If you've been listening to Shadows on the Sound, then you may have heard me mention that my husband insisted that I defeat Resident Evil 4 before we could get married. I think he was joking (I hope he was joking), but it was moot point because I loved the game, and completed it accordingly. You may wonder why the man was so fixated on this particular task. Was he that obsessed? Was it a gender-reversed contemporary version of a fairy tale ultimatum? Was he buying himself time, maybe hoping I wouldn't finish the game?
The only video game console I'd owned up to that point was a Super Nintendo, and the only game I'd ever played to completion was Mario Bros. 2.* There was a long stretch of no video games, then a weird work situation where I was thrown into playing Mario Kart for the N64 almost every day. I got pretty damn good. Then, another long, barren stretch. To my video game obsessed significant other, this presented a big concern: how could he know that I would support his passion, if I was so out of touch? I understood--after all, if he hadn't liked eating the food I make (one of my passions), I wouldn't have wanted to marry him! So the whole RE4 thing was a test of compatibility...and also one of taste.
vs.
I didn't realize then that I would be sucked into one of the most intense zombie debates of our time: the Resident Evil Game vs. Movie clash. People feel passionately about this! Resident Evil is a franchise owned entirely by Capcom, so at the end of the day all the pennies fall into the same coffer. But from my experience, the people who enjoy every aspect of said franchise equally are few and far between.
I won't go into a lot of history here, since Shadows on the Sound does intend to do an entire
Resident Evil podcast later this summer. Let me summarize by saying the video games came first, with
the original game for the PlayStation in 1996. The concept was simple: a deadly virus was killing people and turning them into zombies. It turned out that a pharmaceutical company called the Umbrella Corporation had actually manufactured this "T-virus" to be used for military purposes. Enter a gazillion and one plot twists over the next several games, with kick-ass cops, back-stabbing teammates, creepy settings, and one unforgettable red dress.
And people liked it so much, Capcom decided to branch out. The first
Resident Evil movie was released in 2002. It was considered a cinematic success, and has spawned four live-action and two CGI sequels. Apparently, there will be one more (final?)
RE film coming out in 2016, but we'll see.
So here's the thing:
the movies and the video games don't follow the same plot line. Although they feature many of the same characters, the movies spin off into their own world, with only the T-virus in common. So which is better? Which is more entertaining? Which is scarier? Because - much as with
Fullmetal Alchemist and
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - when it comes to story lines, there can be only one.**
There's no doubt which camp I'm in, Scorpios are loyal to a fault and I'm a wimp when it comes to scary movies, so video games all the way, baby! Plus, I'm sorry, but from what little I've seen, the movies totally screwed up the Woman in the Red Dress. According to my husband, the movies aren't canon--and the fact that Wikipedia defines the movies as "non-canonical" suggests most people agree. And when it comes to zombies, I find way more satisfaction in taking out los Ganados with a good sniper rifle headshot than I do in watching scantily clad action heroines perform unreal acrobatics.
So what do YOU think? Milla Jovovich all the way? Can't get enough of D.C. Douglas saying "the Mansion Incident?" Love seeing that post-apocalypse Vegas? Wish they hadn't changed the Jill Valentine's voice? Maybe you think people should just shut up and enjoy them both...or maybe you think
Silent Hill has them all licked. Alright: convince me. Give me your two cents, and you can be as silly or scientific in your reasoning as you want. You can lay it out by commenting on this post, or you can email me at zdgladstone (at) gmail. When
Shadows on the Sound does the
Resident Evil podcast later this summer, we will tally people's opinions, quote their responses, and ask our favorite contributors to be guests on the show.
Deadline for relevant comments is August 15th, 2015.
One final thing should be mentioned. In addition to the movies and games, there have been comic books, novels, and a world of merch around the
RE franchise. This includes
a deck building card game, which first came out in 2010. I have played it a couple times, and frankly loved the damn thing. Which is interesting, because it includes characters, villains, weapons, and locations from both the movies and the video games. Is this the bridge of peace to connect the two camps? We shall see.
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| I'm not happy until I have the Hand Cannon. |
P.S. - Sunday is National Strawberry Shortcake Day. Go to your farmer's market, get some berries, and do the right thing. And if the fact that I just finished a blog post about a zombie franchise with a statement about fruit desserts doesn't qualify me as an eccentric, I don't know what will.
*I still love that game.
**Yeah, that's right--I just used an anime series as a point if comparison for a live-action movie & video game franchise, using the famous tagline from
Highlander. And I stand by it.
The Resident Evil movies are horrible. Poorly acted and inconsistent in their story telling. But I have never played the video games. So....
ReplyDeleteWell, that's a pretty no-nonsense argument against the movies, at any rate.
DeleteSo....
ReplyDeleteLet me preface this post: I am a Tolkien Fan.
No, not just a fan of the Books. Nor just a fan of the movies.
I am a Tolkien Fan. My first feline companion was named Frodo. The ring on my finger is a Tungsten version of The One Ring (because Black is OhSoMuchBetter than plain old gold). I once gave someone a 5 minute dissertation/tongue lashing because they called Gandolf's sword "Narsiel".
My brothers given name is "Thoran", for Odin's Sake (see what I did there?).
And when I heard Christopher Lee passed this morning, I told my other half that Valinor was waiting for him. She responded that the Elves would give him a beatdown, and I responded with "Sure, if it were Sarumon. But this is Christopher Lee. They're throwing him a party."
Credentials established? Hope so.
So here's the definitive answer, from my viewpoint;
They're both great, in their own right. No, they are not the same thing. The Books/Movies/Games on any given subject must be judged by their own merits, and not that which has been established in another medium. Oh, sure, the video games are more immersive. The movies are easier to enjoy in a social setting. And the books give a depth and breadth that either medium cannot accomplish (YET).
So, is Peter Jackson Lucifer personified? Did Keeli screw everything up by chasing an Elf? Dwarf on Elf romance, REALLY?!
Nope. The movies were great. I enjoyed them no end. Do I consider them Canon in regards to the books, or for that matter the Rankin-Bass cartoon? Not really. I do enjoy all of them, though, in their own right. Peter Jackson made something Pretty, that is sorta the same story that I know from when I was a wee Lad. It wasn't reprehensible, didn't destroy the lore by any stretch of the imagination, and was still a lot of fun - despite the Elf on Dwarf nonsense.
So - which is better, Resident Evil, the Games, or Resident Evil, the movies? They're both great, imo. Now if we can get a nice persistent open world zombie MMO based on RE, that would be AWESOME. ;)
Soooo...you want us to do a podcast about Tolkien?
Deleteugh can't spell, never played the games but i like the movies for the main character and the wacky story lines that they come up with.
ReplyDeleteWacky is the word for it, for both movies and games. So what, specifically, do you like about Milla Jovovich's character?
DeleteSilent Hill all the way!!!
ReplyDeleteTraitor. ;-) But seriously, though, what does Silent Hill have on Resident Evil? Do they really have anything scarier than the Iron Maiden from RE4? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2MnfQhJ-Sg
DeleteThat thing made me afraid of anyone with a respiratory infection for months.