I went into the movie not expecting it to be as good as the other Paranormal Activities. They all seemed to go downhill since the first one came out. This one was just too slow. There were the obvious suspenseful scenes but there just wasn't enough. The movie had hope at times but then it was just squashed by rushing through. They didn't go into much detail about the demonic possession and skipped over plenty of unanswered questions. The last twenty minutes of the movie were by far the best. And that is the only reason it got four stars. I do hope they give up and don't plan on making another one. The few screams that the movie did get wasn't worth the $11.50 I paid for the ticket. Wait until it comes out on RedBox.
197 Reviews
If you didn't like Paranormal Activity 4 see it again
Robert-Who-Watches-Movies30 January 2013
That is my advice. I saw it for the first time as a rental, and when I began watching it I feared I had come across a dud but as the day progressed I watched it bit by bit and began to like it.
I agree it is short on scares compared to the first three, but it makes up for it in telling a good story. It all comes together slowly, but by the time the movie ends I feel the viewer is left with a coherent and intelligent film.
And as for the description of the movie as being "boring" I didn't find it boring at all. Everything moves along at a snappy pace, enhanced by lively characters and good acting. Kathryn Newton did an especially good job. She seemed totally at ease in the role of Alex.
I agree it is short on scares compared to the first three, but it makes up for it in telling a good story. It all comes together slowly, but by the time the movie ends I feel the viewer is left with a coherent and intelligent film.
And as for the description of the movie as being "boring" I didn't find it boring at all. Everything moves along at a snappy pace, enhanced by lively characters and good acting. Kathryn Newton did an especially good job. She seemed totally at ease in the role of Alex.
Rustles up basic, cookie-cutter scares and shortchanges the exposition it needs to begin piecing together
StevePulaski20 October 2012
It has become an unintentional October ritual that I decorate the house for Halloween, watch a few horror films, and, since 2009, see the latest installment of the Paranormal Activity franchise. When I walked out of the original film on that faithful October morning, I hoped that the wonderful picture I had just saw would be left alone, and not have the albatrosses known as sequels leaching off of it.
Now I'm faced with the fourth film in the genre, directed by the extremely talented directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, who made one of 2010's finest documentaries, Catfish. This installment is a small improvement over the uninspired third part, yet it has little to offer. The characters are a tad more tolerable, and some sequences, including the end, have a bit more life in them, but when the moments examine the paranormal inactivity of it all, it becomes totally vanilla.
After two films we finally reconnect with Katie from the original film, this time, living on an upper-middle class suburban block with Hunter from the second film. Only in this part, he's called "Robbie," not "Hunter" and is about six years old. Don't question. Turns out, they have moved across the street from fifteen year old Alex (Kathryn Newton), her tech-savvy boyfriend Ben, who doesn't live there but might as well (Matt Shively, of True Jackson, VP fame), her younger brother Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp), and her parents (Stephen Dunham and Alexondra Lee). When Katie is taken to the hospital for unknown reasons, Robbie (Brady Allen), who already loves to venture into the neighbors' backyard and hang out in the treehouse, is sent to be cared for at Alex's home for the next few days.
Robbie immediately strikes up an unsettling friendship with Wyatt, and it isn't long before Alex and her goofy boyfriend become victim to the paranormal activity occurring in the household. Everything from falling chandeliers, to dining room chairs moving out abruptly, to knives falling, loud thumps, and alarms claiming "FRONT DOOR OPEN, BACK DOOR OPEN" occur and there is little consistency with anything.
Many different cameras are utilized throughout the film, mainly Alex's webcam on her laptop, which she apparently carts around with her everywhere she goes. The main camera is the one on the Xbox 360's Kinect (for those unaware, a mechanism that now comes equipped with the console, which allows the person to use the tiny sensor on the device to utilize motion control and be able to control their character without a formal controller), which, when on, creates little small, green dots that glow and showcase night-vision movement. It's a nifty little novelty, and we can at least see that Joost and Schulman have respectively tried to breed life back into the way these pictures are filmed.
Thank goodness, because there's little that can be done with the story and the scares. We get a barrage of different jump scares, many inactive nights, and lots of abrupt noises always followed up by a startled "hello?" from one of the characters. These films have gotten to be achingly predictable, and it feels like every year since 2010, I've gone on a lunch-date with a person whose intentions I like, but personality and charm I've come to loathe.
I think besides the nifty camera-work, what elevates Paranormal Activity 4 from the monotony and the drabness of the previous installment, is the fact that we have at least marginally tolerable characters to watch as well. Alex and Ben are at times, a humorous riot, and at others, dreadfully unremarkable. Easily, they are the most fun to be with since Katie and Micah, but Katie and Micah were at least trapped in a film that was fun to experience for the first time in a fresh, original manner. Here, we've become so accustomed to this formula that we continue to anticipate every twist and every turn, and we watch in plain awe to see the films border more and more on the line of self-parody.
So, let's say Joost and Schulman make the decision to direct the inevitable Paranormal Activity 5 and Paranormal Activity 6. What they should focus on, instead of repetitive, dead-end jump scares, is giving the audience some insight as to what is haunting Katie and her family and how it came to be. It seems every film, we get a different entity and no explanation surrounding it. When will we get the explanation of Katie's action during the first installment? Or her sister's spontaneous ones in the sequel? Or what about "Toby," or whoever the imaginary figure was in the third film? And don't forget about whatever the hell that was at the end of the third film, and this film, for that matter. Just another sidenote; the last fifteen minutes of this film did not scar me for life, much like its predecessor's.
Paranormal Activity 4 is effective in rustling up scare-attempt after scare-attempt on a basic level, yet shortchanges the larger questions that would offer insight to Katie's family if explored. Some viewers may not want to be bothered by lengthy explanations of the countless questions still at hand or the numerous symbols that have been associated with the demonic creatures in these films. Perhaps so, but to watch the fourth film in a series continue to be resistant in exploring the exposition of its characters doesn't seem like an ideal move. Considering audiences seem to be tiring from the bang-and-scare features the found footage genre has inspired, it would be a pity to see this franchise die before it can fully clean up its messy tracks.
Starring: Kathryn Newton, Matt Shively, Katie Featherston, Brady Allen, Aiden Lovekamp, Stephen Dunham, and Alexondra Lee. Directed by: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman.
Now I'm faced with the fourth film in the genre, directed by the extremely talented directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, who made one of 2010's finest documentaries, Catfish. This installment is a small improvement over the uninspired third part, yet it has little to offer. The characters are a tad more tolerable, and some sequences, including the end, have a bit more life in them, but when the moments examine the paranormal inactivity of it all, it becomes totally vanilla.
