Are you a fan of the Resident Evil games? I am. I have been since I was a kid. I will never forget that first zombie in the original game. I'll never forget running through the city as Leon and Claire, fighting to survive in a city overtaken by the outbreak that started in spencer mansion. I will also never forget how disappointed I was when the original Resident Evil movie came out and might as well have had nothing to do with the games. Yeah, I know, people love Mila Jovavich, and I think those movies are fun, but they aren't what I wanted in a Resident Evil movie.
I saw Welcome to Raccoon City last night, and while it is by no means a "great movie" it might be one of the best video game adaptations ever made. The movie takes the plot from the first two games, shakes it up and spits it out, and for the most part, it works. Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield is perfect casting. Avan Jogia does a nice job as Leon S. Kennedy, although fans of the series will certainly be upset with the direction they took with Leon. In Resident Evil 2, Leon was a rookie cop. In the movie, Leon is a rookie cop who is also a bit of a fuckup, and that won't sit well with fans. Another issue I had with the movie was that in the process of mashing up the first two games into one movie, the run time is not long enough to support the characters we know and love. Chris, Jill, and Wesker needed more screen time.
I really hope more people go and see this movie. It might not be the best movie going. It might not be a great horror movie, or even a good zombie flick, but it was a fun video game adaptation, and I found myself enjoying it and hoping for a sequel.