The Resident Evil franchise is one you have to admire for its longevity, if not exactly for its consistency. What started out as a pretty unsettling video game series has morphed into more of a multimedia juggernaut with additional video games (now with more adventure!), live-action movies (either Jovovich or the new reboot), animated movies, and more forthcoming avenues of creativity which means that it is not going anywhere anytime soon. The recent Netflix miniseries Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is one of the latest small-screen offerings, taking what feels like a standard animated film and arbitrarily chopping it up into four easily-digestible half-hour episodes that seems bound to appeal most broadly to fans of the video game series. Taking place between the events of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, Infinite Darkness attempts to bring back some fan favorite characters while failing to make the story they are jumping into feel of the utmost importance. If you are not already deeply invested in the characters, it might be a bit difficult to care about what happens.
The new computer-animated series follows Leon S. Kennedy, a newly-employed government agent after saving the daughter of the president in Resident Evil 4. Near the end of the first episode we get one of our few instances of a zombie attack as the White House quickly gets invaded and subsequently contained by Leon. Elsewhere, Claire Redfield is working for an NGO in the fictional nation of Penamstan, first seen in the midst of a civil war in an opening where a mission of American interference goes horribly awry. The two storylines are connected as they both embark on a mission to uncover a secret plot to create a supersoldier which inadvertently leads to a zombie virus and escalating tensions between the US and China. Those newbies looking for background info about either of these characters will be left out in the cold wondering why we should care about any of them succeeding or what they mean to one another. This is solely meant to fill in the gap between two entries in the game series, leaving this one to feel inconsequential in the end.
This new series does attempt to expand the Resident Evil family somewhat with some new characters such as former U.S. special forces operatives Jason and Shen Mei, both who have secretive pasts that tie back to the civil war in Penamstan. With the spry nature of the structure, neither of them are really given a chance to shine, although Jason’s role does become more interesting in the final installment. Those looking to spend time with their old friend Leon should find some really fun moments throughout, especially a series-highlight infected rat infestation on a submarine that goes to some really gnarly depths. Those looking to catch up with Claire will find her presence lacking, as she is mostly treated like an afterthought until the final installment when she gets to come together with Leon to face the final threat. There is only so much they can put these characters through before the events of Resident Evil 5, leaving the narrative feeling creatively constrained.
Those hoping for a Resident Evil more on the scary side will be very disappointed by the trajectory of this four-episode arc. Beside the opening episode zombie onslaught and the aforementioned rat attack, the series is more in political intrigue mode which delves into the “monsters” who create the monsters that are more outwardly terrifying. This seems to be the most firm point the creative team is trying to get through as a commentary on the current state of the world. Human life as collateral damage to further the military industrial complex is not a bad narrative to develop, but the series does not afford itself enough time to flesh out the themes into something with weight. Without the narrative clout to back everything up, this outing just feels very self-serious when it should convey some level of fun. This new chapter is not without its charms; the animation is often very stunning with only a few choppy moments from trying to make things look so photorealistic. The concluding chapter has some exciting sequences, but once again the enjoyment of this will likely boil down if you are already a fan of the gaming series. In the end, this feels like a very perfunctory effort that neither adds or detracts from the overall narrative.
Video Quality
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness comes to Blu-Ray with a stunning and vibrant 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The colors present in this transfer are practically leaping off the screen even if the hues lean towards the more dour side of the spectrum to suit the dreary tone. There are many moments of crimson blood popping off the screen, and the transfer handles all bursts of color perfectly every time. The textures on display, from the character designs to the environments, are extremely impressive and give the series a real sense of depth. One of the areas where this series improves on the earlier films is the fluidity of the character designs. All of the individual strands of hair are unique and flowing in a subtly more natural way. The level of detail these animators put into each environment shines through here. Black levels are incredibly strong with no hint of compression artifacts or digital anomalies of the sort. This presentation is an excellent representation of this impressively rendered series.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray release boasts a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that packs one hell of a punch. This disc brings these bombastic confrontations right into your living room with a depth and clarity of sound that is staggering. As Leon moves throughout the White House, the sounds of approaching foes and other subtle effects flow out of your side and rear speakers. Each sound is precisely placed with perfect spatial awareness. The track engages all of the channels with panning effects and sounds of destruction that really makes you feel like you are in the thick of the fight. The implementation of environmental effects such as explosions and chatter from various parties come through in a natural way. There is an insane amount of activity in the low-end which will keep your house shaking with every confrontation. Dialogue comes through clearly without getting muddied by the score or any sound effects. Sony knocked it out of the park with this track, so those with a good surround sound setup should have fun with this one. This disc comes with lots of Audio options including English, French, German, Spanish and Thai and many more options on the Subtitles side.
Special Features
- The Making Of Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness: A 35-minute featurette in which the creative team discuss bringing this new chapter to life in time for the 25th anniversary of the franchise, the motion-capture technology, the performers in the film, bringing some realism to the story, the new characters in the story the enduring appeal of the franchise and more.
Final Thoughts
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is a mini-series with some intriguing moments that will appeal to hardcore fans of the series but will feel a bit alienating to everyone else. Rather than zombie carnage that many might be hoping for, these four episodes stays much closer to the political thriller side of the spectrum. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a spectacular A/V presentation a a pretty weighty supplemental feature. If you are a fan of the series and want to know what happened between Resident Evil 4 & 5, go ahead and check this one out.
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
