Biohazard: Degeneration

- Never Stop Dreaming -

Today I am at my workplace idling unproductively and sifting like a smelly rat at all available resources on the net for my own benefit. You see yes indeed I am at my workplace but there is no work to be done but just that I have to be here. It's pretty unfathomable but since I am getting paid, might as well save the electrical bills back home.

Yesterday night I caught the movie Biohazard: Degeneration and here are some spoilers and my verdict. This is the first Full Length CGI movie of the Biohazard franchise. Biohazard is the name in Japanese where elsewhere outside Japan, it is know as Resident Evil. As compared to the live action flick starring uber hot Mila Jovovich, this one retains more of the juice and gore true to the game. Quite simply because CGI can replicate the game with a certain degree of accuracy that actors and actress can't. Until now, the most successful CGI film that have set the bench mark was (at least to me) Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. But that and the previous FF CGI movie (Spirits Within) belonged to Square Enix. Biohazard is the first CGI by Capcom and Sony Pictures.

Although Biohazard doesn't bite the dust trails of Advent Children, I can say both are equally good in their own aspects. While the futuristic set and the fantasy approach brings out the shine in Advent Children, Biohazard brings forth gloom, zombies and weaponery closer to home. The lighting is the usual night, explosions, and lot's of zombies getting wasted. Being a Kumpung Kid from Singapore who have been thru army, the sound of empty cartridges echoing off the floor is simply orgasmic. Now with 2 of the biggest game companies pushing out more remarkable eye candy CGI movies, I can expect more from these AWESOME Japanese companies in the future. That aside, other reasons would probably be the very fact that CGI flicks that roll off Hollywood appeal to mostly whining kids with their ever so lovable but intellectually insulting and shallow appeal. It is always these Japanese ones that have a strong cult following...so shame on you Hollywood, for under utilising your resources.

Ok here are the spoilers, the movie is set 7 years after the Racoon City incident with protaganists, Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield (from the original Resident Evil 2 game) getting aquainted in the strangest places, you guessed it, amongst zombies. The movie progress thru the first zombie battles in the airport and then a little side story of the private life of another main character, Angela Miller, a member of the Special Response Team (S.R.T.). Yeah she is your typical buxomy babe who wield guns and is cleary the damsel in distress who falls in love with the main protagonist, Leon. From here the story relates how Angela's brother got involved in the whole conspiracy where all the characters head for another circular biochemical lab, much resembling the Original Umbrella Corporation residing beneath Racoon City. Characters get locked down in the facility which is underground, (Hmm repetition again.) and battle more zombie scientists. Then again , true to the game style, the Boss appears. A G-virus infected uber cool monster who tries to kill everything savagely. Leon saves the day and the damsel, Angela in an epical Boom Boom Boss killing ending, happily ever after and a little teaser of a sequel in the last few minutes.

Overall the story is a little short but follows very closely to the game style. Dark office complex, zombie scientists, Super cool Boss, lot's of innocent killed, lot's of explosion, lot's of bullets expanded, lot's of gore, guts and blood, and finally superb rendering of lighting and effects to flash by so fast barely stopping for me to appreciate. All in all can't fault them for making it uber realistic and it's a great action CGI movie albeit a little short and predictable. Probably have to wait like another 10 years if the fit better story line in there.

P.S. This movie won't be release in the theatres in SG or anywhere else because it only premiered at the recent Tokyo Game Show, and a week after that in limited releases in U.S. and Japan ONLY.

Rating - 7 / 10