Now, I love me some Scream...but the movies did keep getting sillier as the series progressed.
If there's one word I would use to describe Scream 4...it's dumb. Dumber than say, Scream 3? Oh, yes.
That isn't to say it isn't without its cheap thrills, and Scream fans will delight in seeing the returning cast of the original trilogy. It feels like everyone's stepping back into old, comfortable shoes, and that's where its strengths lie. But honestly, there were times when I felt I was watching one of the Wayans' Scary Movies. It's incredibly hard to take seriously. A lot of the time I was going, "No...did they just do that?" It just takes the series into a whole 'nother area of absurdity, and this was where it fell flat on its Ghostface.
The new generation of meat is simply stock. They feel like Hollywood cut-outs, simply put there for the body count. This is standard for typical slashers, and was a trend that began with Scream 3, but the Scream series (at least the first two films) went a little deeper, and at least attempted to have us care for the victims. In this one, you might root for the survival of the veterans, but everyone else...let 'em rot. Who cares if they get stabbed to death? The only supporting character I kind of wanted to care about was Sidney's cousin Jill, but there just wasn't enough screen time for her character to come to fruition. Jill even admits that her and Sidney don't really know each other that well, so why is she even part of the plot? Personally, I had enough of Sidney Prescott's extended family with the third film. I thought the purpose of a new trilogy was to start off fresh?
Needless to say, you'll know the tone of the film from the first five minutes. Again, it mimics itself by using the imaginary Stab films, the series of fictional slashers based off the events of the first three films. It's interesting how it again attempts to explain the evolving rules of horror by exploiting commonalities in the current trend of the genre. In 2, it was sequels; in 3 it was the trilogy, and in Scream 4 it's all about the remakes. There's a hilarious scene where the killer starts to ask one of his victims a question by starting with, "Name the horror remake..." The victim then goes into a three-minute tirade, naming every horror remake to surface in the past decade in an attempt to stay alive. It's a good point, taken further when Sidney herself says, "You forgot one thing...don't fuck with the original."
But all that aside, it's just goofy. Part of the annoyance comes from its inability to focus on any given character. When we finally see Sidney, she has some dialogue, she briefly embraces her friends...and then we don't see anymore of her for about twenty minutes. The story constantly shifts between the recognizable faces and the victims. The new cast members only make you want to see more of the original cast, and most of them are lame imitations of characters we saw in the first trilogy. For example, there are two self-righteous film snobs who go around documenting everything via webcam for their live Internet feeds. These are the same characters who explain the rules the killer might be using in dispatching his/her victims. Remember Randy, anyone?
Most of the death scenes are what really kill it. They're completely ridiculous and almost cartoonish, again mimicking something you might see in one of the Scary Movies. It's borderline parody, and goes beyond making fun of itself.
What works to the film's advantage is its reputation. Even before Wes confirmed they were doing another installment, the rumor mill over the Internet spoke of a new cast that would be taking the places of the old faces, breathing new life into the franchise. It makes you wonder who of the original cast is actually going to make it...if any. So in that respect, as Scream fans we still find ourselves caring for the characters we were introduced to back in the 90s...when the formula was still fresh.
The original three films formed a near-great trilogy that, while starting to falter a little with Scream 3, helped in re-energizing a crippled genre. When the first Scream came out, horror was going through a strange transition, where studios were trying to bring back the popular franchises of the 80s, like Freddy, Jason, Chucky and Michael Myers -- all with mixed results. As goofy as Scream 3 felt, the story had a definite feeling of closure. Scream 4 does nothing to expand on the story, nor does it really tell us anything we care to know. The characters and their relationships with one another haven't changed in the last ten years, so in a way it feels like a genuine sequel, but it's long overdue and at the end of the day, unnecessary. Not to mention, it has a drawn out climax that is about as ridiculous as you can get, and doesn't really lend itself for two more sequels. I don't know if I could stand it if it got sillier than it already has.
It was definitely a good date movie, and as a die-hard Scream fan, I'll definitely buy the Blu-Ray when it comes out...but it has little re-watch value, and there's not much there that hasn't been done before.
