Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City Recap and Review

There are times when you just encounter a movie released at an odd time. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City felt like one of those with its odd release window. I'd seen very little advertising it and only really heard about it through friends. But this is one of those movies where, in a way, gamers get what they want: a movie closer to the video games themselves. It doesn't make it any more predictable, but it did at least ensure that it would draw a bit more of the previously ignored lore. There's a bit to say about it overall, so let's get started.

The story felt like it acknowledged and kept closer to the storylines of Resident Evil 1 and Resident Evil 2. Opposed to being set 3 months apart, like RE 1 and 2 were, the stories converge and happen simultaneously. It did still take some stuff in its own hands and created something of a new mythos. It doesn't seem to connect to the previous Resident Evil movies, and that helped it just become a new beginning. It was something this cinematic experience needed, just a new beginning.

The film started with the orphaned Chris and Claire Redfield in the Raccoon City Orphanage. Claire had snuck into her brother's bed. A strange figure had been troubling her in her bed below. This figure draws Claire from her bed and to one of the play rooms. Her, Claire meets a strange girl who doesn't speak, more grunts and half-animal noises (Lisa Taylor, played by Marina Mazepa). The two seem to get along but the girl vanishes, with Claire sharing her name. The head of the Orphanage (and Chief Umbrella Scientist) William Birkin (Neal McDonough) comes across Claire in the room. He got the siblings back to bed after that. The scene jumps forward from to the 1990's after that. Claire was making her way back to Raccoon City to meet her brother Chris Redfield (Robbie Amell) and learn more of the truth of Raccoon City from a Conspiracy Theorist there, Ben Bertolucci (Josh Cruddas). The Truck Driver she hitched a ride with hits someone at the edge of town who got up and walked away from the incident. Then jump the scene jumped to a motel with an alarm going off at 10pm. Here, we are introduced to Leon Kennedy (Avan Jogia) with a bad hangover. He had a drink then left. Then we meet most of the remaining crew, the squad within RPD: Albert Wesker (Tom Hopper), Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen), and Richard Aiken (Chad Rook) at a diner. Leon was alseep at the counter so Wesker worked to prank him by betting Valentine she couldn't shoot a carefully balanced ketchup bottle off his head with a toy gun. Finally, we got a bit of a scene with the grown Chris Redfield reunited with his sister, Claire (Kaya Scodelario) after she broke into his house. Claire explained what brought her back, her contact Ben Bertolucci had gone quiet after releasing a video saying something Umbrella Corporation had done had gotten into the water, and she wanted to find him. Chris barely listened, half-watching the video, and was just telling her to leave. All the players are introduced at this point.

More than any other live-action Resident Evil movies, at least those directed by Paul S.W. Anderson, Welcome to Raccoon kept it close to the games. The Anderson series of movies drew inspiration from the games, while Welcome to Raccoon City was inspired by the games themselves. A lot of this rested in the characters having the information they needed and strong motivation from the beginning. There were not really big info dumps, just a trickle of information throughout. The characters presentation was unique to the movie, but had a stronger base from who they were in the games. The STARS (Special Tactics and Rescue Service) became the RPD (Raccoon Police Department), Chris and Claire were estranged instead of a stronger relationship and searching for each other in the chaos. Leon was put here for causing trouble (and allegedly shooting a partner in the ass, literally). He was teased mercilessly until the outbreak really took hold. The RPD team of Jill, Albert, Chris, Richard, and Brad Vickers, all have a good relationship as before, just are within the Police instead of STARS.

There are some great cinematic moments throughout the movie that do need a call out all on their own. When things start ramping up for the middle act, we saw the Trucker, who'd been infected by his dog, drive his truck through Raccoon City before it crashes into cars. From there, he loses control and the tanker slide to an explosive stop in front of the RPD station. The burning man emerges from the truck and walks in. There was also the appearance of the Licker which really stood out. Claire, Chief Irons, and Leon entered the Raccoon City Orphanage at Irons' suggestion for its secret passage to the Spencer Manor (and its train out of town). Not long after, Leon notices a florescent light swaying in the ceiling in the hallway behind them. This swaying moved a single light at a time toward them. Chief Irons lagged behind a little while Claire and Leon talk. A small flick was all the warning we got before we saw Irons' feet suspended from the dark ceiling above. Just one more: While the RPD officers are exploring the Spencer Manor, there was a zombie scene that replicated the original cover for Resident Evil: Director's Cut on the Playstation. Just the pale, gaunt face looking over their shoulder. I never played the games, but that image has always stayed with me.

There was only one stinger, after the initial credits roll, we got a quick scene of Wesker coming back to life from within a body bag. Here, he panics, flails, complaining about his eyes once he can hear someone. This was where we get to meet Ada Wong, when she gave him his iconic sunglasses. This does at least set-up better for another movie in this part of the series. But right now it's unclear if the movie will get any follow-up.

When I saw this movie, I hadn't played Resident Evil 1 or Resident Evil 2, in any form. I knew the basics of 1 being about a STARS team being sent to a mansion to investigate things. 2 I knew had a sister looking for her brother in Raccoon City. Everything else in this review, I learned from watching YouTube video summaries of the events of the game (and some previous videos from Sphere Hunter on the games). Taking that time added more to the experience of the movie. Even before then, I had a decent time watching the movie. Undoubtedly there were plenty of easter eggs scattered throughout the movie for fans of the original games (and the remakes). I just won't know them at this time. The movie set a slower, more deliberate pace as it went through the beats, letting it sink in. No major exposition points, and usually everything worked for the story, not just to be a set piece.

Let's summarize. This movie takes on the events of Resident Evil 1 and 2 in its own way. It built those two stories together, creating a new narrative. It doesn't have the over-the-top cinematic style of the Anderson Resident Evil movies, instead pulling from the darker ascetic from the original games. It has a more grounded appeal. The addition of Lisa Trevor helped with a strange and deeper character in the lore than any other movie had cared to introduce (and I had to research to learn more about). The movie did stand on its own without me having any prior knowledge of the Resident Evil game series at least. As I did research to write this, more things made sense with their inclusion. It took the first two games as a base, using their lore, and built a good movie around it. It does enough to stand apart from Andersons' set of movies as well. This movie is the closest to the original game that I've seen get a major release. More than before, if you liked the first few games (or their remakes), this can be a good movie to see. Even without that knowledge, it does hold something to be enjoyed. Definitely go for a matinee if you're unsure about it on the weekend.