Paranormal Activity 3by Patti MartinsonReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 6 The first two Paranormal Activity movies were about sisters haunted by a demon that has followed them since childhood. Paranormal Activity 3 focuses on the sisters when they were children. Kristie and Katie are living with their mom and her new boyfriend, Dennis. Kristie, the younger sister, acquires a invisible friend named Toby, who suddenly causes problems in the family. Dennis, a wedding photographer, decides to set up cameras throughout the house to capture any ghosts that might appear. As in the earlier movies, the cameras capture strange things happening. The tension escalates as Toby starts physically attacking the family, forcing them to flee to a relative's home. But even stranger things happen.Fans of the earlier Paranormal Activity films will find much familiar here, such as things suddenly moving without explanation; a family member standing by the bed, staring for hours; physical attacks and weird noises. There are some new scares to be had. One of the more nerve-wracking things is that one of the cameras has been setup to automatically move from side to side; it allows for some unique tension-building scenes that aren't possible with stationary cameras. One problem, if you can call it that, is that the movie looks more polished and professional than the earlier ones, so the feeling that this is a recording of real events never quite gets fully realized. It doesn't look as raw and real, and that sort of diminishes the scares a bit. The ending is also longer, and more gruesome and terrifying than the others. A few good new scares and a more gruesome ending are upsides to this movie. The overly polished look is to its detriment, in my opinion, but may allow for a broader appeal to those who dislike the found footage-type of horror story. Written: November 5, 2011
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