Scream 4 (2011)

Wonderful Movie

So much average

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Scream 4 almost reaches the greatness of the first Scream movie. This time it takes on reboots and remakes of horror movie, which are ripe for satire, but it still just feels unoriginal. There were a few fun twists and surprises, but, for the most part, it's just another slasher movie.

I didn't find it scary or very interesting. The acting was forced. The characters acted like they knew they were going to die at the exact moment the killer was showing up and they usually did nothing to defend themselves.

RELEASED IN 2011, Wes Craven's "Scream 4" chronicles events 10 years after the previous film (from 2000) when author Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns home to Woodsboro wherein she reacquaints with Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette) and Gale (Courteney Cox), who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) and her Aunt Kate (Mary McDonnell). Unfortunately, Sidney's presence also marks the return of the Ghostface killer, who has a healthy assortment of new young victims from which to choose (e.g. Hayden Panettiere & Marielle Jaffe). Marley Shelton plays the new deputy who stirs Gale's jealousy while Erik Knudsen & Rory Culkin play two slasher film geeks. Nico Tortorella is on hand as a likely suspect.While "Scream" (1996) tends to be deemed a standout slasher flick, I was never a big fan, despite some positives, like Rose McGowan, the numerous references to horror flick lore and the whodunit factor. Why not a fan? Because it tried to walk the balance beam between serious slasher and amusing parody, which created an odd vibe. It prevented me from buying what was going on as reality. The camp and contrivances kept screaming "This is all a joke," like Henry Winkler's weird principal. As such, I never found the movie scary despite some shocking elements and buckets of gore.Another negative for me was the host of unlikable, obnoxious or annoying characters: When most of the main characters are repugnant, it's impossible to care about them. Let 'em all get slashed to death for all I cared, lol. Then there's the ridiculously over-the-top last act, which was so contrived, cartoony and drenched in fake blood I just rolled my eyes in disbelief. All this was compounded by the clumsy and weak killer, which I suppose made sense once you eventually discovered the identity of Ghostface.As soon as I started viewing "Scream 4" I had more positive feelings toward the original because now the main characters and the fictional town of Woodsboro seemed so familiar and I was swiftly able to enter into their world, amusingly surreal though it may be. While this third sequel shares some of the original's problematic parts, like the overdone bloody climax, it fixed some of the negatives and is just all-around more palatable and entertaining, particularly the witty first act and the inventive climax, inventive as far as who the killer(s) is and their motivations.Unfortunately, cutie Panettiere looks almost anorexic (Note to women: Please quit starving yourself, most men DON'T like the too-thin-no-curves look). But I suppose this is made up for by Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell and Aimee Teegarden, brief though their appearances may be (Paquin is stunning).The film runs 111 minutes and was shot mostly in Michigan (too many places to note), but also Healdsburg, California. WRITER: Kevin Williamson.GRADE: B-

How can a film be good when it has got so many clichés? Well, Scream 4 is good because of the action scenes and the many turns we see in the plot. Believe me, don't think everything is over until it is really over, meaning the credits popping up the screen.The countless clichés do not spoil the movie. It is the other way around. The dejá vu - another French term used here to disguise the word "cliché" - give Scream 4 a hilarious taste. So, that it. Scream 4 is horror, action and comedy at the same time. It is not to be taken so seriously but you should not merely think this is just another American horror production. Worth watching.