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Resident Evil: welcome to Raccoon city (2021) - 4K quality
Resident Evil: welcome to Raccoon city (2021) - 4K quality
- Time: 107 minutes
- Director: Johannes Roberts
- Country: Canada, Germany
- Categories: Action Fiction Horror
- Release: 2021
- IMDB: 5.2/10
- Actor: Kaya Scodelario, Robbie Amell, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hopper
- Tags: 4k Movies Movies Movies 2021 Resident Evil
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is a 2021 action horror film written and directed by Johannes Roberts. Adapted from the stories of the first and second games by Capcom, it serves as a reboot of the Resident Evil film series and is the seventh live-action film based on the video game series.
About Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
The film stars Kaya Scodelario, Hannah John-Kamen, Robbie Amell, Tom Hopper, Avan Jogia, Donal Logue, and Neal McDonough. Set in 1998, it follows a group of survivors trying to survive during a zombie outbreak in Raccoon City. It is the first live-action film in the series not to feature Milla Jovovich in the lead role as Alice.
Development took place in early 2017, after Resident Evil: The Final Chapter was released, with producer James Wan expressing interest in the project. Later, Constantin Film chairman Martin Moszkowicz said that a reboot of the film series was in development.
In the same month, Wan was called to produce the reboot with a script by Greg Russo; subsequently, Roberts was hired as both writer and director and both Wan and Russo left the project. Filming began on October 17, 2020, in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The film underwent reshoots in May 2021.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City had its world premiere at the Grand Rex in Paris on November 19, 2021, and was theatrically released on November 24, 2021, in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film grossed over $42 million worldwide and received mixed reviews from critics.
Title and Year of Release
“Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” was released in 2021. The title immediately invokes the iconic setting of the “Resident Evil” universe, Raccoon City, a location central to the video game series.
The addition of “Welcome to” suggests an introduction or re-introduction to this universe, signaling to both newcomers and long-time fans that this film is the beginning of a new chapter in the “Resident Evil” saga.
Director: Johannes Roberts
Johannes Roberts, known for his work in the horror genre, including films like “47 Meters Down,” brings a unique vision to the “Resident Evil” franchise. His direction in “Welcome to Raccoon City” is characterized by a focus on atmospheric horror and a more grounded approach compared to the previous film adaptations.
Roberts’ style is notable for its use of tension-building and homage to classic horror, which aligns well with the survival horror elements of the original “Resident Evil” games.
Genre of the Film
“Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” primarily falls under the horror genre, with strong elements of action and science fiction. The film’s horror aspects are rooted in its setting, a city overrun by a zombie outbreak and other monstrous creatures.
The action is driven by the characters’ struggle for survival, and the science fiction elements are embedded in the narrative’s exploration of bioweapons and corporate malfeasance.
Plot and Themes
In the 1980s, Claire Redfield and her older brother Chris are children living at the Raccoon City Orphanage.
Claire befriends Lisa Trevor, a disfigured girl who has been experimented on by Dr. William Birkin, an employee for the Umbrella Corporation, who oversees the orphanage and takes children for his own experimental research. Claire escapes from Birkin when she is selected to participate in an experiment.
In 1998, Claire returns to Raccoon City, hitchhiking in a semi-truck. The truck driver accidentally hits a woman in the middle of the road. While Claire and the driver are arguing, the woman disappears.
The truck driver’s Dobermann licks the blood left behind, and over time begins to foam at the mouth and becomes erratic.
At a diner, rookie police officer Leon S. Kennedy notices that the diner’s owner has blood coming out of her eyes. Claire heads to Chris’s home to warn him about Umbrella’s experiments, revealing journalist Ben Bertolucci as her source.
After Chris leaves for the police station, a child breaks into the house, running from his mother, who attacks Claire; both are erratic and bloody. Claire escapes from them on Chris’s motorbike.
At the police station, the STARS Alpha team meet with Chief Brian Irons and he explains that the Bravo team went missing while investigating a death at the remote Spencer Mansion.
