20 2000s Movies Audiences Loved, But Critics Hated

Bringing to life a film adaptation of a video game can prove difficult to get right, and part of that comes down to the fanbase of the source material. Often a decent enough project can be made, but as was the case with Uncharted, a non-existent connection to the games lets down those already invested in the property. Resident Evil was almost the antithesis of this thinking.

The Resident Evil video game series was incredibly popular when Paul W. S. Anderson's first Resi film released in 2002, but rather than tear the picture apart, like the critics did, audiences and fans of the game found something to be taken from it.

Of course, the casting of Milla Jovovich didn't hurt. In fact, her performance as Alice was one of the standout aspects in a project that relied heavily on her in the absence of any real connection to the games.

That being said, there was enough of Raccoon City present to satisfy audiences, while critics were always going to demand more. Emotions invoked by a tie, no matter how slight, to a source material are never going to be as effective on professionals as they are on mainstream viewers, and thus the latter could not look past the shallow plot, uneven pacing, and gratuitous violence. Maybe Zach Cregger can do a better job later in 2026.