Update: As Zilvinas points out, one other reason Musk could have Minecraft on the brain is this impressive pitch for a Gigafactory put together by Lithuanian fans.
The Resident Evil movies are undoubtedly gigantic hits at the box office, having raked in over $244 million since the premiere of the first film in 2002. While these movies are definitely a departure from the games that inspired them, we’re treated to the sight of some of our favorite characters on the big screen. Milla Jovovich’s Alice, the film-exclusive protagonist, might be the star of the show, but we can’t help but check out the other characters and see how they compare to their game counterparts. Let’s put the likes of Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, and other Resident Evil mainstays under the scope, and check how faithfully they were brought to the silver screen.
Chris Redfield
Chris Redfield is one of most iconic characters in the Resident Evil series, and many fans know him for bashing in doors and the heads of bio-organic weapons — or B.O.W.s — in Resident Evil 5. His enormous, bulging muscles were his true weapons, but he still whipped out a firearm to get some real work done.
In the films, he’s played by Prison Break alum Wentworth Miller. who is probably not as jacked as Chris, but just as tough. While he doesn’t fully resemble the beloved BSAA agent, we can at least tell who he’s playing. His outfits, however, are far from what Chris Redfield wore in the video games. Instead of short sleeves with BSAA patches on them, he wears some kind of tactical field jacket. He’s got plenty of gear strapped onto his torso, but his all-grey ensemble just makes him look like a failed Ghostbuster, or an overzealous maintenance man. But that’s all we’ll say about that subject, lest we find ourselves on the receiving end of those guns.
Claire Redfield
Ali Larter breathes life into Claire Redfield, sister to Chris and heroine to Resident Evil fans everywhere. In the films, Claire doesn’t get her signature ponytail, but she does retain her vest. It’s a little more crimson than pink, but we think that’s for the best. We’re not sure where you can pick up vests that feature little sheathes for combat knives, but we’re going to assume it’s not a thing in real life.
Also noticeably absent are the gloves and Claire’s black, short-sleeved turtleneck. The end result is that Larter’s Claire looks and feels like more of a badass than the original Claire. Together, she and Wentworth Miller’s Chris make up a deadly pair of siblings that we’d love to have on the front lines against an army of zombies. And given that a ponytail can be easily grabbed by the undead and other monsters, maybe letting her hair down was a good, tactical decision.
Jill Valentine
Tube top? Check. Short, brunette hair in a bob cut? Check. Mini-skirt? Check. Sienna Guillory’s Jill Valentine seems to be the most accurate portrayal of a Resident Evil character in the movies. The former S.T.A.R.S. member probably shouldn’t keep so much skin exposed when there are zombies everywhere that are looking to bite and infect her, but we appreciate the risks she takes to looks good.
In Resident Evil: Retribution, she returns as a blonde, now the villain of the movie. She even looks the part of her superpowered, antagonist form from Resident Evil 5, complete with the device on her chest and the one-piece outfit. We’re glad that the fimmakers did their homework on this one.
Albert Wesker
As far as bad guys go, Albert Wesker is certainly one of the most arrogant. If his glowing, red eyes weren’t a dead giveaway that he’s evil, then maybe his frosted tips might. In Resident Evil:Afterlife, we see him played by actor Shawn Roberts. He’s got the sunglasses to hide his ocular peculiarities, and those tips definitely seem frosted, but something about him still feels a little … off. Perhaps it’s because Shawn Roberts was only in his mid-20s when he filmed the role and Wesker is supposed to be much older, but the one thing we couldn’t get past was his youthful, good looks.
Other than that, and the prominence of Roberts’ widow’s peak, the costuming was pretty spot on. Leather and bad guys go together, and Wesker is definitely the type to rock it in all-black
Leon Kennedy
Leon Kennedy may not be as brawny as Chris, but he’s still one of the coolest characters in the series. There are some stark differences between his appearance in Resident Evil 4 and actor Johann Urb’s character in Resident Evil: Retribution, but it’s probably difficult to find someone with bangs like Leon’s. In an interview with Collider, director Paul W.S. Anderson confirmed as much, saying, “You have no idea how difficult it is to find someone with Leon Kennedy’s hair. It is just not the easiest thing in the world. He has to be manly and has to have these long bangs.”
