Review of Paranormal Activity 4 (2012) by Heather M — 22 Jun 2013

Yawn. This story has run its course and this fourth installment is a bore and a chore to watch. If one has seen the others, one will know what to expect out of this movie; but that isn't necessarily a good thing for a movie franchise that is supposed to serve up chills and excitement.

If everything is more-less expected to happen ... there is no fun or thrill. Trying to tie a new set of characters into the already established set from the first three films (sort of ... these films get less intelligent with each higher number tagged onto the end of the title and who knows where any of these characters actually conjoin), PA4 thinks it is still taking its audience on a spooky adventure.

But it isn't. The gimmicks of the first film -- the security camera provided video -- is tired here and becomes beyond ridiculous (even for this film ... which means it must be something awful!) when three-fourths of this film is supposed to be filmed by characters carrying their own camera.

All. The. Time. When something bad happens, they don't drop the camera and run. When something frightens them, they don't drop the camera and run. After this goes on for well over an hour, I kind of wished the evil-ness would simply "hurry up" and finish these dumb folks off.

They are all pointless ... as is this movie because a couple of sequels from now this movie will have meant nothing to the ever-changing mythology at this franchise's center. Booring.