Six years after his successful adaptation of "Mortal Kombat," Paul W.S. Anderson wrote and directed "Resident Evil," which was loosely based on the survival horror game franchise by Capcom. While some elements of the 2002 film mirrored certain aspects of the first two "Resident Evil" games, Anderson took the pulp, sci-fi horror route with his first installment in a sprawling franchise. Anderson's "Resident Evil" is trashy in an entertaining way — despite being critically panned, the film was a massive commercial success and praised by audiences for its gory, fast-paced plot. And oh, also, zombie dogs.

The film's protagonist, Alice (Milla Jovovich), has never been a character in the games. In "Resident Evil," she is first introduced as an amnesiac on a quest to learn the truth about her identity, while stuck in an underground facility called the Hive that harbors a terrible secret. Surrounded by commandos of the nefarious Umbrella Corporation,...