Urb doesn’t rock Leon’s signature leather jacket in the film, but he does have a nice, winter coat with a fur-lined hood. But, going by what Anderson said, getting the hair correct seemed to be the most important thing.
Ada Wong
Ada Wong’s acrobatic skills and penchant for gunplay have earned her a spot in every Resident Evil fan’s heart. We see her portrayed by actress Bingbing Li in Resident Evil: Retribution, wearing her signature red outfit. This is actually a fairly faithful representation of the character, from the hairstyle down to the yellow butterflies on her dress. We’re so impressed with how accurate the portrayal is, we could have sworn Ada stepped out of the game’s code and into the movie. She even performs that incredible disarm using a front handspring kick in the movie, adding to her cool factor.
Carlos Oliveira
Carlos Oliveira’s first video game appearance was in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, where he helps Jill Valentine escape the zombie-infested Raccoon City and the clutches of the Nemesis. In the films, he’s portrayed by Oded Fehr, who you might remember from The Mummy movies as Ardeth Bay. For some reason, Fehr just can’t escape the undead in any of their forms.
As you might be able to tell, there’s a stark contrast between the game character’s appearance and Fehr’s. Carlos is more youthful-looking with medium-length hair, whereas Fehr is more mature, with a shorter haircut. Even the costuming is different, with Oded’s Carlos featuring less pouches and straps, with more of a desert soldier look. We don’t really mind the departure from the original character’s look, but it’s just a little jarring when most of the other characters’ signature looks are so accurately depicted.
Barry Burton
Whenever we think of sandwiches, we think of the majestically-bearded Barry Burton. The character is famous for exploring the Spencer Mansion with Jill in the first Resident Evil game and saving her from becoming a Jill Sandwich. In Resident Evil: Retribution, the beard is brought to life by Kevin Durand, who wears a red vest similar to that of the original character design. There’s something about the heroes of Resident Evil and wearing red and vests, but we don’t judge.
While his costume features the same kind of leather straps and holster from the game, the biggest difference is that Kevin Durand’s face is a little more good-natured than Barry’s. The video game character looks a lot more hardened in later iterations of the series, but we respect the attention to detail on the outfits. It’s almost enough to make us forgive how nobody spoke of sandwiches. Almost.
If you’ve ever played Pokemon and thought, “This would be better if it was the same but blockier and in Minecraft,” then today might be your lucky day. Pokemon Cobalt and Amethyst is a fan-made project which is now playable inside Minecraft on PC/Mac.
The add-on, which has been developed by a group of modders headed up by Phoenix SC, includes a whole new map: the Suliqu region. It includes unofficial Pokemon, a custom soundtrack, and a whole new plot to follow.
Everything is, of course, made within the constraints of Minecraft–so battles, conversations, and more are all a little more blocky than your average Pokemon game.
To have a look for yourself, check it out here, or take a look at the video above.
Cobalt and Amethyst is not the first fan-made Pokemon game. A number of standalone Pokemon titles have been made by community members, though a number of them have shut down.
HAMPTON, Va. (WVEC) — The Hampton History Museum is in need of volunteers, boxes, and other supplies to help build a large-scale model of Downtown Hampton. The project will be a part of a free family event the museum is hosting called “Build the City: Minecraft Madness.”
The event will occur on Saturday, March 11. It will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Carousel Park.
The event is based on the popular videogame Minecraft, in which players build constructions out of cubes. In this event, the children will be able to participate in a construction of Downtown Hampton using boxes, which will resemble the cubes used in Minecraft to build houses and other structures. Other recyclables, construction paper, chalk, and paint will be also be used.
No prior knowledge of the videogame is needed to volunteer, or participate, the museum just asks that people bring a positive attitude and a desire to inspire children’s creativity.
The museum will be taking donations of cardboard boxes and other reusable materials for the event, such as egg cartons and paper towel rolls.