After two films we finally reconnect with Katie from the original film, this time, living on an upper-middle class suburban block with Hunter from the second film. Only in this part, he's called "Robbie," not "Hunter" and is about six years old. Don't question. Turns out, they have moved across the street from fifteen year old Alex (Kathryn Newton), her tech-savvy boyfriend Ben, who doesn't live there but might as well (Matt Shively, of True Jackson, VP fame), her younger brother Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp), and her parents (Stephen Dunham and Alexondra Lee). When Katie is taken to the hospital for unknown reasons, Robbie (Brady Allen), who already loves to venture into the neighbors' backyard and hang out in the treehouse, is sent to be cared for at Alex's home for the next few days.
Robbie immediately strikes up an unsettling friendship with Wyatt, and it isn't long before Alex and her goofy boyfriend become victim to the paranormal activity occurring in the household. Everything from falling chandeliers, to dining room chairs moving out abruptly, to knives falling, loud thumps, and alarms claiming "FRONT DOOR OPEN, BACK DOOR OPEN" occur and there is little consistency with anything.
Many different cameras are utilized throughout the film, mainly Alex's webcam on her laptop, which she apparently carts around with her everywhere she goes. The main camera is the one on the Xbox 360's Kinect (for those unaware, a mechanism that now comes equipped with the console, which allows the person to use the tiny sensor on the device to utilize motion control and be able to control their character without a formal controller), which, when on, creates little small, green dots that glow and showcase night-vision movement. It's a nifty little novelty, and we can at least see that Joost and Schulman have respectively tried to breed life back into the way these pictures are filmed.
Thank goodness, because there's little that can be done with the story and the scares. We get a barrage of different jump scares, many inactive nights, and lots of abrupt noises always followed up by a startled "hello?" from one of the characters. These films have gotten to be achingly predictable, and it feels like every year since 2010, I've gone on a lunch-date with a person whose intentions I like, but personality and charm I've come to loathe.
I think besides the nifty camera-work, what elevates Paranormal Activity 4 from the monotony and the drabness of the previous installment, is the fact that we have at least marginally tolerable characters to watch as well. Alex and Ben are at times, a humorous riot, and at others, dreadfully unremarkable. Easily, they are the most fun to be with since Katie and Micah, but Katie and Micah were at least trapped in a film that was fun to experience for the first time in a fresh, original manner. Here, we've become so accustomed to this formula that we continue to anticipate every twist and every turn, and we watch in plain awe to see the films border more and more on the line of self-parody.
So, let's say Joost and Schulman make the decision to direct the inevitable Paranormal Activity 5 and Paranormal Activity 6. What they should focus on, instead of repetitive, dead-end jump scares, is giving the audience some insight as to what is haunting Katie and her family and how it came to be. It seems every film, we get a different entity and no explanation surrounding it. When will we get the explanation of Katie's action during the first installment? Or her sister's spontaneous ones in the sequel? Or what about "Toby," or whoever the imaginary figure was in the third film? And don't forget about whatever the hell that was at the end of the third film, and this film, for that matter. Just another sidenote; the last fifteen minutes of this film did not scar me for life, much like its predecessor's.
Paranormal Activity 4 is effective in rustling up scare-attempt after scare-attempt on a basic level, yet shortchanges the larger questions that would offer insight to Katie's family if explored. Some viewers may not want to be bothered by lengthy explanations of the countless questions still at hand or the numerous symbols that have been associated with the demonic creatures in these films. Perhaps so, but to watch the fourth film in a series continue to be resistant in exploring the exposition of its characters doesn't seem like an ideal move. Considering audiences seem to be tiring from the bang-and-scare features the found footage genre has inspired, it would be a pity to see this franchise die before it can fully clean up its messy tracks.
Starring: Kathryn Newton, Matt Shively, Katie Featherston, Brady Allen, Aiden Lovekamp, Stephen Dunham, and Alexondra Lee. Directed by: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman.
Disappointingly par for the course
valisrogue17 October 2012
Franchise fatigue has definitely set in with this tedious fourth instalment.
After taking things off on a slightly different tangent with the previous film, the same writing/directing duo instead plump for the same old, same old - lots of nothing happening before LOUD NOISES! freak out the teenage girls in the audience and the less discerning horror moviegoers.
And, despite some spirited (ha!) performances, the lack of any real plot development leaves the mythology treading water and the series as a whole rather confused.
Ultimately, PA 4 is a step back and the textbook definition of 'diminished return'.
After taking things off on a slightly different tangent with the previous film, the same writing/directing duo instead plump for the same old, same old - lots of nothing happening before LOUD NOISES! freak out the teenage girls in the audience and the less discerning horror moviegoers.
And, despite some spirited (ha!) performances, the lack of any real plot development leaves the mythology treading water and the series as a whole rather confused.
Ultimately, PA 4 is a step back and the textbook definition of 'diminished return'.
Waste of time and money
Njinked22 October 2012
what a waste of time and cash.. the movie was pointless. with no flow. no questions answered. just a waste. I never review movies but had to share how bad this was..compared to part 1- 2- and 3.... i don't know what else to say other than how misleading the commercial is.. the commercial was cut and spliced with video and audio that didn't even match what happened in the movie... you have been warned. when the movie was over.. people actually Boo'd. hopefully people will spread the word, and save others from throwing their money away. i know die-hard fans will go and give it a shot, but will be disappointed as well. Sinister was better and actually made you jump quite a few times.
Paranormal Activity- does exactly what it says on the tin!
cookiechip_077 October 2012
So the forth film in the series. If there is money to be made they will keep churning them out and usually with total disregard to maintaining the quality that made the 1st film so popular. However, i am pleased to report that -although we know what to expect- this film is both intriguing and enjoyable. For those of you who have seen all the films you know that its not going to cover new ground but you are still expecting a decent continuation and contribution from a franchise that you like. Well, there is a lot to like here i think! After attending a special preview screening of the whole film (the directors informed us it wasn't the completely polished movie yet- still a little editing to be done) the audience reacted very positively towards it.
