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PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION – The Review – We Are Movie Geeks

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PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION – The Review

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We have come a long way from the subtle noises and slight shifts of the bed sheets and loud creaks on the floorboards that echo through the house at night. As the title would suggest, THE GHOST DIMENSION adds a 3D element to the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY series. Although the 3D is not necessary to invoke the chills audiences have come to expect from the series, the added layer adds an element to the scares until it (unfortunately) wears out it’s welcome by the ending.
Bits of ghostly residue are seen hiding in the corners and permeating the frame at times. The added layer is presented in quite a unique and effervescent way and gives a real world element to the hauntings that are insinuated. But I guess too much of a good thing is indeed a bad thing. By the end of the film, hints of a face morph into hands reaching out through the screen and into the audience, creating a film that’s embracing the gimmick while tarnishing the legacy of what the series became known for.

In PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: GHOST DIMENSION, once again, a family is terrorized by loud noises in the night. Except this time, the noises come from a family who has moved into the same house as the third PARANORMAL ACTIVITY film that took place in 1988. As the dad and his stoner brother dig through the videotapes found in the house, the two realize that there might be a connection with the father’s young daughter, her imaginary friend Toby, and the videotapes found in an old box.

The mythology of the series is an interesting one. One ghost turned into a possessed woman, that turned into a group of witches, which then turned into… well, where we are now. The series evolved quickly from its humbled beginnings. It’s not entirely unsatisfying as a series of, now, six films. But watching it try to avoid the pitfalls of modern horror – which seems to require scares every five minutes – has been a struggle to say the least.

GHOST DIMENSION finally gives into the pressure. Scares are as prominent as the shaky camera-work, which is abundant to say the least. Some come in the form of dripping black CGI goo, that ultimately takes away from the real dread in an underwhelming way, while some come in the form of pure old-fashion creepiness thanks in part to the videos watched by the two main leads. Most of the video footage consists of scenes from the extremely creepy third film in the series, but some new footage is integrated showing the young girls from that film being instructed to worship the devil, or in this case Toby, causing your mind to wander in all the directions that the series could have gone. These scenes lead to some of the creepiest moments in the film, and, surprise, surprise… they don’t include CGI black goo.

GHOST DIMENSION is another satisfying entry in the series but won’t be satisfying enough as a “final chapter” as the trailers have presented. The 3D effects mix relatively well with the subtle scares that the series stems from. Though the GHOST DIMENSION delivers new heightened visuals for your nightmares, it doesn’t entirely give fans of the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY series an expanded mythology. Needless to say, I’m still waiting for a more satisfying conclusion to all the activity.

 

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: GHOST DIMENSION is now playing in theaters everywhere.

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

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I enjoy sitting in large, dark rooms with like-minded cinephiles and having stories unfold before my eyes.