Boxes of all sizes will be accepted, but the museum has a dire need for smaller boxes like the ones used for Girl Scout cookies, tea, toothpaste, and cereal.
If you are interested in donating to the event, please drop off all donations to the museum at 120 Old Hampton Lane between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday.
For more information on the event, how to volunteer, or to recommend a source for more boxes, please call Museum Educator Kris Peters at (757) 727-6838.
Half term is nearly here – looking for something to fill the time up?
Here’s five:
1. Take a trip to the zoo. Ever popular Flamingo Land opens its zoo for half term and from February 11 parts of Dino-Stone Park and the outdoor Pirates of Zanzibar acrobatic show will also be on. There’re more than 140 species of animals at the zoo in Malton, North Yorkshire, just over an hour’s drive from Teesside. www.flamingoland.co.uk for mor information.
2. A pop up farm brings the joys of the countryside to Lightwater Valley near Ripon for half term – and selected rides at the North Yorkshire theme park will also open at the Fab Feb Family Fun event designed to appeal to the eight and unders. Thurs Feb 16 to Tues Feb 21, £6 per person, tickets must be booked in advance.
Skyrider ride at Lightwater Valley
3. Got a Minecraft fan in the family? There’s a festival all set to celebrate the video game, returning for a third year to Northumbria University Student’s Union, Newcastle on Saturday and Sunday, February 11 and 12. Nethermined also includes a special Parents Zone offering tips for safe online play. Family tickets are £60, www.nethermined.com/tickets
Nethermined Minecraft festival (Photo: Publicity Pic)
4. Enjoy storytime at Drake Bookshop in Silver Street, Stockton on Monday, February when 13 Lord Lieutenant of Durham, Sue Snowdon joins in a half term storytime special. She’ll be reading Shark in the Park by Nick Sharratt, the fun starts at 10.30am.
5. Treasure is top of the pile for intrepid kids this half term at Preston Park museum and grounds, Eaglescliffe. There’s a packed line up of activities from fossil hunts, the chance to Dig For It and become an archaeologist for the day as well as a screening of big screen blockbuster Jurassic Park. February 11 to February 26, most activities free with museum entrance, £2.50/£1.50, family £5.
Minecraft’s status as a hit game is well-known — but its massive success has made it more than just a game. As the above video shows, it’s also an art and business for creators who’ve embraced Minecraft’s unique, blocky world.
That’s exactly what James Delaney and Blockworks, a design company he co-founded, have done. The group made distinctive maps for Minecraft that have educated players and risen to the level of art — all while occasionally making a nice profit too. Their works are collected in the coffee table book Beautiful Minecraft, which features works ranging from surreal landscapes to surprisingly affecting “human” structures, all crafted using Minecraft’s blocks.
Mountains in Beautiful Minecraft Blockworks/No Starch Press
The artistic opportunities flow from Minecraft’s open structure. Though players can participate in the classically video-game-like “Survival Mode,” they can also do whatever they want in the game’s “Creative Mode,” which removes any threats and turns Minecraft into a blank canvas. For designers like those at Blockworks, Creative Mode gives them an opportunity to collaborate on new worlds, or “maps,” that are incredibly intricate, despite the limited “cubist” nature of their materials.
The creativity “Creative Mode” enables is obvious in the work that talented designers produce. Sometimes Minecraft artists will create interactive worlds that replicate historic events; other times, Minecraft’s many cubes coalesce into a sculptural image, the same way pointillism’s dots disappear to form a picture. These images and worlds can be eerie, magical, and surprisingly beautiful.
But perhaps most surprising of all, Minecraft worlds can also be a business. Companies like Blockworks make maps for private Minecraft servers (computer networks that host Minecraft games), and they also occasionally design maps in collaboration with institutions and companies like Minecraft owner Microsoft. That’s allowed the group to make some cash from its far-flung syndicate of talented designers.
Of course, this is a game, so there are still risks. Even in a seemingly open world like Minecraft, Microsoft can shut down lucrative collaborations between designers and big brands that want to commission in-game advertising. That adds one more complication to the intersection of gaming and art — there are business interests too, and they can’t be moved as easily as a couple of Minecraft blocks.