//Plot- The film takes place five years after Paranormal Activity 2, which ended with Katie kidnapping Hunter. It follows the life of Alice, her boyfriend Ben, her mother, and her brother Wyatt as paranormal activity starts to occur when a mother and child (called Robbie) move into the neighbourhood. After Robbies mum goes to the hospital Alice's mother takes Robbie in, which leads to weird occurrences in their house//
Look, in all honesty, there are a whole host of better horror movies to watch out there, but i am writing for those who WANT to see this movie on its own merits not any one seeking out a mind-blowing plot with incredible character development!...okay?! :)
Anyway PA4 is kept simple which is a good thing, the acting, the format, the camera work and dialogue are all standard so this cant really be criticised. A new and amazing plot / acting etc is not what the directors are aiming for, what people are after is tension, suspense and jumpy scare moments which i believe delivers on all these aspects! With boo moments and fake outs a plenty. Also I like the fact there are weird occurrences in the day time as well as the night. The aspects that most stood out in PA4 was the use of an Xbox- this was a really cool effect and added an extra dimension to the film. The sound effects such as the well known vibration when tension is being racked up always gets me going, love that. It also contains an actual creepy kid and who doesn't like creepy kids! (...me!)
So all in all, if you have never seen any of the previous films and you go to see this one (for some strange reason?!) you will have had a decent movie outing with jumpy moments and will probably want to watch the others after! For those who have seen the previous ones, you wont feel let down or disappointed with this one because it miles better than the 2nd one and i'd say it beats the 3rd one too! So there is fun to be had here with the film just like there is with Scream 4 too. (if you haven't seen it because its number 4 go see it, its actually quite good!) My advice is see it with a positive mindset and if you do that then GOOD THINGS will happen... mainly PARANORMAL THINGS!! (star ratings are based on 6-average, 7-good, 8- very good, 9- superb 10- Epic)
//Plot- The film takes place five years after Paranormal Activity 2, which ended with Katie kidnapping Hunter. It follows the life of Alice, her boyfriend Ben, her mother, and her brother Wyatt as paranormal activity starts to occur when a mother and child (called Robbie) move into the neighbourhood. After Robbies mum goes to the hospital Alice's mother takes Robbie in, which leads to weird occurrences in their house//
Look, in all honesty, there are a whole host of better horror movies to watch out there, but i am writing for those who WANT to see this movie on its own merits not any one seeking out a mind-blowing plot with incredible character development!...okay?! :)
Anyway PA4 is kept simple which is a good thing, the acting, the format, the camera work and dialogue are all standard so this cant really be criticised. A new and amazing plot / acting etc is not what the directors are aiming for, what people are after is tension, suspense and jumpy scare moments which i believe delivers on all these aspects! With boo moments and fake outs a plenty. Also I like the fact there are weird occurrences in the day time as well as the night. The aspects that most stood out in PA4 was the use of an Xbox- this was a really cool effect and added an extra dimension to the film. The sound effects such as the well known vibration when tension is being racked up always gets me going, love that. It also contains an actual creepy kid and who doesn't like creepy kids! (...me!)
So all in all, if you have never seen any of the previous films and you go to see this one (for some strange reason?!) you will have had a decent movie outing with jumpy moments and will probably want to watch the others after! For those who have seen the previous ones, you wont feel let down or disappointed with this one because it miles better than the 2nd one and i'd say it beats the 3rd one too! So there is fun to be had here with the film just like there is with Scream 4 too. (if you haven't seen it because its number 4 go see it, its actually quite good!) My advice is see it with a positive mindset and if you do that then GOOD THINGS will happen... mainly PARANORMAL THINGS!! (star ratings are based on 6-average, 7-good, 8- very good, 9- superb 10- Epic)
lazy / conveniently-chosen cinematography genre that's, to me, most unforgivable of all
very, very poor storytelling
wcameronmartin21 October 2012
I am never giving this franchise another dime, nor another minute of my life; mark my words, so long as I live. That's four movies, at approximately two hours per film, twelve opening-weekend cinema passes at three tickets per release
all for what?? There's no bigger-picture, here! There's no larger story being told
there *IS* no story to this story!
The writers are doing nothing more than frantically clamoring to try and keep the series going for just one-more-year. Short pay-off, because they realize they've got NOTHING of substance. Like "Lost," in it's final season, you're left holding the bag, realizing it was all for nothing: the writers had sh*t, and so that is what they gave you sh*t.
Me? I'm embarrassed I stayed this long. This is my stop, this is where I get off.
The writers are doing nothing more than frantically clamoring to try and keep the series going for just one-more-year. Short pay-off, because they realize they've got NOTHING of substance. Like "Lost," in it's final season, you're left holding the bag, realizing it was all for nothing: the writers had sh*t, and so that is what they gave you sh*t.
Me? I'm embarrassed I stayed this long. This is my stop, this is where I get off.
The Demon Returns
Fields20118 October 2012
Rest assured that everything seen in the trailers are in the actual film. With that being said, that may not be a good thing. The trailers never impressed me but I did find the actual film a little better than lackluster and I'm a HUGE fan of Paranormal Activity films!
Just saying the plot alone sounds like the other films but what these films are really about is seeing it with a bunch of people and enjoy the scares. I really like trying to find anything out of the ordinary with some of the scenes like if a person is standing and there is windows all around them. Then I just look around for anything that's moving. That's what happens with the XBox Kinect scenes. Sure, it's a gimmick and something trying to outsell the oscillating fan from the last one, but it's fun to try to see if anything is moving.
However, I didn't think there were as many scares in this one as the other ones. A few creepy moments happen here and there. The neighbor's house across the street is particularly scary. The main girl, Alex, goes there a few times and my friends and I kept muttering on how stupid she is. However, nothing really stands out except maybe the scenes with a knife but it really doesn't go much of anywhere except another jump scare. The ending was particularly creepy but it goes by way too quick and I didn't even know it was the ending until the movie just ended. I was hoping for some build of suspense but instead it was like the filmmakers had to wrap up the film quick. One last criticism I want to add is that I never really got to know the parents. They seemed so one- dimensional. In the other films, I felt some connection to all the characters but the parents on this one just were blah.
I enjoyed this one, and it's slightly better than part two but that's where it stands. The first and third were better, but that's not to say this one is bad. I hope the filmmakers put more thought into the next installment and really up the ante on the scares. The fact of the matter is that I enjoy these films, and it's something to look forward to every October. I hate to see series go stale like last year's Halloween candy.
Just saying the plot alone sounds like the other films but what these films are really about is seeing it with a bunch of people and enjoy the scares. I really like trying to find anything out of the ordinary with some of the scenes like if a person is standing and there is windows all around them. Then I just look around for anything that's moving. That's what happens with the XBox Kinect scenes. Sure, it's a gimmick and something trying to outsell the oscillating fan from the last one, but it's fun to try to see if anything is moving.
