10 Iconic Characters Movies Keep Screwing Up
1. Everyone In Resident Evil
To the surprise of many, Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil did better, critically and financially, than most video game adaptions. But after his series had five derivative sequels, fans were eager to see another filmmaker take a crack at adapting Capcom's legendary video game franchise.
Firstly, we got a slew of animated films, which centred on everyone's favourite curtain-haired hero, Leon Kennedy. But due to the forced dialogue and focus on action, we never cared about any of the characters. Unfortunately, the animated series, Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, was more of the same.
Because the promos for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City highlight the survival horror aspect, it looked like we were finally getting the Resident Evil adaptation we deserved. But not only was Raccoon City another hackneyed mess, the characterisation was embarrassing. Leon Kennedy was turned into a cowardly wimp. Birkin was forgettable. Wesker was wasted.
Which brings us to the 2022 Netflix series, Resident Evil. Even though we were promised a scarefest from start to finish, we got a show filled with cringe-inducing dialogue and ridiculous dance numbers.
However, the biggest controversy that the series received was the portrayal of Albert Wesker, performed by Lance Reddick. Even though Reddick is a phenomenal actor, this incarnation of character is so far removed from the source material, you wonder why the filmmakers called him Wesker in the first place.
Years ago, Anderson was unanimously viewed as "the guy who destroyed Resident Evil". Upon reflection, his work is the closest any filmmaker or studio has gotten to getting the characters right or making the story remotely entertaining.