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Resident Evil: Damnation

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Resident Evil: Damnation
A poster for a film featuring two male and one female characters
Japanese theatrical release poster
Directed byMakoto Kamiya
Written byShōtarō Suga
Based onResident Evil
by Capcom
Produced byHiroyuki Kobayashi
StarringMatthew Mercer
Dave Wittenberg
Wendee Lee
Courtenay Taylor
Music byRei Kondoh
Shusaku Uchiyama
Production
company
Distributed bySony Pictures Entertainment Japan
Release date
  • October 27, 2012 (2012-10-27)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguagesEnglish
Japanese
Box office$2.3 million (Japan)[1]

Resident Evil: Damnation, known as Biohazard: Damnation (Japanese: バイオハザード ダムネーション, Hepburn: Baiohazādo: Damunēshon) in Japan, is a 2012 Japanese adult animated biopunk action film by Capcom and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan, and is directed by Makoto Kamiya and produced by Hiroyuki Kobayashi.[2] It features the voices of Matthew Mercer, Dave Wittenberg, Wendee Lee, and Courtenay Taylor.

The story revolves around DSO agent Leon S. Kennedy as he investigates biological weapons used in a European civil war. Kamiya aimed to tell a more original story by moving away from the narrative of the series, and asked for Capcom's aid in regards to the handling of the characters to make them consistent with their video game counterparts.

Damnation premiered on October 27, 2012, in Shinjuku, Tokyo. It was commercially successful, grossing more than $2 million in Japan and more than $3 million in home media format in the US. The film received positive reviews, and has an approval rating of 100% on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes.

Plot

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In 2011, DSO agent Leon S. Kennedy infiltrates the "Eastern Slav Republic", a former Soviet republic, to confirm rumors that Bio-Organic Weapons (BOWs) are being used in the country's civil war, and ignores the government's order to retreat. He comes across his contact, who has been attacked and is then killed by a strong Licker. After a brief fight, a second Licker appears but spares Leon. Leon is knocked out and finds himself tied to a chair by rebel fighters; JD, the former teacher Alexander "Sasha" Kozachenko, better known as Buddy, and the elderly Ivan Judanovich, the group's Ataman.

President Svetlana Belikova meets agent Ada Wong, who is posing as a BSAA agent. Ada explains a human infected with the dominant Las Plagas parasite will have a brief master-slave relationship with lesser BOWs infected with the Progenitor-virus (Lickers Beta themselves). Elsewhere, Leon tries to warn the soldiers of Ivan's infection, but Buddy starts a shoot-out. The group, including Leon escapes, and Buddy mercy-kills Ivan after the Las Plagas parasite takes his toll. Buddy meets up with JD, just as Plaga hosts attack them. JD and Leon escape to a church, where they regroup with other rebels.

Once there, JD frees Leon, urging him to stop Buddy, as he is obsessed with his hatred of the government, which bombed his school and killed his fiancée and students. Leon runs into Ada, who admits she is in the country to collect a sample of Las Plagas. She leaves and warns him the city will soon be bombed. Leon returns to the church only to find it attacked by the infected, who killed the other rebels and infected JD. Buddy returns as JD transforms, and Leon kills JD. Leon then asks Buddy to give up Las Plagas, but he refuses and escapes when military jets bomb the church.

Svetlana exposes Ada as a fraud and captures her after a fight after having an international arrest warrant issued for her. Leon enters the bunker where Ada is held, and the two meet at the main hive control. When Svetlana and her army troops surround them, Ada releases a smoke bomb and escapes while Leon kills several soldiers. Buddy arrives and sends younger recruited Lickers to attack the troops. Svetlana dispatches Tyrants to eliminate Leon, Buddy and the Lickers but they are defeated. Just as Svetlana prepares for her press conference, she is informed of a joint Russian and American invasion, which forces her to resign in her defeat and never to be seen again.