However, I didn't think there were as many scares in this one as the other ones. A few creepy moments happen here and there. The neighbor's house across the street is particularly scary. The main girl, Alex, goes there a few times and my friends and I kept muttering on how stupid she is. However, nothing really stands out except maybe the scenes with a knife but it really doesn't go much of anywhere except another jump scare. The ending was particularly creepy but it goes by way too quick and I didn't even know it was the ending until the movie just ended. I was hoping for some build of suspense but instead it was like the filmmakers had to wrap up the film quick. One last criticism I want to add is that I never really got to know the parents. They seemed so one- dimensional. In the other films, I felt some connection to all the characters but the parents on this one just were blah.
I enjoyed this one, and it's slightly better than part two but that's where it stands. The first and third were better, but that's not to say this one is bad. I hope the filmmakers put more thought into the next installment and really up the ante on the scares. The fact of the matter is that I enjoy these films, and it's something to look forward to every October. I hate to see series go stale like last year's Halloween candy.
They Could've Done a Bit More with the First Sequel in the Franchise
ivern-326-7116363 November 2012
Paranormal Activity 4 is the first true sequel in the Paranormal Activity franchise. All the other "sequels" have been prequels. It's about this family who has this small kid in the neighborhood who's mother's gone to the hospital. So he stays at this family's house. The family's daughter and her boyfriend start sensing weird things going on in the house, so they start an investigation by setting up web-cameras to watch over the house.
I was looking forward to this movie, basically because the first three movies were fun times. Even the second one was fun ... until it got boring. Basically, the thing about these movies is that they're different from other horror movies; they're different from other found footage movies even. They're also creepy as hell. The first Paranormal Activity is one of the creepiest movies I've ever seen, the second is much less scarier because it was a family and not a couple and the third one just shoved all this suspense in your face that it was almost unbearable at times.
With Paranormal Activity 4, it goes back a notch with the suspense from the previous movie, and makes it more like Paranormal Activity 2. On paper that sound like a bad thing, but this movie is better than 2. First of all because of the creative use of Microsoft Kinect. That was cool, and made for the creepiest images in the film. Also the main characters are two teenagers which were both really likable, especially the guy; he was awesome. And I could relate to these characters more than I could with any of the previous characters in the first three movies.
Paranormal Activity 4 is definitely a flawed movie though. While it is a fun time, it goes downhill towards the last 30 minutes. What's supposed to be the suspenseful climax turns into the most boring part of the movie. The ending is fast-paced and a little creepy, but not in the way that these movies should be. It was more action-packed than scary. But this was also a problem the two previous movies had. They had a good or even great set-up, but the last 30 minutes or so were either boring or so in-your-face that it became more like an action movie and less like horror. In the case of Paranormal Activity 2 and 3, both those movies were so in-your-face towards the end that it was almost laughable.
Speaking of laughable (but in the good way), Paranormal Activity 4 is really funny. It has some hilarious lines and it is really self-aware, which is good because when you've come as far as a fourth movie, it's hard to take it seriously.
Paranormal Activity 4 is overall a pretty fun time. Although the climax is boring and the lack of poltergeist scenes is disappointing, it has great main characters and some creative scares ... while still having a lot of dumb jump scares. Go see it if you're a fan.
I was looking forward to this movie, basically because the first three movies were fun times. Even the second one was fun ... until it got boring. Basically, the thing about these movies is that they're different from other horror movies; they're different from other found footage movies even. They're also creepy as hell. The first Paranormal Activity is one of the creepiest movies I've ever seen, the second is much less scarier because it was a family and not a couple and the third one just shoved all this suspense in your face that it was almost unbearable at times.
With Paranormal Activity 4, it goes back a notch with the suspense from the previous movie, and makes it more like Paranormal Activity 2. On paper that sound like a bad thing, but this movie is better than 2. First of all because of the creative use of Microsoft Kinect. That was cool, and made for the creepiest images in the film. Also the main characters are two teenagers which were both really likable, especially the guy; he was awesome. And I could relate to these characters more than I could with any of the previous characters in the first three movies.
Paranormal Activity 4 is definitely a flawed movie though. While it is a fun time, it goes downhill towards the last 30 minutes. What's supposed to be the suspenseful climax turns into the most boring part of the movie. The ending is fast-paced and a little creepy, but not in the way that these movies should be. It was more action-packed than scary. But this was also a problem the two previous movies had. They had a good or even great set-up, but the last 30 minutes or so were either boring or so in-your-face that it became more like an action movie and less like horror. In the case of Paranormal Activity 2 and 3, both those movies were so in-your-face towards the end that it was almost laughable.
Speaking of laughable (but in the good way), Paranormal Activity 4 is really funny. It has some hilarious lines and it is really self-aware, which is good because when you've come as far as a fourth movie, it's hard to take it seriously.
Paranormal Activity 4 is overall a pretty fun time. Although the climax is boring and the lack of poltergeist scenes is disappointing, it has great main characters and some creative scares ... while still having a lot of dumb jump scares. Go see it if you're a fan.
Epic fail :(
www-qwat19 October 2012
At first, i want to say, that i was expecting a lot from this movie. I went to cinema all pumped up with a lot of my friends and i prepared myself for something really scary. Even when "night #1" appeared on the screen, we were ready to pee our pants. But all my hopes ended within 40 minutes. At first, 80% of the movie was completely pointless, and i'm not even mentioning the fact about absence of shocking moments, even "traditional paranormal activity jump scares" were left out. Most of the intense moments were interrupted or not finished at all. The main characters were acting like a group of idiots. So many "no reason" things throughout the movie. Horribly written script which ruined the whole paranormal activity "thing" in it. And a trailer shows a lot of the moments which didn't appear in the movie itself.
P.S. Result: Hollywood makes good movies in a pile of dog crap. Period.
P.S. Result: Hollywood makes good movies in a pile of dog crap. Period.
Rubbish
bbwrotherham21 October 2012
What complete and utter garbage!! I want my money back!! so slow and it didn't really get going at all....makes you jump a couple of times and that's mainly due to the loud bangs...and the ending,what was that about??? really hope they don't make another one !! if they do I certainly will not be going as much as I love the cinema,it says I have to write ten lines to be able to post my view...can I really moan about it for that long?? yeah I guess so,and would I be able to put a spoiler,well no you can't spoil what is already rubbish ....really disappointed with this but then again they kind of did go down hill the more they made,if they do make another one it will be the same again I suppose cause what else is there do with it,the same happens over and over..OK well rant over,if you do go and see this be prepared,you may nod off.
