What's overlooked in the Resident Evil films.

[Mesousa287793]

There's a lot of criticism on how the Resident Evil films differ a lot from the games, but it's pretty much a given since it's probably best to now treat the movies as a loose adaptation.

Of course, that's mainly thanks to the character of Alice, who's main criticism is due to her Mary Sue-ness is the main damaging center for the movies from taking everyone else's screentime and overshadowing the game characters. In fact, people like Phelous indeed dislikes the hell out of her and pretty much takes an opportunity to dump on her as much as possible.

However, we do tend to overlook that Alice is quite the badass, and considering we've had 5 of these movies and a sixth one on the way, maybe we should thank the writers for such a no holds barred character like her, since she's probably kicked as much ass as any other female flim or action hero as of late. When you really come across it, each Resident Evil flim is like a gender-flipped Silvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger film, only gender flipped, has tons of sequels and has zombies.

Honestly, we should mainly respect the films a bit for giving a majorly credible female action hero in Alice, even if she's a bit flawed on character. Anyone else thinks about this? Thoughts?

[Eunös ✈]

Apparently George A Romero was brought in to write the movie

But it was rejected because it was to like the games

Seriously?

[EvenBaldobombHasAJob]

you can have a badass action girl without her sucking the entire story into a black hole of boring.

[king1836]

I just hope the next Resident Evil movie is the last one.

[Eunös ✈]

I liked the first movie

The 2nd one started well but then got stupid

I would have preferred simple survival horror over stupid over the top matrixy style stunts personally.

[Koda, Master Crunchyroller]

Feb 13, 2014 10:52:52 GMT -5 Eunös ✈ said:

Apparently George A Romero was brought in to write the movie

But it was rejected because it was to like the games

Seriously?

It was rejected cause the script sucked.

[The Tank]

Nope.

Yes, everyone is free to have their opinion.

But yours here is completely wrong, sorry.

There is nothing credible about that character who only makes everyone else on screen look like a simpering chump by comparison because the actor plaing her is married to the director of the movies.

AHNULD and Stallone didn't have to get nepotism'd into being a badass. (I know there are cases of them writing/directing their own movies, but that was long after they were established.)

[Koda, Master Crunchyroller]

Feb 13, 2014 11:34:49 GMT -5 The Tank said:

Nope.

Yes, everyone is free to have their opinion.

But yours here is completely wrong, sorry.

There is nothing credible about that character who only makes everyone else on screen look like a simpering chump by comparison because the actor plaing her is married to the director of the movies.

AHNULD and Stallone didn't have to get nepotism'd into being a badass. (I know there are cases of them writing/directing their own movies, but that was long after they were established.)

I agree. I would agree with you Mesousa if Alice didn't have OP super powers. If Alice was like she was in the first film and the majority of the second film? Sure she would be a pretty good action film character. The super powers pushes her into the Mary Sue zone that everyone hates. If she was just a normal human like everyone else she'd be great. I mean look at Luther Motherf***ing West! Just a normal guy, and more badass for it.

[SsnakeBite, the No1 Frenchman]

Feb 13, 2014 10:51:14 GMT -5 Mesousa287793 said:

we should mainly respect the films a bit for giving a majorly credible female action hero in Alice

There's nothing even remotely credible about Alice. And she's not a badass. A badass is admirable because they manage to overcome incredible odds, because as tough and strong as they are, they are still the underdog. Alice however never faces any obstacle and never seems to be in danger, she never comes across as the "the little guy". Why then should we give a damn what "dangers" come across when none of them appears to be a threat or even an inconvenience to her?
Her Mary Sue status was bad enough when she had superpowers because of the T-Virus (which apparently either gives you superpowers and makes you nigh indestructible or turns you into a rotting zombie, weird how that works), but then they had Wesker cancel that and yet she could still perform superhuman feats like jumping absurdly high, dual-wielding shotguns (loaded with coins for some reason) despite having twigs for arms or walking off a helicopter crash without so much as a scratch. Hell in the fifth movie her heart f'n stops AND SHE STILL MANAGES TO GET INTO A GUNFIGHT AND WIN (after another character with a very much still beating heart gave her a gun just to drive home the fact that a medically dead Alice is still more powerful than any other living character).

