Fans of Resident Evil are expressing their dissatisfaction over the newest adaptation of the beloved videogame, proving once again that the series seems to be doomed when it comes to crafting any kind of decent live-action interpretation.
The latest undead aberration of the beloved videogame is a live-action TV show on Netflix with the same name, which just dropped on the streaming platform on Thursday.
After fans watched the show, the consensus seems to be, as one Twitter user put it, “Ain’t no f**king WAY this is Resident Evil, bro.” Judging by the baffling clip of a song-and-dance number that was shared in that same Tweet, we can see why people would feel that way.
Another Twitter user called the series “unwatchable” and found it “remarkable” just how badly it was adaptated.
“[W]hy can’t this franchise be done properly in live-action? It’s so f**king easy,” another fan wrote.
The original Resident Evil videogames, particularly the first two, took much inspiration from the George A. Romero style of zombies, as seen in films like Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, with the first game even taking place in the classic gothic setting of a spooky mansion. In fact, Romero even directed a commercial for Resident Evil 2 at one point, which to this day stands as perhaps the best live-action adaption of the games. But for whatever reason, most if not all of the live-action adaptations have eschewed the “classic zombie” feel of Romero, going instead for a more “modern” interpretation — complete with the heavy-handed use of often sub-par computer-generated imagery — much to the frustration of fans.
One Twitter user was simply baffled that a leaked script of the show making a joke about “Zootopia porn” turned out to be in the final product.
Another Twitter user proclaimed the show had “absolutely nothing in common with its source material,” calling it even worse than the fan-maligned Paul W.S. Anderson-directed films starring Milla Jovovich.
Another fan summed up their feelings with a well-placed GIF.
However, not everyone had wall-to-wall negative thoughts about the show. Videogame YouTuber Matt McMuscles took to Twitter to say that the show was “a decent sci-fi zombie show” however, “it has no relation to Resident Evil. Like, zero.”
“Shoulda just called it, ‘Besident Wevil’ or ‘Albert and the Clonasaurus.'”
Another fan contended that while they didn’t think it was good, they nevertheless found themselves “kind of enjoying it.”
“I just don’t understand why it needs to be resident evil … it doesn’t feel like it has anything to do with RE aside from some names and terms, it could’ve just been its own thing.”
The critical reception of Resident Evil definitely reflects the mixed reactions from fans so far. The series boasts a 62 percent critical score on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, which is still a passing grade, even if it is a “D.” However, the audience score was much less generous, clocking in at an abysmal 26 percent.