RE: D brings back two characters from the most popular game in the videogame series (Resident Evil 2), Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy. Set seven years after the tragic events in Raccoon City, a new outbreak of the T-virus has occurred. In the old movie cliche, Claire just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Surviving the initial outbreak in the airport, she sequesters herself with a couple of survivors and calls for help. Enter Leon, now an agent for a secret government branch. After rescuing the survivors from the airport, with the help of a new female protagonist, Angela Miller, Leon and Claire begin investigating what caused the outbreak. They soon discover that the drug company that has been preparing the vaccine for the T-virus may also be the source of the contagion's spread.
RE: D is the first completely CGI Resident Evil movie. The graphics are well done and very reminiscent of recent next-gen videogames. The plot itself is also very much like watching the play-through of a game. It is fairly predictable and offers no great surprises. The voice acting is passable and, with the exception of a few overly sappy moments, the characters are fairly believable. Overall, I would recommend this show to fans of the series, especially as a fore-bearer to bolster enthusiasm for the imminent release of Resident Evil 5 on the next gen consoles in a few months. However, for others that are just looking for a good zombie flick, you might want to look elsewhere.
There are several bonus features included on the DVD. The first, a 30-minute featurette entitled "The Generation of DEGENERATION", is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie. It features interviews with the director, producers and other associate personalities and also features a nice look at the creation of the CGI graphics. There is a blooper reel, which is a 10-minute jaunt featuring various scenes from the movie that have been re-voiced in an attempt to create funnier or, in some cases, cruder versions. I found these to be mildly amusing at best and quickly lost interest. There is also a short interview with the motion-capture actor who played Leon. Again, it is an attempt to be humorous, but again, it falls short. The Character Profiles feature offers a list of the characters, with a short biographical sketch and a video montage (Leon and Claire) or photo gallery for each. Viewers will also find the obligatory previews in this area. The last bonus item is a preview look at the previously mentioned Resident Evil 5 videogame. There are two trailers for the game and fans anxiously awaiting the release will certainly enjoy these teasers. For a straight-to-video offering, the bonus features are a nice addition and round out a better than average DVD release.