Re-heated, day-old pizza
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews19 October 2012
With no sisters left, and the producers already having used up their "get out of sequel with a prequel" card, they're left with no other choice than to follow a new family. How does it tie in? Well, the female neighbour across the street crashes her car, trying desperately to deroute the overall plot(which, along with the mythology, is barely progressed at all here), which is now in unknown condition - it's unclear if it'll ever get back on track. Anyway, while she recovers, her 5-year-old child is to be taken care of by, to her, complete strangers(...do people do that? Seriously?), and our characters(tolerable, some likable, if also questionable): the parents, 15-year-old(yeah, this is teenaged up, not only with her age... jumpscares take over for the long, eerie shots where you feel like you can sense some movement somewhere(expressing a lack of patience, and the gags are largely uninspired), and in place of the great oscillating fan of the preceding entry, we have the Kinect motion-sensor dots seen in nightvision... they get a bit of mileage out of that, still, it's a big step down, and I'm talking about the whole product as well... it's like the even-numbered ones in this series are doomed to suck(this is not as bad as the second one, though, in spite of multiple cameras, since there are no wasted angles, in part because of those we follow, and their amount)) Alex(Newton, girly but not annoying, our lead and pretty sympathetic... and one of the best actors in this, although it tends to be positive throughout), her sarcastic boyfriend Ben(who's admittedly creepy), her younger brother(also 5-ish) Wyatt(and they definitely found two creepy kids - again...) and their parents. Weird things start happening, of course, and we sit around and wait for them to learn what we already know. The pacing is good, considering, with this not losing your interest. There is a bit of disturbing violence and strong language in this. I recommend this only to those needing their now yearly fix of Paranormal Activity. Hopefully, this'll be the only pure cash-grab movie they make in this series... and they'll wise up and make the next one the last one. 6/10
Frighteningly disappointing
annashewring21 January 2013
Despite only finding at best mixed reviews, I had high hopes for this film as a fan of the series; the original Paranormal Activity was a refreshing change from what had become a stale and repetitive phase of horror films. I was apprehensive that a sequel would be a disappointment but was, if anything, better than the first installment. I enjoyed the third film to an extent, turning a blind eye to the repetitiveness and weak story. The cliff-hanger ending reassured me that the fourth Paranormal Activity would answer the fairly basic questions which are the only reasons that we feel the need to watch every film in this series.
However, Paranormal Activity 4 is the most disappointing yet. Granted, some moments would make me jump if those moments weren't almost identical to the ones in the first, second and third films. Not only are the scares hugely predictable, but this installment doesn't even answer any of the questions that audiences have. In fact, it somehow manages to raise more, particularly with the frankly terrible ending – OK, so a long time ago, someone in the original family made a pact to give the first-born male to this Demon. The first-born male being Hunter, who was kidnapped by Katie in the second film. We still do not known exactly what this has to do with the coven of countless women who are seen in the third film, and at the end of the fourth film.
Aside from the hopes of sucking more money from viewers who have been drawn into the original genius of these films, I don't see what is stopping the demon from taking Hunter and that being the end of it. Especially now that the demon has control of a Human body (Katie) and all of Hunters family is dead so there is no one to stop it or try to save him.
Overall, this film was hugely disappointing, failing completely to recover from the slump of story line and structure, which the third film saw. As much as I would love to say that I will not bother watching any more of these films, this wouldn't be true because I need to have my questions answered and find out what it's all about. All we can hope is that they do something a little bit different next time and finally wrap up the story.
However, Paranormal Activity 4 is the most disappointing yet. Granted, some moments would make me jump if those moments weren't almost identical to the ones in the first, second and third films. Not only are the scares hugely predictable, but this installment doesn't even answer any of the questions that audiences have. In fact, it somehow manages to raise more, particularly with the frankly terrible ending – OK, so a long time ago, someone in the original family made a pact to give the first-born male to this Demon. The first-born male being Hunter, who was kidnapped by Katie in the second film. We still do not known exactly what this has to do with the coven of countless women who are seen in the third film, and at the end of the fourth film.
Aside from the hopes of sucking more money from viewers who have been drawn into the original genius of these films, I don't see what is stopping the demon from taking Hunter and that being the end of it. Especially now that the demon has control of a Human body (Katie) and all of Hunters family is dead so there is no one to stop it or try to save him.
Overall, this film was hugely disappointing, failing completely to recover from the slump of story line and structure, which the third film saw. As much as I would love to say that I will not bother watching any more of these films, this wouldn't be true because I need to have my questions answered and find out what it's all about. All we can hope is that they do something a little bit different next time and finally wrap up the story.
They've Obviously Visited the Well One Too Many Times
Michael_Elliott19 October 2012
Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)
* 1/2 (out of 4)
The first film was a masterpiece, the second boring, the third had a good story but no scares and I think this fourth one really puts the nail in the coffin. Basically what we have takes place five years after Katie and Hunter went missing. They turn up living next door to a couple who has a teenage daughter who begins to notice strange things in the house. I won't spoil anymore for a couple reasons. One reason is that if you do decide to watch the film you won't want to know too much. The second reason is that there's really not too much that does happen. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 is a major disappointment in a number of ways but the biggest is that it's just downright boring and not scary at all. There were a couple of those fake jump scares but certainly not enough to make this thing worth sitting through. Even worse is that the entire thing seems like a complete mess with a story that never explains anything and in fact I'm not really sure if anyone knew what they were trying to do. What made the first movie so effective is the build up to something happening. None of that is here. There's never any mounting fear of what's going on and there really aren't too many scenes that even try to go for scares. I'm not going to spoil the ending but it's bad enough to where people should just stand up and either boo or request their money back. The new technology in the film doesn't add enough and right from the start you just get the feeling that the filmmakers have visited the well one too many times. Performances were decent at best but making the annoying boyfriend too annoying wasn't a good idea. I'm sure the film will make a lot of money on its opening weekend but I doubt word of mouth will be too strong so if they do plan future installments I hope they actually come up with a new and different story and quit trying to connect everything together. As this one shows, there's just very little to connect.
* 1/2 (out of 4)
The first film was a masterpiece, the second boring, the third had a good story but no scares and I think this fourth one really puts the nail in the coffin. Basically what we have takes place five years after Katie and Hunter went missing. They turn up living next door to a couple who has a teenage daughter who begins to notice strange things in the house. I won't spoil anymore for a couple reasons. One reason is that if you do decide to watch the film you won't want to know too much. The second reason is that there's really not too much that does happen. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 is a major disappointment in a number of ways but the biggest is that it's just downright boring and not scary at all. There were a couple of those fake jump scares but certainly not enough to make this thing worth sitting through. Even worse is that the entire thing seems like a complete mess with a story that never explains anything and in fact I'm not really sure if anyone knew what they were trying to do. What made the first movie so effective is the build up to something happening. None of that is here. There's never any mounting fear of what's going on and there really aren't too many scenes that even try to go for scares. I'm not going to spoil the ending but it's bad enough to where people should just stand up and either boo or request their money back. The new technology in the film doesn't add enough and right from the start you just get the feeling that the filmmakers have visited the well one too many times. Performances were decent at best but making the annoying boyfriend too annoying wasn't a good idea. I'm sure the film will make a lot of money on its opening weekend but I doubt word of mouth will be too strong so if they do plan future installments I hope they actually come up with a new and different story and quit trying to connect everything together. As this one shows, there's just very little to connect.
