The 2012 horror film Paranormal Activity 4 feels like the franchise is flogging a dead horse here. Or more accurately a dead sequel, or four.
After watching this fourth trip to the Paranormal “well” several metaphors sprang immediately to mind. The first one being going to the well once too often. The second, appropriately enough, trying to get milk when the cow’s run dry. Of course the third was the flogging of a dead equine.
I am sure that I could think of more “sayings” to describe my feelings about this film. I had 97 minutes to come up with as many as my little brain could conceive. Since this fourth bite of the Paranormal Activity apple (see there’s another one) was poorly conceived. It was also the most boring of all the PA’s to date.
The film was directed by the team of Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman which actually amazes me. This is the same team that brought us the incredible and exemplary 2010 documentary film Catfish. They also made the “miles-better-than-this-rubbish” 2011 Paranormal Activity 3. It completely boggles the brain that two such capable film directors would willingly put their names on such dross.
Now don’t get me wrong. I like the Paranormal franchise. I enjoyed the first ultra low-budget film and did not mind the second one with its slightly larger budget. And since the third one took the story in a different direction, I quite enjoyed that one as well. I did think, however, that they should have stopped at 3.
Paranormal Activity 4 Story
The film starts with a short “home video” of Aunt Katie. You know, the chaotic one from the first film, bringing a present to nephew Hunter. The location is Carlsbad, CA and the setting of the second film – is sis’ house. The screen then goes dark and proceeds to tell us that Hunter was kidnapped.
We are then treated to a replay of the end of the second film. Okay! With me so far? Now at the beginning of the film no mention, however oblique, is made of the third in the series. It will be referred to later but in a very off-handed fashion and you have to be looking for it. I was bored so I noticed it.
We are treated to a “soccer” game with a group of young boys. One of whom is not playing at all. He is instead standing at one end of the pitch. He has what appears to be giant worry beads around his neck. This prelude introduces us to our main protagonist’s for this part of the saga.
Paranormal Activity 4 Cast
Aiden Lovekamp is Wyatt.
Kathryn Newton is Alex, Wyatt’s older sister,
Alexondra Lee is mum Holly.
Stephen Dunham is Dad Doug.
Matt Shively is boyfriend Ben.
Brady Allen is Robbie, the next door neighbor.
Katie Featherston is mum Katie, from the first film.
Cell Phones Innit
This version of Paranormal Activity uses mobile (cell) phone cameras and webcams. These record the events as they “oh so slowly” unfold. They use the “rumbling” sound to the maximum extent possible) here. Sadly, the pace and the tension are just not there.
In this film they include the ability of the “demon” to manifest in daylight. Someone came up with the bright idea of using the Xbox Kinect “night-vision” setting. Now we can “see” the demon or deity or whatever it is in the dark. *I got quite annoyed. My Kinect doesn’t have that setting and if it does, I’ve never seen it mentioned anywhere. So you have to ask yourself the question. Does Kinect really have that capability . Is this a phoney baloney device set up by the film’s producer’s and director’s?
Who knows?
More importantly, who cares?
Not the Same
Certainly not me, I felt incredibly let down by this film. It did not look like the rest, even with the re-appearance of Katie from the first film. The family was too attractive. They did not have the same “real” look as the other casts for the other films. Alex and her family looked like any casting director’s idea of an upper-middle class American as apple-pie family. Although I could be wrong about their salary tier. I’m not sure how many houses in America have a computer to tell them that: “The garage door is opening.”
*Side note. I noticed that Jennifer Hale, the voice actress female Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect verse is in the credits. She was credited as doing some voice-over work in the film. I wonder if she was the computerized voice that announced the doors opening and closing. If she was, how cool is that!
Okay, geeky fanboy rant over, I’ll try to sum up my lukewarm feelings about the film.*
The Verdict
I’d have to give it a 2 stars out of 5. It only gets that much because I did jump once during the film. I am glad that I did not see this at the cinema.I would have thrown my popcorn at the screen and demanded my money back. Okay, I am exaggerating a little bit here, I wouldn’t ask for my money back.
Avoid this fiasco of a film and if it comes on regular telly? Change the channel. If you really feel like punishing yourself, this is steaming on Paramount +.
The Trailer
Related Articles
- Exclusive Interview: Kathryn Newton Talks Paranormal Activity 4 (shockya.com)
- Studio Greenlights: More Paranormal Activities and James Cameron’s Future Plans (rr.com)
- Exclusive: Katie Featherston talks Paranormal Activity 4, Sequels and More! (dreadcentral.com)
- Paranormal 4 Viewing Party Starts January 15 (shockya.com)
- Paranormal Activity 4 Gives Supernatural House Rules (shockya.com)
- Interview: ‘Paranormal Activity’ Producer Oren Peli On The Future Of The Series (moviesblog.mtv.com)
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.