Her Mary Sue status becomes especially blatant when there's a scene in which Alice teaches one of Rain's clones how to use a gun. I would like to remind you that Rain and her clones are portrayed by Michelle Rodriguez.

Milla Jovovich. Teaching Michelle f'n Rodriguez. How to fire a gun.

And then she defeats another one of Rain's clones in a gunfight.

Nope, not buying that. It just doesn't happen. Look, I can believe Milla Jovovich would hold her own in a fight, but her schooling Michelle Rodriguez both metaphorically and literally is just laughably unbelievable. It's like Jean-Claude Van Damme teaching Bruce Lee how to break planks. In fact, if you want examples female action characters done right, check out pretty much any film starring Michelle Rodriguez.

Oh and then there's the fact that Alice is actually kind of an asshole, with her on multiple occasions showing little to no concern over innocent characters dying (sometimes to protect her) or even causing their death outright, to say nothing of the way she treats her clones.

A shitty character remains a shitty character regardless of whether they have a penis, a vagina, both or neither. There's nothing likeable or interesting about Alice, so I don't care how many absurd stunts she performs, she's still a shitty character. People really need to get out of this "female character doing something traditionally manly = automatic good character" mindset and action movie writers need to learn to write female characters who aren't either a MacGuffin for the male hero or a generic forced pseudo-badass who absolutely HAS to perfect at everything. A character, be they male or female, whose only defining trait is "tough" is not in any way compelling.

So no. These films do NOT deserve credit for her being a badass character because she's neither a badass nor a good character. If she were, people would say "man these films suck but at least Alice is fun to watch". Instead they say "man these films suck and Alice is the worst thing about them".

Hell, any of the other female characters in these films would have made a better main character. Rain, Claire, even K-Mart. Or, you know, Jill Valentine, one of the most iconic characters from the games (and a much more interesting one than Alice in RE2).

[Deleted]

I think we should just suspend the term "Mary Sue" indefinitely.

[Koda, Master Crunchyroller]

Feb 13, 2014 13:37:34 GMT -5 @keijikage said:

I think we should just suspend the term "Mary Sue" indefinitely.

It is shorter to type than, "the director's power fantasy version of his wife".

[Ronny Rayguns Is All Elite]

I haven't been keeping up with this, but Damn they've made FIVE of these movies already!?!

[Deleted]

Oh come on! If the protagonist of the Resident Evil films were a GUY....they'd still suck pretty bad.

Its funny too, because its a clear cut case of investing WAY too much money into a film franchise that would probably do better with a more realistic, low-budget style.

[Mesousa287793]

Well, guess that explains it. I"m a dumbass for saying Alice is a credible hero. I apologize.

[Cela]

I know I'm in the minority, massively. But I hate Waif Fu. You can't have a model kick ass. It looks dumb to see someone 100 pounds barely holding a gun half the size of her while she smiles nonchalantly. Or do fluttery strikes that couldn't move a heavy bag, that somehow propel people through walls. It's just... dumb.

Hire real women with muscles. Damnit.

[Deleted]

I mean, I saw a lot of these movies and I didn't have a problem with the crazy shit they had Alice doing.
It's just ehh....I always look at people sideways when they throw "Mary Sue" around, especially when I see the characters that get hit with it and the characters that don't.

[Legion]

Capcom paid Romero big money for a 30 second clip to shill their game in Japan...is Romero even big in Japan?

[Mr PONYMANIA Mr Jenzie]

THEY'RE EUROPEAN

if they were american, would everyone be a bit more pleased?
and if ALICE was already a game character, and not an original creation?

i thoroughly enjoy the RE movies, since i've got the first four (first three on dvd, fourth on bluray) and seen DEGENERATION and DAMNATION, and considering the whole live action series is one CONTINUOUS story line ..... i'd say that was very impressive!

[bob]

............I actually like most of the Resident Evil films

[Deleted]

Everybody's author insert fanfiction character looks awesome. That's one of the things that makes them so damn annoying. They just make a buttload of money for it.