HOLLYWOOD—I think the very first “Resident Evil” film that hit theaters in 2002 involving Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez was an absolute hoot. It was what you expected from the video game and just had this intense buildup of utter chaos, with a very satisfying ending. There have been a ton of sequels since, but not all have been great. So almost 25 years since that 2002 flick, we have a remake or new entry (it depends) on who you ask, at the hands of Zach Cregger.

Who is that? He’s the guy that gave us that incredible “Weapons” last year, a much better flick than “Obsession” that people have been fawning over. So how do I feel about “Resident Evil” the 2026 flick? I was entertained, but I would be lying if I didn’t say I wanted more. The one thing I have to give kudos to Cregger is the casting of Austin Abrams in the role of Bryan, a medical courier, who is literally a goofball, but you are rooting for this guy.

When the audience is first introduced to Bryan he is delivering a medical package, not fully aware of its contents during a snowstorm in the Colorado Mountains. Ok, let me just get this complaint out because I’m over it. Look, a horror movie is supposed to be mysterious, murky and dark, but NOT TOO DAMN DARK TOO THE POINT THAT I CANNOT SEE WHAT IS UNFOLDING! I cannot tell you how many movies I’ve seen as of late, where it is so dark I have no clue what I am watching and unfolding.

There are moments like that unfolding here in “Resident Evil” and as a audience member that is frustrating to witness. I want to know what is going on so I can properly connect the dots of the story people. Bryan’s unfortunate collision with a woman darting into the road will take him on a path of kill or be killed that is a crazy ride.

Bryan holds in his possession not an organ, but the materials that will help manifest a cure to this devastating disease that cause people to mutate and almost turn into tentacle-like creatures that attach to one another. “Resident Evil” is bloody, but not overly bloody; it is crude behavior, but it’s funny at times, and I enjoyed a handful of the intricate attack and action sequences.

The climax is easily my favorite part of the narrative because you are a bit on the edge not knowing what will unfold and that was fun to witness. Kudos to Abrams for holding the pace of this movie from start to finish because this is his movie. He has the charisma, the goofball mentality and the drive to survive when most people in his situation would have just given up.

That element keeps the viewer invested in what happens and you are rooting for the outcome that makes you feel good at the end. The pacing of the movie is near perfection clocking in right under 90 minutes and it rarely feels stale. Fans of the videogame will enjoy “Resident Evil,” but even if you know nothing about the franchise you can go into the theater and still have a good time.