Falls short of 1 - 3
dfranzen7020 October 2012
Chances are you won't read very far into this review. In fact, most of you have stopped. Why read a review about the fourth movie in a horror series that uses the same gimmick (found footage) each time? I don't blame you, I blame the game. So you're off the hook.
For the rest of you, I'll lay it out simply. The fourth Paranormal Activity movie isn't bad, just not the classic that the first one was or even parts of the next two were. This is not uncommon with horror franchises (Saw). It is worth seeing in the theater (although probably not IMAX), as long as you're invested in the series and have indeed seen the preceding three.
The theme of the day is, again, possession. We've learned a few things from prior PA movies and, without giving them away here, I can note that the events in this film take place approximately six years after the events of the second film (the third was more of a prequel about the childhood days of Katie and her sister).
As you may recall, the movies are shot as if we're seeing them through a camera (camcorder, laptop, camera phone, etc.), with the intent being to place us directly in the perspective of the particular character (or room). This lends quite a bit of verisimilitude to the proceedings, but it's a trope that can be overdone pretty quickly.
To account for this, directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman use laptops and the established video chats between plucky teen Alex (Kathryn Newton) and her boyfriend Ben (Matt Shively). A recorded chat shows something weird about the kid who lives across the street, Robbie (Brady Allen); Robbie quickly comes to live with Alex and her family when his mother needs to be hospitalized, a malady that's never explained.
Strange things are afoot in the house. Knives disappear. Chandeliers fall. Robbie is as lifelike as a Village of the Damned kid, although he gets along well with Alex's younger brother Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp). Meanwhile mother Holly (Alexondra Lee) and father Doug (Stephen Dunham) don't get along, and the kids notice. Well, Alex does. Hard to know what's going on in Robbie's head, and suddenly Wyatt is more withdrawn.
The shock factor is in full play here. By now, you've become inured to things skulking in the background or people being dragged by unseen forces. The use of a night-vision feature on a laptop camera does break up that tedium, though, as you can see some presence sitting on the couch next to Robbie at one point. What is it? Viewers of the first three movies might have a good idea.
I remember seeing the first in the series. I saw it at home, well after it'd become a huge phenomenon. It frightened me, I have to admit. For a day or so afterward, I tracked creaks and other noises in the house. That's a pretty effective film. I saw the other three in the theater, and although I became more used to the tricks of the found-footage trade, I wasn't less scared. This fourth one, although a little slower than its ancestors, is still pretty scary, and I think it all has to do with the perspective, usually of young Alex. What she sees, we see. That involves us, and we jump when she jumps and are trapped when she's trapped.
Of course, we don't see just Alex's adventures; thanks to Ben's placement of laptop cameras in various rooms, the movie switches to different areas of the house when something's a-happening. This is helpful, because if your lead character is trapped in a room and all you hear is noises, you as audience member kind of want more of the story.
Some may disagree with this with some validity, but I liked the ending. From the end of the previous films, we know the history of our characters, so we know what's behind all of the supernatural goings-on. I'm reminded of the great Spanish horror film Rec, which had a final scene that is utterly unforgettable; Paranormal Activity 4's isn't quite as ferocious, but it's still a ghastly, dread-inducing coda. I'm sure there'll be a fifth, and as usual I'll be there to see it.
For the rest of you, I'll lay it out simply. The fourth Paranormal Activity movie isn't bad, just not the classic that the first one was or even parts of the next two were. This is not uncommon with horror franchises (Saw). It is worth seeing in the theater (although probably not IMAX), as long as you're invested in the series and have indeed seen the preceding three.
The theme of the day is, again, possession. We've learned a few things from prior PA movies and, without giving them away here, I can note that the events in this film take place approximately six years after the events of the second film (the third was more of a prequel about the childhood days of Katie and her sister).
As you may recall, the movies are shot as if we're seeing them through a camera (camcorder, laptop, camera phone, etc.), with the intent being to place us directly in the perspective of the particular character (or room). This lends quite a bit of verisimilitude to the proceedings, but it's a trope that can be overdone pretty quickly.
To account for this, directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman use laptops and the established video chats between plucky teen Alex (Kathryn Newton) and her boyfriend Ben (Matt Shively). A recorded chat shows something weird about the kid who lives across the street, Robbie (Brady Allen); Robbie quickly comes to live with Alex and her family when his mother needs to be hospitalized, a malady that's never explained.
Strange things are afoot in the house. Knives disappear. Chandeliers fall. Robbie is as lifelike as a Village of the Damned kid, although he gets along well with Alex's younger brother Wyatt (Aiden Lovekamp). Meanwhile mother Holly (Alexondra Lee) and father Doug (Stephen Dunham) don't get along, and the kids notice. Well, Alex does. Hard to know what's going on in Robbie's head, and suddenly Wyatt is more withdrawn.
The shock factor is in full play here. By now, you've become inured to things skulking in the background or people being dragged by unseen forces. The use of a night-vision feature on a laptop camera does break up that tedium, though, as you can see some presence sitting on the couch next to Robbie at one point. What is it? Viewers of the first three movies might have a good idea.
I remember seeing the first in the series. I saw it at home, well after it'd become a huge phenomenon. It frightened me, I have to admit. For a day or so afterward, I tracked creaks and other noises in the house. That's a pretty effective film. I saw the other three in the theater, and although I became more used to the tricks of the found-footage trade, I wasn't less scared. This fourth one, although a little slower than its ancestors, is still pretty scary, and I think it all has to do with the perspective, usually of young Alex. What she sees, we see. That involves us, and we jump when she jumps and are trapped when she's trapped.
Of course, we don't see just Alex's adventures; thanks to Ben's placement of laptop cameras in various rooms, the movie switches to different areas of the house when something's a-happening. This is helpful, because if your lead character is trapped in a room and all you hear is noises, you as audience member kind of want more of the story.
Some may disagree with this with some validity, but I liked the ending. From the end of the previous films, we know the history of our characters, so we know what's behind all of the supernatural goings-on. I'm reminded of the great Spanish horror film Rec, which had a final scene that is utterly unforgettable; Paranormal Activity 4's isn't quite as ferocious, but it's still a ghastly, dread-inducing coda. I'm sure there'll be a fifth, and as usual I'll be there to see it.
