Back in November we posted the first scene of this full-length CG animation. While previous Resident Evil films have drawn upon elements of the series, Degeneration is set in the game universe, centering around Leon Scott Kennedy and Claire Redfield doing what they do best, uncovering secrets and killing zombies.

We fade-in to various news clips learning of Raccoon City’s ultimate demise by military strike, Umbrella is no more and a new multinational pharmaceutical company WilPharma has taken its place. TerraSave, an organization operating as a search and rescue outfit for chemical and biological attacks alleges WilPharma’s atrocities in India.

Cut-to the first outbreak: The airport. Claire disembarks and after exchanging some pleasantries with friends, a plane crashes into the terminal. A rescue operation for the survivors ensues with the military holding position until the “specialist” arrives. Enter Leon, calm and collected he gathers his unit and descends into the darkness. After some gun battles we find our survivors: Claire and others have been holding up in the VIP room. Now comes the escape. Predictable zombie scenarios ensue. Once rescued we learn more about our cast of characters, budding emotional love, explosions, more zombie violence and the inevitable, “we can’t let them get away with this…”  All the while our story continues with accusations of bio-terrorism. The eminent release of the “T-virus” (zombie strain) around population centers spells doom for everyone unless a vaccination is developed, a new super “G-virus” (super-mega zombie), massive explosions, and love interest and Degeneration achieves what it sets out to do: feel like you are in the game. The storytelling is very episodic in nature and each scene is neatly self-contained.

As a movie, the actors have archetypes as video-game characters. You have the stereotypical badass who is just so cool, the perpetually grimaced villain, a “feminine” female with a dark past yet can blast zombies like a true combat vet. There’s your “strong” female who pretends to be strong, but shoulders remorse, regret and love for the hero. Needless to say, these are cookie-cutter characters BUT they are true to the Resident Evil game series. Knowing you’re watching a video-game movie allows you to look past some of the dialogue and develop attachments to characters.

The production value is here for a big budget movie. The attention to detail can be heard in gun battles, shattered glass, unique explosions and voice acting. I was happy both the voice actors of Leon & Claire were the same in Degeneration as in the original RE game series, Paul Mercier and Alyson Court respectively. There wasn’t much music to listen too, but the roll credits OST is a nice listen; Anna Tsuchiya – Guilty.

The animation is top-notch. In CG you run to into instances where the animated don’t seem to make similar human movements. In Degeneration these occasions are few and far between. When not zoomed on talking characters, the overall look is photo-realistic. Action sequences are done impressively and very similar to live action films, but retains the appeal of a CG cut scene in a video-game. On numerous occasions I felt I should have my controller at the ready, pushing a button to avoid a zombie attack or falling debris.

I’d watch it again. It wasn’t the best CG movie I have seen, but I enjoyed it far more than the past live action Resident Evil movies and makes for a good diversion. Degeneration is definitely for people with knowledge of the video-game series, assuming the viewer knows and understands the past activity in Raccoon City , Leon and Claire’s past, Umbrella’s research in the virus as a bio-weapon, and “things are never as they appear” scenario.

Overall Impressions

I’d recommend it to fans of the Resident Evil series or anyone looking for a good time killer. Degeneration does have its parts where there seems to be a little too much sap in the characters and like in the game, you always get the doe-eyed female gazing longingly at our hero. It’s a fun film deserving of your time. As a video-game centric movie, it achieves what it sets out to do.

DVD Extras

I saw this on Blu-ray in a cinema sound setup. The extra features had some great comedic voice bloopers, faux interview with Leon, interactive/investigation while watching the film, as well as Pic-in-Pic storytelling with development commentary. BD Live extras were nothing to get excited about. It had the opening sequence that showed at comicon as well as another trailer for the movie.

RATING:

Anna Tsuchiya – Guilty