Despite accumulated criticism and rejection from many fans, no one can deny that Resident Evil is the most successful video game franchise on the big screen. Alice's adventure began in 2002, and during these fifteen years we've seen her do just about anything to survive, but it's time for the post-apocalyptic warrior to put down her weapons. The final installment of Resident Evil, known as The Final Chapter, will hit theaters on the upcoming January 27, and the definitive clash between Alice and Umbrella will take place in the place where it all began: Raccoon City.
"All video game adaptations to cinema are bad" is a phrase we've heard time and again, though its validity is confirmed with each new project that promises to be different from the rest, only to end up trapped in a dreadful script, an excess of computer graphics and effects, and a cast that fails to rise to the occasion. However, there is a saga that, against all odds, not only managed to stay afloat but is on the verge of releasing its sixth live-action film. Obviously, I'm referring to Resident Evil. A combination of moderate advertising, controlled budgets, and the strategic decision to expand Alice's character to "bend" the rules of canon allowed all its films to remain profitable, beyond numbers on portals like Rotten Tomatoes (the average of the five installments is 26 percent), and what is considered a general deterioration in the quality of original content (Resident Evil 7 is expected to correct that).
Resident Evil is about to close its trajectory in theaters. Almost half a decade after Retribution, the first teaser of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter arrives. The more things change, the more they stay the same, and after having fought against Umbrella's forces around the globe, Alice has no choice but to close the circle. That's right: the heroine will face the evil corporation in the ruins of Raccoon City, and of course, in The Hive, that facility where we first saw Alice almost fifteen years ago. It is supposed that there will be a more complete trailer before its release, but we have no doubt that certain characters are still up to their tricks, like Doctor Alexander Isaacs, and the apparently indestructible Albert Wesker. We also detected the return of Claire Redfield, played by Ali Larter, who was not part of Retribution.
Unless there is a last-minute change (initially Sony had scheduled its release for September 2014), Resident Evil: The Final Chapter will make an appearance in the vast majority of theaters between January 26 and 27. Both dates are reasonable if we consider that Resident Evil 7: Biohazard will debut on Xbox One, PS4, and Windows on January 24, just two days earlier. Alice's story comes to an end, but if Hollywood doesn't fail, it's likely that in three or four years we'll see a complete reboot...
