Mary Roe “Secretly Koishi” Russel

I've tried to keep this as spoiler-free as possible. On the more negative side, Rebecca didn't do much in the movie, and neither she or Claire really actively fought in the final battle, which kinda sucks. The facial animations look very stiff and limited, and I do take some level of issues with the character models, since Jill is ripped straight from RE3make with no signs of what happened to her in RE5 (no traces of blonde or longer hair, no chest scarring, etc.), so even the T-Virus excuse for her looking the same doesn't entirely hold up. I mean, it does kinda suggest that she looks the exact same in 2023 as she did in 1998, which is a full 25 years later, and slow aging or not, that just doesn't make sense. Additionally, there's really no excuse for Claire and Rebecca to look so young since they were never infected before but still look like they're in their early 20s even though they should be a decade older than that. Frankly, Rebecca seems to look even younger in this than she did in Vendetta, and I can only assume that it's because they're using a potential model for RE0make, because there's no other explanation that makes any sense. Some of the voice acting is really stiff at times, too, and both certain lines and shots look like they were made specifically for the trailer as opposed to being organically inserted into the film. Finally, while I'll speak more on him positively, I do want to note that the main villain (Dylan) has no explained reason for singling Jill out the way he does. On the more positive side, through the bulk of the movie, no one is really nerfed. Claire's on her A-game and is just as badass as ever, and Jill is unambiguously the film's main character and heroine. This is especially notable given how the series has sidelined its leading ladies for about a decade now. Claire's more hot-tempered personality is shown, which is pretty nice. Also, Claire and Rebecca have a really cute moment together at the end that I am entirely sure was thrown in for Chamberfield shippers. It's true that facial animations weren't great, and sometimes, I also noticed that some characters hold guns in awkward poses, but legitimately every other part of the animation is spectacular. The fight choreography is absolutely insane and well-done. I did complain about the age related parts of character models, but other than that, everything looks great. The details in the designs were truly wonderful. And while I did highlight some of the voice acting as stiff, for others (such as Leon and Claire especially), it's phenomenal. I also want to specifically highlight the new licker design because it looks grotesque and intimidating, and that's exactly what I want out of B.O.W. designs. The visuals in general are stunning, and it can be truly seen in certain close-ups on weapons and characters. Finally, while I did complain about Dylan not really having a reason to single out Jill, literally every other part of his writing is spectacular. He has an understandable backstory and motivation and even makes solid points detracting from the main characters, and it looks like that is going to influence them in the future. Finally, the best point I can make about the film is that, at the end of the day, it feels like it was made for fans of the series, and I can really appreciate that.

Watched this myself just a few hours ago and overall, I honestly thought it was... meh. Better than a lot of other Halloween movies, but still not great. I will note that Laurie being in the hospital and not doing much isn't new- that was almost the entirety of Halloween 2. And hell, even then, I'd say she still has just a bit more to do in this movie than she did in that one, only earlier on. There were some things I liked- notably, the redemptive elements the Elams get, the showcasing of the aftermath of such a tragedy, and the casting is still really strong. My particular issue was how mean-spirited it felt. There was no fun to it, just violence for the sake of being cruel. SPOILERS INBOUND I think it's best exemplified with Marion's death. Marion has been a character since the first movie, introduced alongside Dr. Loomis. The movie made it very clear Loomis was someone she cared about... just before her death. Her last words were literally "This is for Loomis!" ... before she pulls the trigger of an empty gun, and proceeds to get stabbed to death without remorse. And, Hell, the whole scene, really. A couple seen briefly in the 2018 movie, as well as Lindsay Wallace, were all in the car. Lindsay spotted some kids at a playground, got out to warn them, and Michael attacked the car. The lady from the 2018 couple, Vanessa, manages to get out of the car. Marion's death happens. The dude in the couple can't get out so he tries to fight back, and is stabbed in the eye. Vanessa tries multiple times to shoot Michael- after seeing her boyfriend/fiancé/husband die right in front of her, then Michael makes her shoot herself. Then Lindsay tries to fight back and is brutalized, only surviving because she managed to get Michael's mask off a bit, giving her a chance to run away, after which, she hides in a tense scene but ultimately survives... after witnessing one of her closest friends and two other innocent people die. It just felt cruel, and not in a fun way. And in the end, Michael has the most triumphant victory he's ever had. It just feels way too bleak.