Not nearly as scary or clever as it thinks it is!

Rating: 2/10 (7 December 2009)

It would be wrong to say that Paranormal Activity is a failure on every conceivable level. If you watch it with really low expectations and for a quick, cheap laugh, you might end up feeling that you got your money's worth.
But if you go and see this movie thinking that it will live up to the hype of being the "Scariest movie ever made" you will end up being severely disappointed! When all is said and done, this movie relies on cheap, obvious scare tactics that horror viewers have seen 100 times before! Creaking doors, eerie sounds and an unconvincing Ouija Board scene all try to trick the viewer into thinking that they are seeing something original! If you try not to let the awful performances and clichéd ending bother you too much, the film actually works intermittently, but not as a horror movie, but rather a comedy! Many of the scenes are unintentionally hilarious as they are so poorly scripted and acted, that it feels like you are watching a sketch comedy, rather than a scripted movie! The scene with the footsteps leading into the bedroom is the funniest scene in the movie, and seeing Micah and Katie overact to the extreme in response to it is the highlight of this movie! If you are in the mood for a poorly written comedy movie, then Paranormal Activity may be just the movie for you. If you want to be scared, look elsewhere.