Started out so promising- sadly fell flat : (

Rating: 7/10 (11 May 2013)

The premise is pretty good. Although it put me in mind of "Poltergeist" with the whole having to go to another "World" to save someone, or the classic part of Amityville 8 with the final attic scene. This was a very promising storyline, however it tries so hard to be realistic from the off then trails off into fantasy land. *sigh* I really felt for the characters originally, struggling with their young son who suddenly one day after a fall is in a "coma" Cue distraught mother and absent, working late, aggro father refusing to believe that the house is haunted after weird things suddenly start to happen.. before finding irrefutable "evidence" ( who does not look at their kid's wall and see drawings when trying to find out what has happened to them??? they spend a good deal of time in his bedroom but never spot a MASSIVE clue??) Some scenes genuinely had me freaked.. the shoes and the little boy, Dalton "walking around" while in a coma was very eerie. The creepy guy stood by him pointing. The house in the "further" with the very odd family. But the main "demon" well, not so much. Didn't even look scary- a pierced darth maul- esque face with blue eyes,the classic cloven hooves under furry legs and razor sharp teeth showing hints of a forked tongue.Hmmm, sure. It was at the point where he is filing his claws on a sander surrounded by puppets in some phantom of the opera worthy setting that I felt the movie had lost it's way slightly. Also the whole,creepy psychic woman- who knows more than she lets on.. mother's prophetic/flashback dream and of course, the token over exuberant paranormal investigators made me think "tired clichés!" but they did manage to make some scenes more realistic in this attempt at least...
So, a few too many clichés and cookie cutter horror scenarios later( the hey I'm a psychic- something's up with your house- you know that cause I pause mid sentence and give "that look" but dismiss it.. so.."let's look round here-oh!yep a ghost-Let's break it to the family. Person X: not I refuse to get help! you are full of it.. oh no, wait, my bad..the house is falling apart : / OK maybe we should do this.. let's call a spirit/ astral body..ooh geez that escalated quickly it's gone wrong and spirits are attacking us.. let's go to the other world to save someone and follow someone's voice back.. *pauses for air..*) The one saving grace *drum roll* -twist at the end! hurray! And yes, ever the hard to please viewer..I humbly admit- I didn't see this coming! (or fully grasp it) Pretty open to interpretation- and now I see why-sequel! Good call.
so now I am actually looking forward to seeing things unravel further in Insidious 2.. let's hope it can redeem some of it's flaws!