The Alpha team, composed of Chris, Jill Valentine, Richard Aiken, Brad Vickers, and Albert Wesker, is sent to the mansion by helicopter to investigate. Unknown to his teammates, Wesker is an operative for an unidentified party, tasked with stealing Birkin’s virus, using inside knowledge to navigate the mansion.
Inside, Chris and Richard encounter zombies eating the bodies of the Bravo team while Brad gets bitten by a zombie and crashes the helicopter into the mansion.
Wesker saves Jill from a zombie before leaving her; Richard is eaten while Chris battles the horde, reuniting with Jill. The pair flee into the secret passage Wesker unlocked.
Meanwhile, the truck driver, bitten by his dog, transforms into a zombie and crashes his truck in front of the police station.
Chief Irons tries to drive out of the city but is fired on by Umbrella guards attempting to contain the outbreak. Returning to the station, Irons is attacked by the truck driver’s zombie dog, but Claire rescues him.
Claire and Leon retrieve weapons and encounter Bertolucci locked in a cell, who is then bitten by a zombie inmate.
The station becomes overrun by zombies, and Leon, Claire, and Irons escape to the Orphanage, looking for a secret Umbrella tunnel leading to the mansion.
A Licker kills Irons and attacks Leon, but he is saved by Lisa who recognizes Claire and gives them the keys to the secret passage.
The pair discover the secret lab where Umbrella was experimenting on children like the Ashford Twins. Wesker encounters Dr. Birkin and his family deep inside the building.
In the ensuing scuffle, Wesker is shot by Birkin, shoots him back, and then kills Birkin’s wife in self-defense. When Wesker hesitates to pull the trigger on their daughter Sherry, Jill shoots Wesker.
Before dying, Wesker tells Jill to escape via the underground train before the Umbrella Corporation destroys the city, while Birkin injects himself with the “G-Virus”. Birkin begins to mutate and attacks Chris, before being shot down by Claire who has arrived at the lab with Leon.
Chris, Sherry, Jill, Claire and Leon escape and board the train, but are derailed when Raccoon City and the Spencer Mansion are destroyed, allowing a mutated monster version of Birkin to reach them. It attacks the train and grabs Claire, but she stabs its face with her knife and gets released.
Chris shoots the monster but runs out of bullets; Leon then destroys it with a rocket launcher. As the Corporation states that there were zero civilian survivors in the aftermath of the destruction, the five survivors walk out of the train tunnel, leaving Raccoon City behind.
In the mid-credits scene, Wesker awakens in a body bag, unable to see anything. A mysterious figure hands him sunglasses and introduces herself as Ada Wong.
Cinematography and Visual Effects
The cinematography in “Welcome to Raccoon City” is designed to evoke a sense of claustrophobia and impending doom, using dim lighting and tight camera angles to enhance the horror atmosphere.
The visual effects are integral in bringing the terrifying creatures of the “Resident Evil” universe to life, from the undead zombies to the more grotesque mutations.
The film’s aesthetic pays homage to the games, particularly in its depiction of iconic locations like the Spencer Mansion and the Raccoon City Police Department.
Character Development
The characters in “Welcome to Raccoon City” are drawn from the video game series, and the film endeavors to develop them beyond their game counterparts. Each character is given a backstory and motivations that drive their actions throughout the movie.
For instance, Claire Redfield’s quest to expose the truth about the Umbrella Corporation is fueled by personal stakes, while Leon S. Kennedy’s journey from a rookie cop to a survival-hardened hero mirrors his video game arc.
Conclusion
In conclusion, “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” is a film that aims to reboot the “Resident Evil” film series with a closer alignment to its video game origins.
Directed by Johannes Roberts, the movie delivers a mix of horror, action, and science fiction, grounded in atmospheric tension and nods to classic horror elements.
While it caters to fans of the franchise, it also offers a standalone story that explores themes relevant to contemporary audiences, such as the consequences of corporate overreach and the resilience of the human spirit.
With its faithful character representations, horror-driven cinematography, and a strong narrative tied to the origins of the “Resident Evil” universe, “Welcome to Raccoon City” stands as a notable addition to the “Resident Evil” franchise and the horror genre at large.
