Paranormal Activity 3

The Paranormal Activity saga continues in a prequel that covers much of the same ground as its predecessors, with the filmmakers’ stubborn refusal to deviate from the series’ well-worn structure ensuring that the movie, for the most part, unfolds exactly as one might’ve anticipated. It is, as such, not surprisingly to note that Paranormal Activity 3 boasts an atmosphere of almost excessive deliberateness, as directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman offer up an opening hour that’s defined by its laid-back pace and sporadic emphasis on suspense-oriented set pieces – with the film revolving primarily around Katie (Chloe Csengery) and Kristi’s (Jessica Tyler Brown) childhood encounter with the franchise’s malevolent demon. And although the novelty of the premise has long-since worn off, Paranormal Activity 3 nevertheless manages to sustain the viewer’s interest even through its more blatantly uneventful stretches – as the movie admittedly does feature several better-than-average performances and a handful of genuinely stirring interludes (eg the fate of the family’s babysitter). There’s little doubt, however, that Joost and Schulman’s refusal to shake up the series’ seemingly set-in-stone template grows increasingly problematic as time progresses, with the impact of the shock ending diminished significantly by the utterly predictable build-up – which, as expected, confirms Paranormal Activity 3‘s place as nothing more than a passable yet far-from-engrossing entry in what is a disappointingly middling series.

**1/2 out of ****