Resident Evil: Vendetta - The scoop and digest

I gave this the big build-up at the end of scooping The Final Chapter, so let's see if latest CG outing lived up to expectations.

Kevin Dorman - Chris

Matthew Mercer - Leon

Erin Cahill - Rebecca

John DeMita - Arias

Set between the events of Res 6 and Res 7, death merchant Glenn Arias is extremely pissed at the U.S. government for killing his family during wedding ceremony.

After zombies wipe out BSAA team at a mansion in Mexico and Arias teaches Chris a lesson, vengeance is vowed.

Former S.T.A.R.S. member Rebecca Chambers turned Professor (last appearing in Gamecube prequel Res 0), has been studying the Animality or A-virus, which until triggered, is capable of staying dormant inside host.

Just for fun, the 'Animality' finishing move debuted in Mortal Kombat 3. 

Arias's colleague Maria unleashes the virus via aerosol inside laboratory, but Rebecca administers a vaccine to become immune.

Chris protects her from zombies and having recognised similarities between virus and Las Plagas, they visit Leon.

The bottle initially interests more than mission, but following an attack by Maria and Diego, Leon soon sobers up.

BTW, Maria is Arias's daughter.

Rebecca is abducted and delivered to Arias as a replacement for late wife.

To 'override' immunity, she's injected with a new strain.

Dynamic duo have 30 minutes until virus takes full effect.

Arias's team unleash gas upon New York, but Leon and Chris are able to destroy vehicles and contain virus.

At safehouse, Chris manages to overcome Diego, rescue Rebecca and send Arias crashing through terrace's glass roof.

Arias fuses with Diego and becomes end boss.

Believe me, mutation is nothing original.

Leon proves to be the fly in Tyrant's ointment and Chris eliminates threat with grenade launcher.

The lads cure Rebecca with Arias's antidote and those previously infected taste normality.

Epilogue shows Maria survived and eyes suggest leather clad babe may not be human.

Generic

Never thought I'd say this, but Takanori Tsujimoto's film is only marginally better than live action.

Zombie behaviour makes no fucking sense, as situation dictates whether they run or stagger.

John Wick-esque action sequences are well orchestrated (if ridiculous), but story, and how things pan out couldn't be more predictable.

Suspense? Drama? Twists?

Nope.

Here's an idea, have some fucking balls and kill somebody off.

Like Rebecca for instance.

(Groans).

Beyond top notch animation, I struggle to see why even die hard fans would watch massive disappointment more than once.

Characters inspiring others

Taking a break from attacking those who blatantly stole, here's how the other half live.

Count Magnus Lee (Vampire Hunter D)
Surname is taken from Christopher Lee.

Character also appears in H. Marion Crawford story The Blood is The Life and M.R. James ghost story Count Magnus.

1960 Hammer film Brides of Dracula features a scene with padlock falling off from a coffin without unlocking, which is derived from said M.R. James story.

Ethan Hawke's Ellison Oswalt (Sinister)
Named after Harlan Ellison and Patton Oswalt.

Roddy McDowall's Peter Vincent (Fright Night 1985)
Named after Peter Cushing and Vincent Price.

By pure coincidence, McDowall voiced robot V.I.N.CENT in 1979 Walt Disney sci-fi The Black Hole.

Morgan Freeman's William Somerset (Seven)
Named after William Somerset Maugham.

Barry Humphries' Bruce (Finding Nemo)
Named after the shark in Jaws, so-called after Spielberg's lawyer Bruce Ramer.

Isaac Clarke (Dead Space series)
Named after Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke.

Moving swiftly on.

Blue Mary (debuted in Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory) vs Android 18 (Dragon Ball)

Brocken (World Heroes series) vs Brocken Jr. (Kinnikuman)

For those shits and giggles.

In Banpresto's ultra obscure arcade beat 'em up Metamoqester, player comes across another Brocken in Germany.

For the Korova Milk Bar in A Clockwork Orange, sculptor Allen Jones gave Kubrick permission to create something along the lines of Hatstand, Table and Chair.

Writing on the walls of now demolished Volcano nightclub are identical to 1971 classic in Trainspotting.

There's also a bit of Taxi Driver.

Neill Blomkamp's Chappie was a failure (in my eyes at least), but I did appreciate Appleseed tribute.

In the European version of Super Probotector: Alien Rebels, Lance and Bill are replaced by Jimbo and Sully.

Dr. Peace (No More Heroes) vs Charles Bronson

Hoagie meets up with John Hancock (far left), Thomas Jefferson (left) and George Washington (right) in superb Maniac Mansion sequel Day of the Tentacle.

