Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City: 4 Ups & 6 Downs

3. The Cringe-Worthy Fan Service

Welcome to Raccoon City is certainly the most fan-service-packed of all the Resident Evil films, though by the end you'll probably not know whether to laugh or cry at it all.

Rather than integrate nods to the series in meaningful ways, they exist here largely as lazy memberberries-esque touchstones, lazily invoking familiar moments from the games in a desperate attempt to perk fans up.

The film at least recreates the first game's iconic opening zombie head turn well enough, but a truly painful "Jill sandwich" reference and the hilariously hamfisted inclusion of "itchy tasty" - written in a blood on a window by a zombie - are sure to elicit eyerolls from all but the most permissive of fans.

Elsewhere there are vaguely amusing references to the snake and shark bosses from the first game, the iconic Moonlight Sonata puzzle, and even the series' signature save rooms, but for the most part the references feel superficial and desperate.

The film's mid-credits scene might well be the worst reference of all, though, introducing two notable fan favourite elements with all the panache of a low-budget fan film. Yikes.