SPOILERS throughout review.
Plot (4/5):
Scream 4 is extremely intelligently written and has the brutal moments the fans crave for. It feels like a low quality B-movie by the end and it certainly didn't have me leave the theater in a good mood. As a then-average-viewer (I'm a big fan of the Scream series now) I found the satirical writing extremely clever. Wes Craven twists and turns cliches into great moments with such simple alterations. For example instead of having the killer come out from the back, have him come directly from the front. It's a jump scare and a good laugh at the same time.
Let's get to our biggest question: how can the same crap happen to the same girl four times? Well, the movie acknowledges this too. The characters know this has happened way too much...but you know what? With all the fun that's happening this question can be overlooked.
Scream 4 is not just a lazy slasher film. It may seem like a simple kill and run kinda film but it can outsmart you sometimes. By the way, the plot twist turns out to be stale yet it was unexpected. It's been done before but here I am writing about how I got fooled twice!
Characters (3/5):
The franchise characters are back and I can imagine the nostalgia factor the fans would feel. Scream 4 has its basic slasher characters. It has the suspicious boyfriend who climbs into windows at night. It has the two movie geeks who know all the new rules. Basically all the characters from the first film are back in different..."characters". We certainly get a diversity and while it's starting to get old, it's still fun nevertheless.
Performances (4/5):
Highly laudable performances are seen in Scream 4. The casting seems greatly done; all the killers who reveal themselves get into character really well. It's disturbing just to see their facial expressions change and it's that moment where we all went "oh, damn she's not the same person we thought she was. She's a psychopath."
By the way it was great seeing Courtney Cox again...miss her from 'Friends'. Glad she's on good terms with her husband, David Arquette who's also a major character in this movie. The duo will always be the icons of this franchise along with Sidney Prescott (Campbell).
Specifics (3/5):
Let's just say the opening is a super kick-ass way to start a movie. The satirical part of the movie is the best I've seen so far from this franchise. The jokes are hilarious and the purposely used cliches are likewise enjoyable through groans and predictions.
Theme (3/5):
I felt a little tingling at the end where it looked like the filmmakers were going somewhere with the story. There was a slight feel of "theme" in Scream 4 towards the end. They didn't really focus on it and believe me none of us want any of that in a Scream movie. But the "moral" I saw was along the lines of this "publicity might look nice but it sure is a hell hole". It was nice coming from a horror movie and certainly adds to the high quality satire.
Overall (3.5/5):
Hilarious, smart and full of tension, Scream 4 is perfect for friends to watch together on a weekend night. Kudos to Craven for keeping this franchise alive.
Characters (3/5):
The franchise characters are back and I can imagine the nostalgia factor the fans would feel. Scream 4 has its basic slasher characters. It has the suspicious boyfriend who climbs into windows at night. It has the two movie geeks who know all the new rules. Basically all the characters from the first film are back in different..."characters". We certainly get a diversity and while it's starting to get old, it's still fun nevertheless.
Performances (4/5):
Highly laudable performances are seen in Scream 4. The casting seems greatly done; all the killers who reveal themselves get into character really well. It's disturbing just to see their facial expressions change and it's that moment where we all went "oh, damn she's not the same person we thought she was. She's a psychopath."
By the way it was great seeing Courtney Cox again...miss her from 'Friends'. Glad she's on good terms with her husband, David Arquette who's also a major character in this movie. The duo will always be the icons of this franchise along with Sidney Prescott (Campbell).
Specifics (3/5):
Let's just say the opening is a super kick-ass way to start a movie. The satirical part of the movie is the best I've seen so far from this franchise. The jokes are hilarious and the purposely used cliches are likewise enjoyable through groans and predictions.
Theme (3/5):
I felt a little tingling at the end where it looked like the filmmakers were going somewhere with the story. There was a slight feel of "theme" in Scream 4 towards the end. They didn't really focus on it and believe me none of us want any of that in a Scream movie. But the "moral" I saw was along the lines of this "publicity might look nice but it sure is a hell hole". It was nice coming from a horror movie and certainly adds to the high quality satire.
Overall (3.5/5):
Hilarious, smart and full of tension, Scream 4 is perfect for friends to watch together on a weekend night. Kudos to Craven for keeping this franchise alive.
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