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PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4Movie Reviews
Horror story about a suburban family that witnesses strange events when a woman and a mysterious child move into their neighborhood. Cast:Katie Featherston, Kathryn Newton, Matt Shively, Brady Allen, Alisha Boe, Tommy MirandaDirector:Henry Joost, Ariel SchulmanRelease Date:October 18, 2012DVD Release:January 29, 2013From:ParamountRating:RLength:1 hr 35 min
Paranormal Activity 4 played to fair reviews. • MaryAnn Johanson wrote for Flick Filosopher, "Almost plotless, pretty pointless, and entirely unscary..." • And Alison Willmore wrote for Movieline, "...while the film breaks no new ground, it does manage the giggly shocks that make this franchise so much fun to see with a rowdy midnight movie crowd." More Reviews Below...
Richard Corliss, Time: FAIR "You go not to be scared but to remember the thrills you felt watching the first film. Instead of a journey into fear, this is a nostalgia trip -- déjà boo! all over again."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,320 words, 10/19/12
Adam Markovitz, Entertainment Weekly: FAIR(cg) "...pretty familiar... pales in comparison to the original trilogy.... mostly, it plays like a overlong prologue for the already-in-the-works 'PA5.' "(See all of Adam Markovitz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 199 words, 10/19/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "The franchise that capitalized on the found-footage craze has gotten lost.... Potentially frightening elements are introduced, then dropped or never fully played out."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 470 words, 10/19/12
Kat Murphy, MSN Movies: WEAK(cg) "Fourth time out it's pretty much like waiting... and waiting... and waiting until an old pal gets to the point -- or the director applies the cattle prod. One is not riveted."(See all of Kat Murphy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 713 words, 10/19/12
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: POOR(cg) "The 'boo!' moments lack punch. They're uniformly obligatory and not in the least bit shocking. In fact, especially toward the end, they verge on self-parody."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 725 words, 10/19/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
Andy Webster, New York Times: GOOD "...will please the fans... the mood is often playful, with teases and fake-outs that are sometimes humorous and usually right before shocks."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 237 words, 10/20/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "...unless moviegoers think it's worth watching another whole cast of characters sleep while their furniture moves around them, only diehard fans will stay awake..."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 320 words, 10/19/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...feels contemporary... the film is in many ways one big setup, building to a single, inevitable what's-behind-you jump scare and then a rollicking finale."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 10/19/12
Sara Stewart, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "I think you know how this is going to play out... This is hardly reinventing the wheel, but it is serviceable, if you're looking for a few shivery communal scares."(See all of Sara Stewart's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 420 words, 10/19/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE(cg) "...this time the filmmakers add something new: a pretty, blond teenage heroine... The scares are hit-and-miss, but at least Alex and Ben are fun to hang out with."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 179 words, 10/19/12
Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine: WEAK "...after a while, we start to get bored... we're basically just waiting to get to the end.... the 'PA' films have a tendency to rally in their final moments."(See all of Bilge Ebiri's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 677 words, 10/19/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: MODERATE(cg) "...it's all faint-by-numbers this time, without even a cool device like the low-tech fan cam from 'PA3' to interest us or really scare us.... Things start to get downright silly..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 478 words, 10/19/12
Chuck Wilson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "Screenwriter Christopher Landon, along with co-directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, make a truly lame attempt at establishing a supernatural mythology..."(See all of Chuck Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 205 words, 10/24/12
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "Same conceit, new home.... Installment four, which actually appears to be following installment two, has a few more special effects than its predecessors..."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 520 words, 10/20/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: MODERATE(cg) "Boo! Pretty scary, huh? Well, okay, maybe not.... By the fourth-go-round, the story and the gimmick are getting a little lifeless..."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 464 words, 10/19/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (9 Reviews)
Chuck Wilson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "Screenwriter Christopher Landon, along with co-directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, make a truly lame attempt at establishing a supernatural mythology..."(See all of Chuck Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 205 words, 10/24/12
Kristy Puchko, Cinema Blend: POOR(cg) "...it seems Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman lost track of what made this franchise work... they lose the mounting suspense and dread that set the earlier films apart..."(See all of Kristy Puchko's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 829 words, 10/17/12
Alexandra Cavallo, Boston Phoenix: MODERATE(cg) "Sure, there's the weird little kid from across the street who's clearly a little off, but this chubby blond creep isn't scary enough to carry an entire film."(See all of Alexandra Cavallo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 177 words, 10/25/12
Scott Tobias, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "The mythology has deepened, largely to the negative, and the formula is as rigid as the fixins of a fast-food sandwich... But the effects are eternally reliable."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 447 words, 10/19/12
Alison Willmore, Movieline: VERY GOOD(cg) "...while the film breaks no new ground, it does manage the giggly shocks that make this franchise so much fun to see with a rowdy midnight movie crowd."(See all of Alison Willmore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 841 words, 10/18/12
Chuck Bowen, Slant: WEAK(cg) "...generally more enjoyable than its immediate predecessor, but the unmistakable routine that this series has settled into moots any potential for legitimate scares."(See all of Chuck Bowen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 691 words, 10/19/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: POOR(cg) "Almost plotless, pretty pointless, and entirely unscary, this may be one of the most unnecessary sequels ever... it's nonexistent storytelling."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 723 words, 10/16/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Andy Webster, New York Times: GOOD "...will please the fans... the mood is often playful, with teases and fake-outs that are sometimes humorous and usually right before shocks."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 237 words, 10/20/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...feels contemporary... the film is in many ways one big setup, building to a single, inevitable what's-behind-you jump scare and then a rollicking finale."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 10/19/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Geoff Berkshire, Daily Variety: WEAK "...conventional... larded with fake-out jump scares... the first sequel in the series that fails to advance the overall mythology in any meaningful way."(See all of Geoff Berkshire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 649 words, 10/17/12
Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter: WEAK "...adds very little new information while playing out the inevitably unpleasant outcomes that await the characters... Kathryn Newton and Matt Shively are likable enough..."(See all of Justin Lowe's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 623 words, 10/17/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...feels contemporary... the film is in many ways one big setup, building to a single, inevitable what's-behind-you jump scare and then a rollicking finale."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 10/19/12
Andy Webster, New York Times: GOOD "...will please the fans... the mood is often playful, with teases and fake-outs that are sometimes humorous and usually right before shocks."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 237 words, 10/20/12
17.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Paranormal Activity 4's reviews are separated by an average 17.8 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Paranormal Activity 4 (26 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Paranormal Activity 4's reviews cover 44.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 13,414 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 516 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 31.9 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Paranormal Activity 4's reviews on average broke 31.9 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Paranormal Activity 4's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Paranormal Activity 4 (26 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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