In a category of its own-- and should be reviewed as such

Rating: 10/10 (3 October 2012)

In an attempt to be objective, I have tried to set aside my personal bias of being desperately in love with past works of Joss Whedon when reading the negative reviews of this movie. Admittedly, there is a SUBSTANTIAL bonus to being a Whedon fan viewing this film, as it is thoroughly steeped in his style.
The biggest critique I see of this film in negative user reviews is that it is "neither scary nor funny." My response to this is that these people are trying too hard to make The Cabin in the Woods fit into whatever mold they were expecting. It's not scary in a traditional thriller or slasher type of way, and for the most part it's not really laugh-out-loud funny. Instead, what you're left with is a film that engages you 100% in the story and concept in a way that I can only describe as hilariously clever and innovative. I feel that comparing it to the original Scream is unfair, as Scream's parody style is much more tongue-in-cheek than CitW's "What if THIS were the reason?" approach.
So... hang on through the first half of the movie, if you think you've got it all figured out. I found myself feeling disappointed as I came to what I THOUGHT was the end, only to then be given everything I didn't realize I wanted in a horror movie to make it all worth it.