By CHRIS PUNTO & NATALIE SACKET
Columnists
“Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension”
Chris: 1 out of 5 stars
This movie was a let down. I’m just gonna go ahead and say it. We were all thinking it, but I’m going to go ahead and say it. With Halloween right around the corner, we deserve a. better scary movie. Can we replay “The Visit” please?
Let’s start with acting. Horror movies have never been the go-to for Oscar worthy actors, but most are forgivable. This one was not. The acting was not even close to realistic. I did not believe for one second that those people were in any danger or even scared. Maybe I’m just picky or jaded but this did not meet expectations
Now moving on to the plot. Is this movie anything we haven’t already seen? Adding “the ghost dimension” doesn’t make this a new movie. We’ve seen the same boring story drug across the rest of the series and even other series like “Insidious.”
Was it scary? Well, if you consider jump scares really scary, then yes. But other than that, no. It has some scenes that keep you interested on what is going to jump at you next, and that’s what gets this movie one star for me. But nothing else made me want to sleep with the lights on when I got home.
Bottom line: Take those $5 you were going to use to watch this movie, and go get a classic horror film from Walmart. Money much better spent for the holiday. Happy Halloween.
Natalie: 1 out of 5 stars
Just in time for the spookiest holiday of the year is a spooky film. “Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension.” Yes, there’s another one. Unfortunately, the film’s scare tactics aren’t the spookiest part about the movie, but rather its unoriginality.
As I’m a chicken and scare easily, I’ve never watched a horror movie by choice. Because of this, I have not watched any of the “Paranormal Activity” films, so I had no context going into the film. That being said, if this sixth film of the franchise is any representation of the rest of the series, I’ve no interest in seeing the previous five films.
The film seemed to make an emphasis on linking the other five films together. There was a focus on the plot, but the storyline seems tired and over-done. Then again, I suppose this genre doesn’t thrive on originality. It seemed like one of those sequels where the makers wanted more money but had run out of ideas.
I was, however, quite impressed with the acting abilities of the young (and adorable) Ivy George. At least, when the young star wasn’t demon possessed and absolutely terrifying.
The film’s scare tactics seem to rely mostly on jump scares. It’s an unnerving movie, one I was required to cower through the entirety of. That being said, as I previously stated, I’m a chicken in horror movies, so for all I know, it could have been very low on the scale of scary.
Bottom Line: The filmmakers say this will likely be the last film of the series, and I say good riddance. If you’re a fan of the series, watch this sixth installment, if only for some (anticlimactic) closure.