The Paranormal Activity movie franchise has been doing pretty well for itself for quite some time now. At this point, some people may be sick of it, while others are in need of their ghostly fix that has become somewhat of an annual tradition at the theater when it gets released. Regardless of where you stand, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension is being marketed as the final piece that will end the series once and for all. If that’s the case, should viewers expect them to put all of their effort into making it the best of the bunch?
Right at the very beginning, you’ll notice that Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension is the same as the other Paranormal Activity movies with only a slightly more definitive ending. For example, it starts off with a young family moving into a new home. Then there’s the same kind of build up that’s already happened as well. You also have the one parent that doesn’t believe to go along with the other parent that does. There are a few other familiar aspects to go along with those, but I think you get the idea.
To go along with the usual, there’s also sure to be the horror fans who love talking through the entire movie. Don’t you just love those guys? For some reason, these types of moviegoers won’t seem to stop coming to theaters. Once again, they prove to be a nuisance as they seem to want to give everyone else the details of all that’s going to happen as if we haven’t seen any horror movies for the past several decades. I have to point this out, because I can’t understand how and why these people think this is proper etiquette when watching movies at a theater. It’s a trashy behavior that is disrespectful to everyone else.
Now that I’ve stated my opinion on that, I’ll shift my focus back onto the actual movie. One of the few changes that’s been made in The Ghost Dimension is the use of 3D. While I can never be considered a fan of 3D, this movie does offer something kind of different in that it’s also shot in a normal style. As you watch, you’ll notice that the movie shifts from 2D to 3D when the cameras the characters are using change. This is nothing major in the grand scheme of things, but it’s interesting enough to mention it.
Although Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension is supposed to be the final installment of the franchise, I have a feeling that it actually may not be. They give the audience a decent enough ending if they want to leave it here, but they also keep the door open slightly if they change their minds and continue the series. My take is that there will likely be another one even if it’s not an immediate thing. They’ll probably wait a little while before bringing it back out. I think this is the case, because movies are a lot like comics these days: characters die, but they always come back at some point.
While this definitely isn’t a great movie, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension isn’t completely worthless for fans of the franchise. As a matter of fact, if you enjoyed any of the previous ones or have never seen them, you might find this to be entertaining. While it’s not as solid as Paranormal Activity 3, it’s somewhat of an improvement over the other installments it’s following behind. If that’s good enough for you, then maybe you should give it a try. If you’re looking for something different and/or better, it’s clear that you should probably skip this as it delivers much of the same stuff you’ve probably gotten tired of already.
Rating: R
Director: Gregory Plotkin
Cast:
Chris J. Murray
Brit Shaw
Ivy George
Film Length: 88 minutes
Release Date: October 23, 2015
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