As Leon and Buddy watch the invasion, Buddy asks Leon to kill him before his Plaga takes control. Leon refuses, telling him to live to serve as the living memory of those who died and then shoots Buddy's spine, severing the Plaga's control over him. Afterwards, Leon speaks to Hunnigan about the mission, while elsewhere Ada speaks to her employer about a Las Plagas sample she retrieved, but does not make clear if she will hand it over or not, though she expresses appreciation for having her arrest warrant taken down.

A mid-credit scene shows Buddy, alive in a wheelchair, determinedly pushing it up a hill to a school as children around him hurry towards the school, showing he resumed his teaching career.

Cast

[edit]
Toshiyuki Morikawa
Matthew Mercer
Toshiyuki Morikawa (left) and Matthew Mercer (right) voiced Leon Scott Kennedy in Japanese and English, respectively.

Voice actors and motion capture actors for the characters are listed below:[3]

Character English voice actor[4] Japanese voice actor[5]
Leon S. Kennedy Matthew Mercer Toshiyuki Morikawa
Buddy / Alexander "Sasha" Kozachenko Dave Wittenberg Nobuyuki Hiyama
Ada Wong Courtenay Taylor Junko Minagawa
Svetlana Belikova Wendee Lee Eriko Kawasaki
JD Val Tasso Shintaro Ohata
Ataman/Ivan Judanovich Robin Sachs Shōzō Iizuka
Ingrid Hunnigan Salli Saffioti Yū Sugimoto

Production

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At the end of 2008, when Resident Evil: Degeneration was released, the producers talked about a possible sequel.[6] As a result of Degeneration's commercial success, Capcom and SPEJ decided to co-operate again to produce the sequel. Production for the sequel officially began in September 2010.[7][8] The director is Makoto Kamiya, who often spoke with producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi due to his experience with the Resident Evil video games. The character models were created based on Capcom's input in Resident Evil 6, which was released shortly before the film. Leon's recurring appearances in the games and previous films led to him being the film's protagonist. The team received the Licker's CGI model from Capcom. However, the team created original creatures in order to make Damnation a more unique film. In order to make the film faithful to the series, Kamiya often consulted Capcom over how should characters interact. He found the CGI animation challenging, and described the film as a standalone, but still recommended fans to play certain games and watch Degeneration to understand the film better. Kamiya initially wanted Damnation to follow the dysfunctional romance between Leon and Ada, but the idea was scrapped.[9] He stated that the film is meant to foreshadow elements of Resident Evil 6.[10]

The film was produced with motion capture and 3D.[11] Kobayashi spoke of the team's desire to make the CGI films as appealing as Hollywood films. Kobayashi had produced Resident Evil 4 and wanted to make a sequel to it. To contrast Claire's role from Degeneration, Ada Wong was picked as the returning heroine. The film features buddy elements but with focus on how more mature Leon is depicted. While there is focus on action, Kobayashi also introduced more horror elements. The inclusion of the Tyrants is meant to give the audience a shock due to how menacing they are. Another change in regards to the films is the handling of post-Soviet Russia rather than having another story set in North America.[6]

Writer Shotaro Suga returned from writing Degenaration. He further elaborated on the romance between Leon and Ada, which was briefly explored in Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4, and since they never met in Resident Evil 5, there might have been a time when Leon and Ada met again.[12] For the film, Suga went to Eastern Europe and created the Eastern Slav Republic, a fictional post-Soviet country formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.[6] The ending is meant to be a cliffhanger as the story is meant to continue in Resident Evil 6.[13] In retrospect, Suga claims that Damnation surpassed Degeneration.[14] The theme song by Anna Tsuchiya, "Carry On", is played during the credits.[15]

