Review: ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’ will make you miss the dumb old days

The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic. With six films under its gun holster belt, the “Resident Evil” franchise gets a reboot with “Welcome to Raccoon City.” It feels too on the nose to call writer-director Johannes Roberts’ 2021 take on the video game a zombified version of its predecessor, but when a movie is this brain-dead, the metaphor is earned. “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” may reward longtime fans of the video games by returning to the series’ origins, but others will find themselves wanting to leave town, much like the movie’s characters. Deep characterization is rarely a hallmark of either run-of-the-mill horror movies or video game adaptations, but “Welcome to Raccoon City” still manages to slink under that bar into the subbasement. I never thought I’d long for Anderson’s directorial talents, but “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” made me miss the series’ good ol’ days.