be as important. Of course, they aren't, but I feel they should have been, so that we could really feel for them throughout the course of the movie. Instead, you'll find yourself only caring that Leon and Claire make out of Harvardville alive.  

I'm glad to see zombies making their rightful return to the series. I was a little afraid that, after Resident Evil 4 and 5, Capcom would have Majini's be the movie's primary enemy. But thankfully, they didn't. And returning from Resident Evil 2, along with Leon and Claire, is the G-Virus. The virus seemed to have disappeared after part 2, and I'm glad it made it's return. Despite zombies and the G-Virus making a return, that's about it. They're are no other enemies from the games in the film. While Alice had lickers, crows and dogs in her movies, Degeneration comes up short. While it makes sense why some monsters didn't appear, some others could have easily been in the film. Because the film primarily takes place in an airport, and not a lab like most of the games, things like Lickers and Hunters showing would seem a bit out of place. But what about the dogs. It stands to reason that dogs would have been on the plane that was infected with the T-Virus, so where are they. The film does eventually makes it way to a laboratory, so the other creatures could have made an appearance there. But for some reason, Capcom pushes them aside. Resident Evil is about a lot more than just zombies, so why are the zombies the only common enemies to appear.  

Thankfully, Degeneration makes use of the G-Virus, and provides us with a monster very similar to William Birkin from ResEvil 2. I'm glad Degeneration got a proper "final boss", unlike the Milla Jovavich films. I still would have liked to have seen other enemies than just the zombies and the G-Monster, though, and I also would have liked Degeneration to have returned more to the series roots, and be a horror film. It sure has elements of horror like Resident Evil 4 and 5, as well as Alice's movies, but it still is primarily action. I realize that action is a much easier type of movie to make than horror, but Resident Evil should always be horror, first and foremost. Degeneration, unfortuently, doesn't even take full use of the action elements, as things that should racket up the tension and get you on the edge of your seat, come up generic and boring.