When I decided to make Resident Evil the next series for Who I'd Save, I had only ever given a repeat watch to the original movie. I had seen Apocalypse, Afterlife, and Final Chapter before, but not since their original theatrical releases. So I thought it would be fun to rewatch all of those, plus finally see the two I had missed (Extinction and Retribution).
What I was not prepared for was how convoluted the storyline was (exacerbated, I'm sure, by watching all of them on consecutive days) and how creatively they bring back cast members who had previously died. Sometimes without explanation. So this might get a follow-up post where I talk about all of the movies and what did and did not work, and I am going to go ahead and say that no clones will make this list.
Resident Evil: Ms. Black
We'll start off with a more novel choice: Opening scene character Ms. Black (changed to Ella Fontaine in the novelization). She seems smart and no-nonsense, and actress Indra Ové spins gold from the little she is given - This is a character that, if they had decided to spend more on them, it wouldn't have bothered me. Alas, she doesn't survive past the cold open, but I'd find a way to get her out of The Hive if I could.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse: Nicholai
It was between Nicholai and Terri for this honor, but Nicholai won out due to being played by Farkus himself, Zack Ward. Nicholai is more than willing to team up with other survivors and even ends up dying trying to protect Angela. Plus, surviving the apocalyptic wasteland in Extinction would have been much easier with another trained soldier.
Resident Evil: Extinction: Carlos
I mean, who else could it be? The closest thing to a love interest that Alice gets throughout the series, plus it's Oded Fehr, who I will always have a soft spot for due to The Mummy. It's such a bummer that he is able to get the antidote in Apocalypse, only to be bitten by fucking LJ (Mike Epps) - who decided to hide the fact he was infected - a movie later. At least he goes out in a blaze of glory.
Resident Evil: Afterlife: Crystal
I think a major reason I would save Crystal before any of the others in this movie is because her death feels like such bullshit. Granted, not everyone can go out in a blaze of glory, but give her a better one! So she gets saved for that reason.
Resident Evil: Retribution: Luther
I really liked this character, and actor Boris Kodjoe also. And he gets so close to escaping at the end of this one, but then Evil Clone Rain (Michelle Rodriguez) has to fuck it all up. And really, he was sacrificed because they didn't want to kill Leon (Johann Urb) since he is important in the games - but guys, he is only in this movie, you can kill him and keep Luther! Granted, the start of the next film makes you wonder about all of the survivors of this one, but I can easily head-canon their survival.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter: Cobalt
Honestly, none of the new characters really made much of an impression in this one. Before deciding on Cobalt (who proves to be fairly brave and a bit badass), I considered the emaciated woman (Siobhan Hodgson) that gets killed just before being rescued by Alice or Abigail (Ruby Rose). I even considered Doc (Eoin Macken) just for the shits and giggles of it. But, in a movie filled to the brim with red shirts, I decided to go with the one that would be the most interesting to get more of.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City: Lisa
I am making an assumption with this one - we get no visual confirmation of her death, but with all of Raccoon City being destroyed, it feels like a safe one. Mostly, this poor woman is who I'd save because of the hell she's been through, while still saving Claire and Leon.
Alright, that covers this film series - next up will be the Scream franchise, maybe - what should I do after that?
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