Alice is a fictional character and the primary heroine of the Resident Evil film series, based on the Resident Evil video game series. Though she does not appear in the games, she does eventually interact with a number of characters from the games including Jill Valentine, Carlos Oliveira, Claire Redfield and Nemesis. Alice plays a principal role in each film, the storylines all somewhat revolving around her and the struggle with the Umbrella Corporation (the company she used to work for). In Resident Evil, she is displayed as suffering from amnesia. In Resident Evil: Apocalypse, her character is portrayed as tough and rugged, as she is more familiar with the situation surrounding her. She plays a similar role in Resident Evil: Extinction. Apart from the films, she appears in the film's novelizations where her background is explained; however, the novels are not considered canon.
Alice is portrayed by Milla Jovovich in all three films and is also known as Alice Abernathy and Janus Prospero. The Umbrella Corporation, however, has been known to refer to her as Project Alice or Program Alice.
History
Resident Evil
In Resident Evil, Alice is a security operative working for the Umbrella Corporation. She and Spence Parks, posing as a married couple for cover, were placed at a mansion outside Raccoon City that is an entrance to The Hive, a functional large top secret underground laboratory owned and operated by the Umbrella Corporation, buried a half mile underground.
Waking up with amnesia, she recalls nothing of this and joins Matt Addison, an environmentalist posing as a police officer, and a team of commandos who take them and venture into the Hive to investigate why the artificial intelligence computer, the Red Queen, killed all the employees. Spence is found, appearing to suffer from amnesia like Alice, and it is revealed that the memory loss was caused when a nerve gas was released into the mansion by the Red Queen to prevent a viral outbreak from spreading. Despite working for Umbrella, it's revealed Alice was willing to expose Umbrella's dangerous and illegal experiments in order to bring the company down. She is shown to be the contact of Matt's sister, Lisa Addison, who was trying to smuggle out a sample of the T-Virus; Alice tells this to Matt. However, at the end of the film, Spence is shown to be the one who would foil her plans. He had stolen T-Virus samples with the intent to sell it on the black market, releasing the virus in the Hive to cover his tracks. Alice refuses to go along with Spence's plan, despite flashback sequences shown of the two having a relationship, and eventually kills him when he re-animates into a zombie. Alice and Matt are the only survivors to escape the Hive. Upon returning to the mansion, both are seized by Umbrella scientists and taken into quarantine at the Raccoon City Hospital. Alice awakens on an operating table in a white room with no knowledge of what has happened, heading outside, she sees the infection has ravaged Raccoon City.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
In Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Alice discovers that she has been genetically altered by exposure to the T-Virus. Alice is explained to have adapted to the changes from the T-Virus, merging human characteristics and heightened strength, speed, and agility. During the evacuation of Raccoon City, Alice is released by the Umbrella employed Major Timothy Cain to combat their latest bio-weapon Nemesis.
She joins survivors lead by S.T.A.R.S. officer Jill Valentine. The group make a deal with Umbrella scientist Dr. Charles Ashford to rescue his daughter, Angela Ashford, in exchange for a safe route out of the city, knowing that at sunrise a nuclear bomb will level the city. She finds Angela joins U.B.C.S soldier Carlos Olivera and civilian L.J.. They head to City Hall for the evacuation, but Major Cain overrules Dr. Ashford's plan and captures the group. He forces Alice to fight Nemesis, and they engage in battle, in which Alice emerges victorious, however, she discovers Nemesis was once Matt Addison and Alice refuses to kill him. Major Cain orders Nemesis to kill Alice, but Nemesis instead aids Alice's group in their escape; Nemesis perishes protecting Alice. In the helicopter, Alice is impaled by a loose pole when protecting Angela; the helicopter then crashed in the Arklay Mountains. Later an Umbrella team led by Dr. Isaacs retrieve Alice from the helicopter wreckage for further experimentation.
Alice is resurrected by Umbrella, and she escapes the facility using her new telekenetic powers. Leaving the facility, Alice is confronted by a group of armed guards and is saved by Jill , L.J, and Carlos (accompanied by Angela), posing as Umbrella agents. During their departure, Isaacs orders the security guards to let them go. As they depart, Isaacs orders the activation of "Program Alice" and the Umbrella logo flashes in Alice's eyes.
