Resident Evil: Damnation
Year: 2012
Director: Makoto Kamiya
Stars: Courtenay Taylor, Matthew Mercer and Robin Sachs
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 101 Mins
“Resident Evil: Damnation” is the second CGI film in the “Resident Evil” series. The film is about U.S special agent Leon S. Kennedy, who sneaks into eastern European country in the middle of a conflict between the government and rebels. When the U.S. withdraws, the agent stays behind to verify rumors that Bio Organic Weapons exist. Now Leon must find way to end the tragedies that the violence and the bio organic weapons have caused, before everything gets out of control.
Film Review:
Going into this film, I thought that “Resident Evil: Damnation” would be like the live action films of the series. The live action films come off more as thrill rides with crazy set pieces that make check your brain at the door. This film was different from all those, as this CGI film is anything but a thrill ride.
Director Makoto Kamiya does a very good job making the film feel dark and scary at times. One of things that he does well was the fact that everything had a dark tone to it. Whether it’s the dark background that he has his animators work on to the intense and scary action, Kamiya effectively stays true to the video game roots and doesn’t try to imitate the live action films with all of its campy action. It makes the film feel scary and grabs your attention. I also liked how he was able to execute the film’s dark tone through the performances. Whether it’s the movement of the characters to the vocals of the characters, I never got the sense that this film was going to turn into one of the live action films with crazy action and no story.
Shotaro Suga’s screenplay was also better than the live action films. One of the things that he does very well, he develops the characters and situation that they’re caught in. He effectively does that, by making the story dark. It was done very well, as you never got a sense of hope. Part of that was the way that the story had various twists and turns. It was truly different and a change of pace from the live action films. It made me wish, the live action films were like this. The other thing that Suga does well, he’s able to make most of the action scenes feel scary. He builds the film tension through the dark tone and the main character’s dilemma. It makes you interested in the story, instead of feeling like you’re there for the thrill ride. It also help makes the action and the twists more effective to you the viewer.
DVD Extras:
The first feature on the DVD is “The Making of Resident Evil: Damnation - The DNA of Damnation”. The featurette goes into the technical aspects of the film. From filming to all of the technical CGI stuff, the filmmakers go into those aspects of the film’s production. Overall, this was a good featurette. After that, the next featurette called “Las Plagas: Oraganiams of War”. It’s pretty much a short film that severs as background information about the virus, which is the one of the main focal points of the film. After that, the disc wraps up with a Gag Reel and Trailers for a couple of upcoming games including the next “Resident Evil” video game. This was probably the best that you’re going to get with this release.
Final Summary:
It was very nice to actually see a true horror film in the “Resident Evil” universe. “Resident Evil: Damnation” is filled with creepy moments and turns that keep you interested throughout. Truly worth your time, if you’re a fan of the live action films or the video game series.
Review Rating: Three and a Half Stars.
Dvd Extras: Two Stars
0 comments
Post a Comment