Toshiyuki Morikawa returned to voice Leon in Japanese, while Matthew Mercer provided the English dub for Leon..[5] The latter had previously done the motion capture for Resident Evil 6 too but was replaced for the film by Kevin Dorman. Mercer elaborates the Leon from Damnation is a more "younger, cockier" character, and "actually follows his transition" in contrast to the "broken, downtrodden Leon that Resident Evil 6 begins with". Damnation was recorded over five days according to Mercer, which lasted longer than the video game. Mercer said the script was "pretty stringent, but we [the staff] were able to improvise a bit". He claimed that since some of Leon's enemies are silent, there was not a lot of opportunity to perform jokes.[16] Courtenay Taylor, who plays Ada Wong, said that she felt pressure when voicing her character since it was her major debut as Operation Raccoon City was not popular, unlike Damnation and Resident Evil 6, and had more knowledge about the live-action films.[17] Val Tasso said that JD was his most memorable work and said that he also did the motion capture unlike other actors, also saying he enjoyed his character for the multiple facets the script gave him, most notably when interacting with Leon despite their initial antagonism.[18]

Release

[edit]

The first trailer and first seven minutes of the film debuted in the panel discussion at San Diego Comic-Con on July 13, 2012.[19] The film was released theatrically in Shinjuku, Aichi, and Osaka on October 27, 2012.[11][20]

Capcom and Sony Pictures released Damnation as a digital download on Xbox Live, Zune and PlayStation Network on September 15, 2012,[21] and on DVD and Blu-ray on September 25, 2012.[22] The Damnation bonus contents include an art gallery of conceptual sketches, a 7-minute short film about the creatures seen in the film, a 30-minute documentary about the making of the film, a 6-minute gag reel, and video game and film trailers (such as Resident Evil 6, DmC: Devil May Cry and Dragon's Dogma).[23][24][25]

Reception

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The film grossed $2,325,035 at the Japanese box office, with its debut week earning $666,837.[1] In the United States, Resident Evil: Damnation has earned $3.3 million in home video sales.[26] In Japan, the DVD sold 24,952 units while the Blu-ray sold 23,917 units.[27][28]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 5 reviews are positive for the film, and the average rating is 8/10.[29] IGN gave the film a score of 7.8 out of 10, named it "the best Resident Evil film to-date" but stated that there was a lack of accessibility for newcomers.[25] Joel Harley from Starburst rated the film 7/10, and criticized the lack of introduction to the characters for viewers who are new to the series, though felt that fans of the franchise would enjoy the installment, the CGI of which allowed for compelling action sequences.[30] Otaku USA found the premise confusing and noted that the relationship Leon has with Ada comes across underdeveloped while the horror elements are removed in the climax.[31]

Various characters were stated to have "heavy Eastern Bloc accents" by DVD Talk, but "the crispness and clarity of the center channel will not leave [the viewer] scratching [their] head as to what was said."[23] IGN said that the audio of the Blu-ray version was well presented along with the soundtrack.[25] The Hollywood News commented that the animation was one of the major outstanding parts of the film for giving the enemy creatures horror-like looks.[32]

In a retrospective article, Escapist Magazine wrote that Damnation was the best film in the entire franchise, citing a narrative similar to Resident Evil 4, and lauded the film for its accessibility, visuals, and action sequences.[33] Looper gave Degeneration, Damnation and Vendetta the title of "Honorable Mention" when listing all Resident Evil movies as a result of the live-actions having generally been reviewed more than the CGI ones.[34]

The film was awarded the 2013 International 3D Society Japan Award for animation.[35]

Sequel

[edit]