If there's one word I would use to describe Scream 4...it's dumb. Dumber than say, Scream 3? Oh, yes.
That isn't to say it isn't without its cheap thrills, and Scream fans will delight in seeing the returning cast of the original trilogy. It feels like everyone's stepping back into old, comfortable shoes, and that's where its strengths lie. But honestly, there were times when I felt I was watching one of the Wayans' Scary Movies. It's incredibly hard to take seriously. A lot of the time I was going, "No...did they just do that?" It just takes the series into a whole 'nother area of absurdity, and this was where it fell flat on its Ghostface.
The new generation of meat is simply stock. They feel like Hollywood cut-outs, simply put there for the body count. This is standard for typical slashers, and was a trend that began with Scream 3, but the Scream series (at least the first two films) went a little deeper, and at least attempted to have us care for the victims. In this one, you might root for the survival of the veterans, but everyone else...let 'em rot. Who cares if they get stabbed to death? The only supporting character I kind of wanted to care about was Sidney's cousin Jill, but there just wasn't enough screen time for her character to come to fruition. Jill even admits that her and Sidney don't really know each other that well, so why is she even part of the plot? Personally, I had enough of Sidney Prescott's extended family with the third film. I thought the purpose of a new trilogy was to start off fresh?
Needless to say, you'll know the tone of the film from the first five minutes. Again, it mimics itself by using the imaginary Stab films, the series of fictional slashers based off the events of the first three films. It's interesting how it again attempts to explain the evolving rules of horror by exploiting commonalities in the current trend of the genre. In 2, it was sequels; in 3 it was the trilogy, and in Scream 4 it's all about the remakes. There's a hilarious scene where the killer starts to ask one of his victims a question by starting with, "Name the horror remake..." The victim then goes into a three-minute tirade, naming every horror remake to surface in the past decade in an attempt to stay alive. It's a good point, taken further when Sidney herself says, "You forgot one thing...don't fuck with the original."
But all that aside, it's just goofy. Part of the annoyance comes from its inability to focus on any given character. When we finally see Sidney, she has some dialogue, she briefly embraces her friends...and then we don't see anymore of her for about twenty minutes. The story constantly shifts between the recognizable faces and the victims. The new cast members only make you want to see more of the original cast, and most of them are lame imitations of characters we saw in the first trilogy. For example, there are two self-righteous film snobs who go around documenting everything via webcam for their live Internet feeds. These are the same characters who explain the rules the killer might be using in dispatching his/her victims. Remember Randy, anyone?
Most of the death scenes are what really kill it. They're completely ridiculous and almost cartoonish, again mimicking something you might see in one of the Scary Movies. It's borderline parody, and goes beyond making fun of itself.
What works to the film's advantage is its reputation. Even before Wes confirmed they were doing another installment, the rumor mill over the Internet spoke of a new cast that would be taking the places of the old faces, breathing new life into the franchise. It makes you wonder who of the original cast is actually going to make it...if any. So in that respect, as Scream fans we still find ourselves caring for the characters we were introduced to back in the 90s...when the formula was still fresh.
The original three films formed a near-great trilogy that, while starting to falter a little with Scream 3, helped in re-energizing a crippled genre. When the first Scream came out, horror was going through a strange transition, where studios were trying to bring back the popular franchises of the 80s, like Freddy, Jason, Chucky and Michael Myers -- all with mixed results. As goofy as Scream 3 felt, the story had a definite feeling of closure. Scream 4 does nothing to expand on the story, nor does it really tell us anything we care to know. The characters and their relationships with one another haven't changed in the last ten years, so in a way it feels like a genuine sequel, but it's long overdue and at the end of the day, unnecessary. Not to mention, it has a drawn out climax that is about as ridiculous as you can get, and doesn't really lend itself for two more sequels. I don't know if I could stand it if it got sillier than it already has.
It was definitely a good date movie, and as a die-hard Scream fan, I'll definitely buy the Blu-Ray when it comes out...but it has little re-watch value, and there's not much there that hasn't been done before.