Monday, October 22, 2012

Paranormal Activity IV




Paranormal Activity 4 is the latest (and hopefully final) installment in the franchise that yet again, splices together home movies to show further evidence of a long standing family haunting. I've seen all three of it's predecessors and for most point, enjoyed them. None of these flicks have been ground breaking by any means but have at least offered up some cheap scares and realistic dialogue to paint a relatable picture in which this could happen to YOU! Even though this was not a planned franchise, writers have been able to create an ongoing story line that gives a little more information than the last but still keeps you a bit curious. No. 4 not only fails to provide ANY scares (cheap or otherwise) but also to make any logical use of the established story.

Unlike the previous 3 films, this installment focuses on footage taken exclusively by a 15 year old girl and her lovable loser boyfriend. Despite having multiple cameras throughout the house capturing the moves of an entire family, the teens are definitely the focus point and the only characters that push the story along. While it's clear that this was a ploy to appeal the a younger demographic, the tension created by the young girl is lacking and most of the dialogue is wasted on complaining that her parents won't listen to her. This was a risky move that did not pay off in two BIG ways. First, by changing demographics, filmmakers have removed the only consistently positive quality in the prior films, relatability. You simply must relate to your main character in a plot driven solely by their reactions to a situation. Second, this film is rated R, thus eliminating the targeted demographic right out of the gate.

I give this a 3/10 with points only awarded for overall production quality and giving me something to do on a Monday evening... Below is normally where I would embed the movies trailer but felt this to be more appropriate.


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