Resident Evil: Extinction
In Resident Evil: Extinction, where the world has succumbed to the T-Virus, Alice has separated from the group. She stays on the move to avoid capture by the Umbrella corporation after she learned Umbrella could track her through satellites. She left the group to protect them, using the satellites trajectories to stay off the grid. On her travels she finds a journal detailing the possibility of Alaska as sanctuary. However, the Umbrella corporation is utilizing the White Queen, a more advanced artificial intelligence computer that is able to find Alice. Early in the film, she uses her telekinesis to save Claire Redfield's Convoy; the convoy in which L.J. and Carlos have since joined. However, Alice is noticed by an Umbrella satellite, and Isaacs is then made aware of her location. The leaders of the convoy, decide to make the trip to Alaska, but first refuel in Las Vegas. Isaacs goes after Alice, defying orders from Umbrella Chairman Albert Wesker.
During a battle between the zombies and survivors, Isaacs attempts to shut down Alice, the Umbrella logo flashes in her eyes and Alice freezes in place. She is able to overcome it and goes after Isaacs, but he manages to escape, but not before being bitten by a "super zombie". Those left head to the Umbrella base and the now-infected Carlos briefly kisses Alice before driving an oil truck loaded with dynamite into a horde of zombies to clear the way. The convoy leaves on helicopter while Alice stays behind. She meets with the White Queen who informs her that the cure to the infection would lie in Alice's blood. Alice pursues Isaacs into the lower levels, even seeing a clone of herself, but is soon attacked by Isaacs, who has since mutated into a monster (the Tyrant). The clone awakens, seemingly dying soon after. Alice follows Isaacs into a replica of the mansion from the first film. The two fight, both using telekinesis, and eventually make their way into the laser room, also from the first film. The lasers cut Isaacs into pieces and just as Alice is going to meet the same fate, the lasers dissipate, turned off by Alice's clone.
Afterwards Alice, via holographic technology, interrupts a meeting between Wesker and the other Umbrella executives. She tells them that she is coming after them and will bring "a few friends". Standing beside a clone, they look out into a room filled with hundreds more, and as other clones begin to wake, the film ends.
In literature
Alice appears in the three novelizations of the films. The novels, for the most part, re-tell the events of the film, in greater detail and provide some additional information. In the novel, such concepts such as Alice's surname (revealed to be Abernathy) and her home town are exposed. It is never revealed in film, if Alice remembers any of her past beyond the flashbacks in Resident Evil, but in the novel, she has regained that memory. The novels explain in greater detail her relationships. The first focuses on hers with Spence and the third has the possible relationship of her with ex-U.B.C.S soldier, Carlos Olivera. Although it is implied in the second novelization that Carlos and Alice knew each other before their meeting in the cafeteria. It is revealed, in the third novel, that Carlos does have feelings for her and that some of Alice's thoughts rest on him while she is away from him.
It also sheds light on other friends she has made over the years, what she does to protect them and goes into depth her thoughts about them. However, the ideas explored in the novel are for the most part not explored in the film, and are added from the author's point of view. The facts of Alice's background are typically not considered canon like the films.
Concept and creation
Alice was an original character created for the film, although writer Paul W.S. Anderson noted that Alice was based from the ideals of the strong women in the Resident Evil games. Anderson initially toyed with the idea of the film being an allegory to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but the idea was not followed through. Despite that, the movie contains various references to the work. That included the concept of Alice's name. Although the name Alice was given as the character's name previous to Resident Evil's release, her name is said during parts of the film; it is however, and is listed in the credits. Resident Evil: Apocalypse is the first instance of the spoken use of Alice as the character's name. In Apocalypse, for a brief moment in the film, a document is shown having Alice's name as Janus Prospero. According to the Apocalypse and Resident Evil: Extinction websites, and a promotional document released by Screen Gems called The Raccoon City Times, Alice is a nickname and Janus Prospero is the character's real name; this is never further explored or mentioned in any of the films. In the novel, her name is revealed to be Alice Abernathy, and like Prospero, it was never explored in any of the films.
