Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Paranormal Activity 4

Cast: Kathryn Newton, Matt Shively, Aiden Lovekamp, Brady Allen, Stephen Dunham, Alexondra Lee;   Direction: Henry Hoost, Ariel Schulman; Screenplay: Zach Estrin; Producer; Oren Peli, Jason Blum, Steven Schheider; Cinematography:; Music;    Editing:  ; Genre: Horror-Suspense; Running Time:  94 minutes; Distributor: Paramount Pictures; Location: USA

Technical Assessment            :  2   
Moral Assessment            :  1.5   
Rating                                    :  V18
Paranormal Activity 4 is set five years after the original film ended when the demonic possessed Katie and her sister’s son Hunter have gone missing after the brutal murder of his parents. This time the events are recorded via modern portable technology which makes it more logical for the supposed continuous filming of events.
Alex’s (Kathryn Newton) mother, Holly (Alexondra Lee) has just decided to be a good Samaritan and look after the neighbor’s 5-year old son Robbie, when his mother was taken to the hospital. During this time, Alex notices weird and creepy incidents involving Robbie and her younger brother Wyatt and records them in their laptop. Later Alex discovers Robbie’s mother is at home and Wyatt is heard to be talking to invisible figures insisting his name is not Hunter. However, the demonic hunting continues until Wyatt is possessed by an evil spirit and Katie returns to brutally kill his parents and Ben.  At the end of the film, a stunned and scared Alex is swarmed by Katie and a group of women, in reference to the original film’s witch’s cult.
The franchise, although retaining its reality-based attraction, has worn off its appeal with a very thin plot and mediocre directorial interpretation. The special effects are as clichéd as the storyline. It relies more on scare tactics rather than on solid storytelling to justify its horror-suspense moments.  The sequel does nothing to build on the core storyline of the franchise, neither does it have independence to be understood on its own. Performances are weak and unconvincing. Over-all, the movie is just an unsuccessful attempt to cash out on its predecessors’ success. Perhaps only the die-hard fans of the Paranormal movie series would find this one worth the admission price.
Good versus evil and again the good innocent ones are helplessly tossed aside and killed. Although the Church recognizes demonic possessions are paranormal occurrences, it cannot be said that these are beyond Divine intervention. What continuously triggers the demon-possessed Katie to kill people is not logically explained.  Another disturbing idea in this film is the fact that Alex’s parents were brutally murdered after being gracious and charitable to their neighbor. In a way, it might reinforce the idea that charity may be rewarded with evil and therefore should be exercised selectively.
The movie is too violent for young audiences. Theme, language and treatment are inappropriate even for adults. Nothing can be gained from watching this film.