The film was followed by Resident Evil: Vendetta, which was released in 2017.[36]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Resident Evil: Damnation". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  2. ^ "イントロダクション｜バイオハザード ダムネーション" (in Japanese). May 7, 2013. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013.
  3. ^ キャスト｜バイオハザード ダムネーション (in Japanese). Biohazardcg2.com. January 30, 2013. Archived from the original on May 4, 2013.
  4. ^ "Resident Evil: Damnation". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "フルCG映画『バイオハザード ダムネーション』は『バイオハザード6』につながるストーリーやレオンの勇姿が見どころ【アマゾンプライムビデオおすめ】". Yahoo (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c "インタビュー｜バイオハザード ダムネーション" (in Japanese). March 26, 2013. Archived from the original on March 26, 2013.
  7. ^ "Sony Pictures Online SPEJ - Press Release 2010/9/14" (in Japanese). December 30, 2010. Archived from the original on December 30, 2010.
  8. ^ "Resident Evil: Damnation is Coming". IGN.com. September 14, 2010. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017.
  9. ^ Luke Caulfield (July 24, 2012). "Interview with Resident Evil: Damnation's Director Makoto Kamiya". GamenGuide. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017.
  10. ^ "Resident Evil: Damnation Takes Place Right Before Resident Evil 6". 3 August 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "ソニー・ピクチャーズ - プレスリリース -2012/4/20-" (in Japanese). June 16, 2013. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013.
  12. ^ Resident Evil Damnation, DVD interview
  13. ^ "ハリウッド映画と戦えるCG映画を目指す「バイオハザード ダムネーション」の小林裕幸プロデューサーにインタビュー". Gigazine (in Japanese). Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  14. ^ "Leon Has More B.O.W.s To Blast In CG Flick Resident Evil: Damnation". Siliconera. April 20, 2012. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022.
  15. ^ "土屋アンナ「CARRY ON」 フルCG長編アニメーション『バイオハザード ダムネーション』主題歌に決定！：映画「バイオハザード ダムネーション」最新情報：So-netブログ". biohazardcg2.blog.so-net.ne.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 13, 2012.
  16. ^ "Matthew Mercer Talks Resident Evil: Damnation Exclusive". Movie Web. 26 September 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  17. ^ "Courtenay Taylor Talks Resident Evil: Damnation Blu-ray Exclusive". Movie Web. 26 September 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  18. ^ "Interview – Val Tasso (Resident Evil : Damnation)". Horror News. 7 January 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  19. ^ "サンディエゴ「コミコン2012」でフルCG長編アニメーション 『バイオハザード ダムネーション』最新映像世界初公開！：映画「バイオハザード ダムネーション」最新情報：So-netブログ". biohazardcg2.blog.so-net.ne.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 13, 2012.
  20. ^ "WOWOW「渋谷！LIVE ザ・プライムショー」に小林裕幸プロデューサーが出演！：映画「バイオハザード ダムネーション」最新情報：So-netブログ". biohazardcg2.blog.so-net.ne.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 12, 2013.
  21. ^ Bocanegra, Jorge (September 15, 2022). "Oh, damn: Resident Evil: Damnation is now digitally available". Rely on Horror. Archived from the original on September 11, 2021.
  22. ^ Sliwinski, Alexander (July 21, 2012). "Resident Evil: Damnation infects DVD, Blu-ray this September". Joystiq. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012.
  23. ^ a b Gerard Iribe (September 23, 2012). "Resident Evil: Damnation". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013.
  24. ^ Jordan Farley (September 22, 2012). "Resident Evil: Damnation Competition". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on June 19, 2021.
  25. ^ a b c RL Shaffer (2 October 2012). "Resident Evil: Damnation Blu-ray Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021.
  26. ^ "Resident Evil: Damnation The Numbers Listing". The Numbers. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  27. ^ "Japan's Animation DVD Ranking, March 11–17". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  28. ^ "Japan's Animation Blu-ray Disc Ranking, March 11–17". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  29. ^ "Resident Evil: Damnation (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  30. ^ Joel Harley (17 October 2012). "DVD Review: Resident Evil - Damnation". Starburst. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022.
  31. ^ "Resident Evil: Damnation review". Otaku USA. 5 November 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  32. ^ "Resident Evil: Damnation DVD Review". The Hollywood News. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  33. ^ "Resident Evil: Damnation Is the Best Resident Evil Movie". Escapist Magazine. 27 February 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  34. ^ "Every Resident Evil Movie Ranked Worst To Best". Looper. 3 May 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  35. ^ "Resident Evil: Damnation". Digital Frontier. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022.
  36. ^ Greg Gilman (March 25, 2016). "New 'Resident Evil' CGI Movie Arriving in 2017 (Photo)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019.
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