"Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones" Review

"Paranormal Activity" frustrates me. For a series that can be so smart with its scares and story, it continues to grow sillier and more juvenile, employing cliches and "twists" fans are irritated with. The first movie was supposed to barely make a ripple, but after its record-shattering profit ($190 million on a budget of $15,000), a franchise was born. Paranormal Activity 2 and 3 fleshed the story further, building the stakes. They revealed details little by little while still leaving the audience wondering what.The camerawork continued to do a lot with a little, finding new clever ways to scare. For a series meant to end after the first, these movies were smart. Then came number 4. The hectic "film-a-year" schedule showed its detriment, leaving me with an empty feeling. The developments padded out the story to fit studio demands, making unnecessary changes that felt lazy. The scares weren't strong enough to support the weak story and characters, so I regard it as my first real disappointment from the series. So now we come to "The Marked Ones", a placeholder while we wait for Paranormal Activity 5 in October. I feel this is what number 4 should have been, as the developments made here expand the story, the setting builds up the world, and the film continues to raise the stakes.

After graduating high school, Jesse (Andrew Jacobs) starts to enjoy his summer in Oxnard, CA. When a neighbor in the apartment below is mysteriously murdered, he explores the crime scene, finding hints of the dark acts done in her home. Days pass and Jesse feels changes in his body, leading to superhuman strength and levitation. At first overjoyed, Jesse begins to uncover more about where the nature of his blessing, realizing it may soon turn into a curse that can consume him.

(Most of the following commentary is for fans of the series; I'm not going to start spewing spoilers, but the criticism comes from a fan's point of view.)

The movie's urban community is a welcome change from the high-value suburban house we've been used to. Here, every scare and attack works in a wider context: more locations are explored, making the danger feel omnipresent. Previous films focus on the house being possessed: the people involved are simply victims while the house devolves into madness. Here, Jesse is the main focus so as a result, the story and scares are linked to him. Jacobs does well; he's not given the best material to work with but he plays it off naturally, his reactions work. Because the movie follows a character, the story is more linear, flowing easier from plot development to development instead of scare to scare.

This movie is less polished than every other entry in the series, which gives it a more realistic feel. The camerawork is all shot from Jesse and his friends' point of view, keeping true to the "found footage" genre's roots. The shaky cam is still an issue, but because the characters are running for their lives and aren't professional cinematographers, it didn't annoy me as much. The series has been known for expanding its variety in cameras. Number 4 showcased the motion capture camera of the Xbox Kinect and laptop webcams. "The Marked Ones" introduces the Go-Pro camera, and despite for a few scenes in the beginning, it's sadly underused. Where this lack of polish suffers is in the effects. To be fair, the levitation looks impressive, but most of the time, the effects look like a bad Photoshop job. It sucks me out of the picture when I can recognize an effect done on a trial program I've worked with. For a movie that's supposed to portray the events in it as real, the effects deliver a jarring contrast. It's one of the main problems with the film.

With all the changes made to the usual formula, one would think the scares would be creative in the same spirit. This is where "The Marked Ones" falters. I'm easily startled so jump scares get me a lot, but boy, are there a lot of opportunities. After a while, my startled yelps turned to irritated grunts. The rhythm of these scenes is borrowed from so many films, even people who don’t usually watch scary movies can predict when the payoff is coming. The effects, as I've mentioned, drag me out of the fear and atmosphere the movie creates, working against the film's intentions to shock.

Despite its faults, I still defend this film as better than "Paranormal Activity 4" simply because after it was done, I cared about where the story could go from this point. The developments made here are enough to keep me interested; it explored a side of the tale previously hinted at. It expanded the universe the series takes place in and raised the stakes even higher. I really can't imagine any movie past "Paranormal Activity 5" now; after this, I think the series has to end. However, that's the great thing about these movies: despite not being strong horror flicks, the film reveals just enough to where you're still wondering how it's all going to end. For now, I'm glad I saw it. If you don't like the other movies, this won't sway you. If you're starting fresh, start with the original trilogy. If you're a fan, this will make up for the mess 4 created. Thank you all once again for reading and I'm the Man Without A Plan, signing off.

"Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones" Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J39iyK_aqDE