First of all, I must say that I had such high hopes and expectations for "Resident Evil: Vendetta", especially since I really enjoyed the previous animated movies.
However, they opted to pull the same approach as they did in the actual movies, making it more about mutations and grotesquely huge aberrations, more than it was about zombies and terror. And of course, it has the obligatory rogue agent gone bad.
The storyline in "Resident Evil: Vendetta" was simplistic to the point where it was trivial and mundane. You saw everything coming a mile away, and there were no surprises or plot twists along the way. So it felt like you were strapped in for a ride that just went straight ahead with no ups and downs.
Now, I must admit that I am more than impressed with the quality of the CGI and the sheer level of details they manage to put into the CGI here. I mean, the textures and the minute details to everything was just spectacular. Just as it has been since the very first animated "Resident Evil" movie.
The characters in "Resident Evil: Vendetta" seemed a bit generic. Sure it was nice to have Leon and Chris in this particular animated movie, but they weren't subject to any real character development or growth, so it felt a bit tame, to say the least. And it was a bit too over the top with the way that both Leon and Chris could take on a large group of zombies and not even get scratched or come close to being in danger, and the motorcycle scene was just too far out there.
As for the zombies, well they were there, but unfortunately it wasn't the primary cause of attention in the movie. And I really don't get the thing with the hulking brutes that they like in the series - be it game or movie franchise. They are so out of place that it is an eyesore and an embarrassment to witness. And the hulking brute with the iron mask in "Resident Evil: Vendetta" was not particularly impressive, and when he evolved into something even bigger, I must admit that I was on the brink of just getting up and leaving.
"Resident Evil: Vendetta" is not an impressive animated movie in terms of story, characters or in comparison to its predecessors. Sure, it was a visual tour de force and a spectacle to behold. But I was left with a very shallow feeling once the movie ended, and actually said "was that really it?" This is definitely a movie for the hardcore fans of the "Resident Evil" game line.
