I managed to avoid this series for quite some time. It isn’t that I dislike zombie movies, video games, or Milla Jovovich’s, er, assets. It’s that video game adaptations typically suck. I’m sorry, that’s just the way things have always been, and probably will be most of the time. Most of what makes video games fun is the fact that the player is actively involved. Characters and story don’t have to be brilliant in order for players to enjoy them. By having to make constant decisions that affect gameplay, we are automatically actively engaged. Take away the element of control, and a great deal of the appeal is lost.
This is why the best video game movies are those that either merely utilize video game themes and style in crafting a larger film narrative (eg. Crank and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) or recognize the inherent superficiality of most video games and make that part of the fun (eg. DOA: Dead or Alive). To act as though video games and film are equal storytelling mediums and what works for one will work for the other is to ignore the strengths and weaknesses of each. That’s like saying that because both the fire department and police department are designed to serve the public good, trying to put out a three-story blaze with a billy club and a badge will totally work. They might have similar goals, but they achieve them through very different means.
Paul W.S. Anderson apparently didn’t get the memo.