Review: Paranormal Activity 4

Last night, I saw Paranormal Activity 4 and here is my short review of it:

The premise isn't much different than the previous installments of the franchise.  But the filmmakers do a great job tying all four films together.

Original characters, such as Katie (Katie Featherston) always surface way one or another, along with the introduction of new characters. So I guess you could say they try to keep it fresh.

Paranormal Activity 4

I won't spoil it and can't really say too much without giving the entire plot away, so I will keep it simple.  Basically, the characters in these movies film themselves. And what started in the original Paranormal Activity with a single video camera placed in the couple's bedroom, has turned into the latest characters filming themselves ALL day and ALL night.  Via smart phones, actual video cameras, and computer webcams.  One scene in particular features the teenage daughter running around in a panic, yet she's lugging her laptop with her, all the while filming...HUH????

All I kept thinking was, if I filmed my life 24 hours a day, that would be some of the most boring shit ever.  And sadly more than half of this film can be classified the same.

Way too much lag time. I get that they have to set up the scenario but much of the film was the equivalent of watching paint dry.

But that being said, there were a few "AHHH" moments.  And after numerous mundane scenes, the last 10-15 minutes were a pretty decent pay off.  Not sure it was worth the money I paid to see it, but the ending sort of validates it...kind of!

The movie's run time was about one hour and 20 minutes, which for that type of movie, definitely didn't need to be any longer.

I saw it with three of my best buds, so we would have had fun regardless.  And I have to confess, if they make a 5th, I will be the sucker who goes to see it.

Did I think it was scary?  Not really.  Couple of jumpy moments that to me don't really constitute horror, but the directors of these films, Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman know what they are doing.  Cause whatever that is exactly, is a pure moneymaking machine.

Side note on Joost and Schulman.  They were both involved with the documentary/movie, Catfish which may or may not have been a true story.  Now that movie, was just awesome.  Even if it was all bull, they along with Schulman's brother Yaniv, made a terrific movie that's very much different from the Paranormal Activity series.

- Heather