Is Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City accurate?

Of the many characters in Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City, there are only about eight that count as the main ones. As far as costumes go, they all look great. Of course, as usual for film adaptations, some actors don't look exactly like the in-game characters. Most fans can look past this — if when the film gets the personalities and backstories correct.

There’s not a single character in Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City that has an exact one-to-one representation from the games. Some come closem so points will be awarded for trying. Regardless, though, most fans agree that all these characters better than those in the original set of six films. From the worst interpretation to the very best, these are the rankings. There will be spoilers ahead.

8/8 Albert Wesker

Wesker is a domineering presence in the games. He is calm, collected, and cool (in part thanks to his trademark sunglasses). This persona is because he is toying with everyone from the start. He knows exactly what is going on in the Spencer Mansion, because he is an Umbrella researcher.

This reveal is a big one in the first Resident Evil game. In the film, Wesker looks the part, but his personality is a bit nervous. He doesn’t even seem to enjoy shooting. What's more, his role is different: he's a spy that was hired by some unknown party to steal Umbrella’s secrets. Wesker should be the core villain, but he just isn’t.

7/8 Leon S. Kennedy

Leon is another character that is played more timidly in the movie than in the games. Part of this is because he is a rookie in the movie. This would make anyone unsure of their abilities, especially during a zombie outbreak. However, the movie makes him out to be somewhat of a dimwit.

Then, all of a sudden, he gets his act together. It’s a weird turn for him that shouldn’t been necessary in the first place. Leon didn’t have to start as an action star, but he could have at least been played with more dignity.

6/8 Chris Redfield

There isn’t much to say about Chris. In the first game, he seems like an average cop thrown into a weird situation. However, his skills are unmatched as one of the leaders of STARs. In the movie, Chris isn’t given much to do. He seems to play second fiddle to his fellow STARs members and even his sister.

Of the STARs team, Wesker serves more as the lead. In the game, because he is the secret villain, Wesker’s actions are mostly hidden. If the movie followed this plotline, then it could have built more tension. Chris, overall, is just kind of there for the ride in the film.

5/8 Chief Irons

Chief Irons isn’t given a lot of screen time in the original version of Resident Evil 2, but he has a bit more to do in the remake. His character is shown to be a bit of a coward and just a bad guy overall. He is trying to hide Sherry Birkin away like some sort of bargaining chip.

In the movie, he is also a coward. The minute he finds out something is wrong, he abandons his post and puts a rookie, Leon, in charge. He doesn’t have many heroic moments to speak of, but at least he isn’t a complete villain. This change was for the better.

4/8 Jill Valentine

Jill, like Chris, isn’t given as much time to shine compared to Wesker. One huge difference made to her character is that she is seemingly in love with Wesker. This plot point may have been taken from Resident Evil 5, when Wesker brainwashes Jill to be his assassin slave.

Jill is also a bit sassier in the movie compared to the first Resident Evil. However, in the remake of Resident Evil 3, Jill is also a bit more sarcastic and sure of herself. It’s not a bad version of Jill in the movie, there’s just not enough of her.

3/8 Lisa Trevor

Moviegoers may have scratched their heads at the implementation of Lisa Trevor. Is that someone viewers should know? Lisa should sound vaguely familiar, but her role in the series has been minimal. That’s because Lisa was only in the remake of the first game, wherein she is expected to have died in the Spencer Mansion explosion.

Lisa has not returned since. She’s not given much backstory in the remake, so the movie didn’t have a lot to work with. There was even less of her than Chief Irons. However, her design is spot-on, along with the direction of her action scenes. It was hard to screw her up, so the movie gets a pass.

2/8 William Birkin

Birkin, as a father and a scientist, has to play dual roles in Resident Evil 2 and in this film. He’s yet another character that isn’t in the series much. The movie rendition is a good take on Birkin based on the limited scenes and journal entries he has in Resident Evil 2. He is shown to have a love for his kids at the orphanage, even though there is a sadistic reason why.

While he may not exactly love them in the traditional sense, it’s clear he does at least love his real wife and daughter. It’s a bit unfortunate that Sherry isn’t in the film as much as she is in Resident Evil 2 though. Overall, Birkin is a great reworked character that is mostly true to the games.

1/8 Claire Redfield

Claire is the best character in the film, because she is the center star. Of the eight main characters in Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City, the most time is given to her pursuits. The downside to Claire is that her backstory is almost all wrong. Chris and Claire were indeed orphans in the games, but they were extremely close as well.

Claire didn’t run away and abandon her brother. Rather, they naturally grew apart due to Chris going into the Air Force and Claire going to college. The reason why she comes to Raccoon City is to find him. She doesn’t even accomplish this until the fourth main game, Code Veronica. Despite all this, though, she still acts and looks like Claire. That is what fans wanted to see most of all.

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