Everyone's a critic
cblackburn944 November 2012
After having read countless reviews slandering this film and branding it as "a waste of time and money" and a film created solely for monetary reasons, I went to the cinema with very low expectations. However, after watching this film I am starting to think that people are just bitter. There were more than just a few scares, with excellent new methods of filming technology incorporated with the suspense and jumpy moments of which this franchise has built its name upon. I would recommend this movie to anyone a thousand times over, well worth the money! I do not usually review films on here, but the amount of negativity this film (unjustly) received angered me and I wanted to say that this film is an excellent progression for the franchise, leaving plenty of options open for new plot lines to come in the very near future.
Better than 4.6
johnjanis20 July 2020
Go watch as many movies on here that you can that are rated 4.6 then honestly ask yourself if this movie deserves a higher rating after you watch it. I say definitely.
Is it a great movie? No. But it's definitely better than most people say and the last good movie in the franchise in my opinion. The next two are just average.
If you liked the previous three instalments, especially part 2 as it's similar, though admittedly not quite as good, then I can't see why you wouldn't still enjoy this.
Horrible
hassanalsayed21 October 2012
Honestly, they definitely messed this one up big time, there was absolutely no major scary scenes....it was extremely slow for the audience to even keep them frightened in one pace. In the movie, they show you dates of incidents, and the first incident I believe it started from November 1st 2011, and I kid you not, some small jumpy parts started in incident November 9th 2011....your just sitting there questioning your self, when the hell am I going to fly off my seat?? because lets face it, we're all there to enjoy an actual horror movie right, the 1st one was scary as HELL, 2nd one was OKAY, 3rd was GREAT. It just bothers me how they don't keep the movie exciting enough for the Paranormal Activity fans, how would they like to have the people come back to watch the movie again? or be able to trust the director or writer of the movie? I was very VERY disappointed in this one, and if there is 5 its just going to get even more sillier and sillier and just come up with stupid ideas and story, not with this movie they won't be able to keep up! EPIC FAIL IN THE 4TH ONE. enough said.
Awful
vriesspeech31 January 2013
Awful, definitely the weakest link in the franchise.
I like part 3 and I though the series was back on track after the weak second installment. Guess I was wrong. It's hard to find any redeeming qualities about this film. The story is weak (if you can speak of a story at all), the main characters are annoying from the very first scene on and this movie has no really scary scenes. It mostly relies on tropes that are now trademarks of the series (things moving suspiciously in the house, loud noises, people being dragged by an unknown force) and plays it completely safe. The Xbox Kinect gimmick is interesting at first, but it is so overused during the film that it quickly becomes a marketing pull that hinges on the borderline offensive.
A waste of your time. I think I'm officially done with found footage films for a while.
I like part 3 and I though the series was back on track after the weak second installment. Guess I was wrong. It's hard to find any redeeming qualities about this film. The story is weak (if you can speak of a story at all), the main characters are annoying from the very first scene on and this movie has no really scary scenes. It mostly relies on tropes that are now trademarks of the series (things moving suspiciously in the house, loud noises, people being dragged by an unknown force) and plays it completely safe. The Xbox Kinect gimmick is interesting at first, but it is so overused during the film that it quickly becomes a marketing pull that hinges on the borderline offensive.
A waste of your time. I think I'm officially done with found footage films for a while.
The Least Scary of the Franchise
Syrox3 April 2013
I am glad I did not pay to go see this film in the theater. It would have been a waste of money not to mention the time. This film was extremely gimmicky; almost as though the company made it like a filler to give the writers more time to come up with a better story, but still wanted to make another couple of bucks by milking the franchise at the same time.
I don't know if it is just me, but I think the last two movies are proof enough that they are showing the symptoms of "Saw Syndrome." A new year, another movie. It takes longer than a year to write a decent script, but I guess that does not really matter to today's audience.
I don't know if it is just me, but I think the last two movies are proof enough that they are showing the symptoms of "Saw Syndrome." A new year, another movie. It takes longer than a year to write a decent script, but I guess that does not really matter to today's audience.
Enjoyable entry in the franchise
kannibalcorpsegrinder8 October 2019
Hanging out with her family and boyfriend, a teen comes to find the next-door neighbor who's staying with them to be acting strange around her younger brother and tries to videotape their exploits, eventually coming upon a far more deadly secret then she ever imaging that puts the whole family in danger.
Overall, this one was a decent enough entry. One of the more impressive features here is the wholly impressive and fun build-up throughout the first half of the film. Getting a full-on view of the family dynamic as well as the interaction with her boyfriend, that early work gives this a fantastic counterpoint to the burgeoning horror scenes later on. The seeming innocence of it all, especially being neighborly and helping shelter the friend while his mother is away has quite a lot to like as the seemingly normal way he comes into their lives and begins to act menacingly towards her prompting the need to document everything from that point on is incredibly fun. That leads into the seemingly endless supernatural antics which make for a lot to enjoy here. The early part that plays more in league with realistic endeavors, hearing voices in the night downstairs, secretive behavior between the two or just popping out of nowhere despite incessant name-calling seem like fine starts to things as they're all fine clues to greater events while being seemingly innocuous. Once it goes for more deadly and dangerous fare from the falling chandelier or the attack in the garage, the pacing and intensity pick up considerably as the scares become creepier and more shocking. These lead nicely into the finale where the full extent of their plans come together to provide stellar attacks on the family, some strong suspense-filled chases and several fantastic jump-scares that have some life to this part of the film. These here are what hold this one up overall. That said, there are some rather large flaws here. The main factor to be had is the ridiculous storyline for how everything plays out. As there's no real motive to have the son stay over in the first place, the fact that they're setting up cameras to record everything with no proper motivation to do so or the outright failure to explain what the trick involving the night-vision attached to the video-game console is supposed to mean when it is brought up for an intriguing idea yet goes nowhere as the film never makes any mention of what that does to ghost hunting. The fact that the finale, which supposedly to going to tie everything together as for what the kid was doing or why that house instead just ends on a lame jump-scare that doesn't do anything hurts this one. That is a rather large problem in the film as well since the vast majority of the film's scares go nowhere or just plain don't work. A gag with the falling knife is generally ignored, much like the other scares here involving anything going on. From the slow-build of the devil marks on the son and his subsequent withdrawal in personality to the other scenes here involving her being attacked in the garage or a truly chilling sequence involving her being levitated off her bed while she sleeps unaware of everything despite having all the video evidence there at their disposal and not giving it a watch to show something's wrong. Since there's far more of a focus on the traditional scares featuring things crashing in the distance, something jumping out at people with provocation and shadows flashing suddenly on the wall behind them, that's quite disheartening and lowers this one overall.