Thimbleweed Park is coming to PS4 on 22 August.

One for my diary.

Dr. Robotnik vs Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt

Telepods used by Jeff Goldblum's scientist Seth Brundle in David Cronenberg's deliciously gross 1986 remake of The Fly were designed on the engine of classic motorcycle Ducati 450 Desmo.

Geoffrey Rush's appearance in the fucking terrible 1999 remake of House on Haunted Hill is a furious nod to Vincent Price, who portrayed Frederick Loren in 1959 original.

Promo art of Ada Wong for Resident Evil 4 pays homage to poster of Luc Besson's La Femme Nikita.

Ski or Die did the business with American stand-up comedian and actor Rodney Dangerfield.

Personality of No More Heroes protagonist Travis Touchdown and to a certain extent, likeness, was based on Jackass Johnny Knoxville.

Donald Pleasence's character alludes to Psycho, as a very different Sam Loomis owns a hardware store.

In Evil Dead 2013, page from book previews the Abomination, with drawing based on original's iconic poster.

End baddie was unfortunately far from hideous.
Guess budget was practically blown...

It may be coincidence, but the Naturom Demonto from Sam Raimi's original can smack of Middle Earth.

One page to rule them all.

Adjacent to mountainous region, is that supposed to be fucking Nessie?

In isometric Amiga action adventure Darkmere - The Nightmare's Begun, Prince Ebryn stumbles across The Tolk Inn.

Geddit?

Oh well.

In name only, the original Double Dragon took a peculiar route to reffing Enter the Dragon.

Rowper vs John Saxon's Roper.

Nearly as strange is Williams, famously introducing himself by slugging idle bitch Marian in the guts before kidnapping her.

Jim Kelly (or Cartwheeling Cannon Fodder), was represented more accurately in the piss poor Double Dragon Neon.

But wait.

Jones (Rage of the Dragons)

Afro rests its case.

Kimmy Howell of No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle wields a doubled-ended light saber.

Ray Park's Darth Maul uses a suspiciously similar weapon in the largely appalling Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.

Before eventually ratting out on George Clooney and co, Tom Savini's Sex Machine in From Dusk Till Dawn did his fair share of vampire killing.
Trusted weapon refs the Belmonts' Vampire Killer whip of Castlevania.

I'd also suggest attire is something to do with Dawn of the Dead, as motorcycle raider gatecrashed zombie infested shopping mall.

R.I.P. George A. Romero.

Here's my imagination running bastard riot again, but you're used to that by now.

Lord Osmund Saddler (Resident Evil 4) vs Lord Summerisle (The Wicker Man 1973)

I'm talking about 'leader' principle of course.

We'll never know.

Anybody who liked the infamous Nicolas Cage remake should be fucking ashamed.

Clint Eastwood and legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakwell 'appeared' in 1994 Cabal-esque SNES game Wild Guns.

In Seth McFarlane's A Million Ways to Die in the West, Albert is taught by Anna (Charlie Theron) to prepare for pistols at dawn showdown with Liam Neeson's notorious gunman.

Situation rather embarrassingly rips off Stodge City.

Albert vs Marshall (Jim Dale)

Anna vs Annie (Angela Douglas)

Clinch Leatherwood vs The Rumpo Kid (Sid James)

Mortal Kombat

Johnny Cage was based on Jean-Claude Van Damme, with Daniel Pesina also providing motion capture for Sub-Zero, Scorpion and hidden fighter Reptile.

One of Frank Dux's signature moves was translated from Bloodsport.

I remember years ago actors played themselves in an edition of classic C4 TV show Gamesmaster.

Move was X-Rayted in 2011 reboot.

David 'Lights Out' Sanberg's action comedy short Kung Fury is hilariously ridiculous.

A nazi takes one to the nuts.

Surely intentional?

Going further, Sub-Zero's fatality is cleverly recreated.

Flawless victory.

Less splits, one-hit knockout was retained in A.W.O.L.

When video game franchise inevitably became live-action in 1995, it was either one of the best, or worst films of all time.

Whatever your opinion, it references Johnny Cage's Friendship in Mortal Kombat II.

It is universally accepted two characters were inspired by John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China.

Raiden (Carlos Pesina) vs Lightning (James Pax)

Spin-off Shaolin Monks kinda confirms this.

And.

Shang Tsung (Ho Sung Pak) vs Lo Pan (James Hong)

Kitana's finishing move Kiss of Death may have been influenced by Thunder's suicide.

Ignoring absence of peck on cheek, it's the same thing.

A very different sequel will follow.