Characteristics
In Resident Evil Alice is shown as an "ass-kicking amnesiac" and since then she has been an "iconic figure and is closely associated with the series", becoming far more skilled and rugged since her first appearance. She is primarily portrayed in Apocalypse and Extinction as a "a supremely efficient killing machine" and bio-weapon, while in the first film, she is shown first recognizing her abilities as a highly trained, but human security operative. Alice's superhuman abilities, as well as the use of various styles of martial arts and gun play have made her an almost super hero style of character and has one "cheering for her instead of wondering how the hell she managed to suddenly become Spider-Man." For example, in Apocalypse, after her exposure to the T-virus, she displayed psychic powers (akin to those of Alexia Ashford, in the video game Resident Evil Code: Veronica) and was able to use those powers to kill a security guard with a glance (through a monitor). She also had the ability to jump long distances, as seen in her initial confrontation with Nemesis. In Extinction, her powers had developed further, for example, she displays even greater control over her telekinesis. Apparently she also has great regenerative abilities as she is able to suck energy from the surrounding air and regenerate her fatal wounds at the end of Apocalypse.
Some have criticized the character of Alice, believing her to be a Mary Sue because she is an original character, supposedly portrayed as Anderson's concept of what "bad ass", "all powerful", and "totally awesome" are. The argument of IGN writer Scott Collura, is that Alice "completely devoid of depth" and the concept of a Mary Sue, "pretty much describes Alice to a 'T'".
Wardrobe
Alice's costume, particularly that of the red cocktail dress in the first film, has been attributed as "glamour and fashion [that] serve to fetishize her screen character" and the "sexualized representations of women". One analyzer had gone on to say that the first two films had "objectified through their Lara Croft-style wardrobe of short skirts or shorts and tight vest tops", also taking into account Sienna Guillory's portrayal of Jill Valentine who wore a mini skirt and tube top.
The costume Alice wore in Resident Evil was a collaboration between Anderson and Jovovich. It consisted of a thin-strapped bias-cut red dress, which exposed one leg with a darker red mini skirt underneath, that was based on a similar Jean Paul Gaultier outfit. This was accompanied by a pair of black Prada knee high boots. Jovovich, who had thought of herself in the film as "a young Sigourney Weaver", designed the costume with the intention of recreating the feel of the underwear outfit from the closing scenes of Ridley Scott’s Alien. The costume that Jovovich wore had been referred to as akin to "a runway model caught in a remake of Night of the Living Dead."
The costume in Resident Evil: Apocalypse was described by Jovovich as "just jeans and a T-shirt. But it's my angle of jeans and T-shirt." It had consisted of an orange Spaghetti strap shirt, covered by a grey mesh sleeveless shirt, and a dark washed pair of jeans. Alice had also worn boots and various types of weapon holsters, and during the duration of the film, the costume had gone through considerable changes through fight sequences. One pant leg had been cut loose, the bottom portion still held on her leg with a gun holster, and the mesh eventually cut across her stomach.
Alice's costume in Resident Evil: Extinction was designed by Jovovich-Hawk, Jovovich's clothing line. The costume consists of a soiled American Eagle Outfitters brand tank top, a long tan coat, a brown snap up short sleeve shirt with matching attached leggings, brown shorts, a dark tan-ish green striped head scarf, and brown boots. The shorts Alice wears are a variation on the 'Alice Star' Shorts from the Spring 2007 collection. Alice's costume also includes various weapon holsters (the ones on her thighs are Blackhawk! brand), protective gear and a bracelet given to her by K-Mart. In Extinction, her clones also wear a dress, designed to look identical to that of the red dress of the first film, when enduring the tests within the replicas of the mansion. The dress however, is slightly different in design, using a slightly thicker material, and substituting the skirt underneath for a small pair of dark red shorts instead; there is also a zipper present on the costume, which the original did not have.
Weapons
The twin kukhri knives Alice uses in Resident Evil: Extinction are a visual reference to Resident Evil: Apocalypse in which she uses two batons to fight Umbrella guards. The image was used on many promotional images and the film posters. The kukhri knife props have an aluminum blade with wood handles, and measure approximately 19.5 inches. According to the novel she took these from the scavengers she and the zombie dogs killed at KLKB. She also uses many different varieties of automated weapons, such as machine guns, pistols and the iconic zombie-slayer, the shotgun. She seems to prefer 1911 type .45ACP pistols, which she uses in the second and third films, and a Mossberg 500 with a pistol grip, also used in the second and third films.
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