Perhaps too clever for its intended audience...

Rating: 8/10 (26 October 2012)

...and apparently well over the head of many a commentator on this benighted site, "Cabin in the Woods" nevertheless adds another worthy notch to the belts of writer/producer Joss "Firefly" Whedon and writer/tyro director Drew "Cloverfield" Goddard. Its deft deconstruction of horror movie tropes wedded to an outlandish Act Three reveal of Lovecraftian fantasy sets "Cabin in the Woods" firmly above the bulk of its LCD competition. Whedon may have cut his eyeteeth with dross like "Roseanne" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," but his truest creative successes have always come with genuinely intelligent creations like "Toy Story," "Firefly"/"Serenity," (yes) "The Avengers," and "Cabin in the Woods." Goddard handles his fine cast extremely well, with nary a flicker of self-conscious aren't-we-cleverness. Everything is of a piece: acting, effects, and camera-wrangling. Had the powers-that-be not foolishly delayed the film in a misguided attempt to render it in 3D, thus consigning it to a less than appropriate early spring release, I'm convinced it would have done much better box office than it did. Still, it did decent business worldwide, and is likely to have a strong video run, and if nothing else will be a cult favorite for some years to come.
Needless to say, highly recommended to fans of the genre. I'd wax even more enthusiastic in detail, but I think my time would be better spent rewatching it.