Rated R: Graphic Language and Violence.
Overall, this one was a decent enough entry. One of the more impressive features here is the wholly impressive and fun build-up throughout the first half of the film. Getting a full-on view of the family dynamic as well as the interaction with her boyfriend, that early work gives this a fantastic counterpoint to the burgeoning horror scenes later on. The seeming innocence of it all, especially being neighborly and helping shelter the friend while his mother is away has quite a lot to like as the seemingly normal way he comes into their lives and begins to act menacingly towards her prompting the need to document everything from that point on is incredibly fun. That leads into the seemingly endless supernatural antics which make for a lot to enjoy here. The early part that plays more in league with realistic endeavors, hearing voices in the night downstairs, secretive behavior between the two or just popping out of nowhere despite incessant name-calling seem like fine starts to things as they're all fine clues to greater events while being seemingly innocuous. Once it goes for more deadly and dangerous fare from the falling chandelier or the attack in the garage, the pacing and intensity pick up considerably as the scares become creepier and more shocking. These lead nicely into the finale where the full extent of their plans come together to provide stellar attacks on the family, some strong suspense-filled chases and several fantastic jump-scares that have some life to this part of the film. These here are what hold this one up overall. That said, there are some rather large flaws here. The main factor to be had is the ridiculous storyline for how everything plays out. As there's no real motive to have the son stay over in the first place, the fact that they're setting up cameras to record everything with no proper motivation to do so or the outright failure to explain what the trick involving the night-vision attached to the video-game console is supposed to mean when it is brought up for an intriguing idea yet goes nowhere as the film never makes any mention of what that does to ghost hunting. The fact that the finale, which supposedly to going to tie everything together as for what the kid was doing or why that house instead just ends on a lame jump-scare that doesn't do anything hurts this one. That is a rather large problem in the film as well since the vast majority of the film's scares go nowhere or just plain don't work. A gag with the falling knife is generally ignored, much like the other scares here involving anything going on. From the slow-build of the devil marks on the son and his subsequent withdrawal in personality to the other scenes here involving her being attacked in the garage or a truly chilling sequence involving her being levitated off her bed while she sleeps unaware of everything despite having all the video evidence there at their disposal and not giving it a watch to show something's wrong. Since there's far more of a focus on the traditional scares featuring things crashing in the distance, something jumping out at people with provocation and shadows flashing suddenly on the wall behind them, that's quite disheartening and lowers this one overall.
Rated R: Graphic Language and Violence.
entertaining
klarue7227 October 2012
i thought this was a good movie. i don't understand how people can say they liked the first 3 but didn't like this one. They all are pretty much the same!Yes, it would be nice to have a bit more explanations, but keep in mind that this is a "hand-held-camera-supposedely live footage" type movie, so in keeping with that theme, one cannot expect in depth explanations for all of the occurrences in the movie. If you were being haunted, would you know why? No. You'd either be coming up with rational explanations for all the activity going on in and around your home or you'd be running and screaming. I thought the first film was the best because I had never seen anything like that before, but i still throughly enjoyed 4. Happy Halloween!
Sub-par.. Could of been much better
modosounds21 October 2012
Went into this movie expecting something between Paranormal Activity 1 and Paranormal Activity 3. What I got was far from either. Without going into to much detail, I will say this movie builds up much like the previous titles only to fall short. The few scares it does contain are few and far between, I feel as though I've lost time and money on this movie I will never get back. If you really want to watch it.. Redbox.. Or P2P. This movie is honestly not worth the energy to continue writing more.
I just want to say I am a big fan of the Paranormal Activity franchise. And this one just very much so disappointed me. Very sad..
I just want to say I am a big fan of the Paranormal Activity franchise. And this one just very much so disappointed me. Very sad..
Weaker entry but ,still spooky fun and with some good chills
jaguiar31318 October 2012
I'm a fan of this series and I have to say I liked Paranormal Activity 4. It's not one of the strongest entries in the series but, I still had spooky fun with it and the last act delivered the goods. I think there still is enough of what fans like about this series to entertain but, next entry better start cranking things up and taking risks. This entry opens up in 2011. A family in Nevada gets new neighbors across the street. A strange boy named Robbie (Brady Allen) and his single mom, Katie (Katie Featherston). When his mom is suddenly taken to the hospital, the family takes creepy Robbie in. Once there, teen Alex (Kathryn Newton) starts to notice strange occurrences as Robbie befriends her little brother, Wyatt (Aiden Lovecamp) and so she and boyfriend, Ben (Matt Shively) set up cameras and set the household laptops to record to get to the bottom of things that are going bump in the night
and bump in the day, too. Soon Alex begins to believe Robbie is not the only new occupant in the house. The first act seems to be a bit choppy and there are a few odd edits throughout and it is in act 1 in which the film has it's strongest feeling of déjà vu but, things start to pick up steam during the middle act and the movie really starts to click and become more it's own thing. Then the third act locks in and delivers the goods up to and including the spine-chilling climax. Sure, along the way there are some familiar elements but, you wouldn't remove Jason's hockey mask would you? There were enough new wrinkles in my book to keep things going, as well as, some subtle hints as to where the mythos might be headed. Not to mention a surprising reveal, too. The cast are all fine. The parents get the least screen time and character development but, the teens are likable, Wyatt is sweet and Robbie is very creepy. Series regular Katie Featherston gets a bigger role then early screenings suggested and without spoiling things, I liked how the character was used and Katie Featherston did a good job with her role. All in all there is some definite 'been there done that' but, I think fans will enjoy this entry enough to want more and that's what the filmmakers will have to deliver next time to keep this series going. It's time to really take some chances and give us something to really bite our nails over. Paranormal Activity 4 is a nice snack to hold us over till then but, it's time for Katie and company to give us a full meal of new frights and new surprises. More like 6.5
Terrible!!!
KevinCoull18 October 2012
As a big fan of these films, I loved the first 3 this was a big disappointment. I've given it 2 out of 10 and in truth I feel like giving it a 1. Totally sold out and pandering to the masses now I'm afraid. If you a teenager this film will probably be for you. It's very much designed for this age group, a million miles away from the original. I had a feel this was going to be the case with this one. I'm sure they will do more but for sure I will not be watching, it's nothing but a cash cow now. Sitting watching this with some friends with a bunch of very rude teenagers behind us eating takeaway, kicking seats, and talking on mobiles during the film did nothing to add to the experience but did sum up the type of folk that will enjoy this drivel.
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