Blu-ray Review: Surprisingly Effective ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ Finds Scares Again

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly versionE-mail page to friendE-mail page to friendPDF versionPDF version
No votes yet

CHICAGO – It is incredibly rare for a third installment in a franchise to find what was lost in the second one. That usually takes much longer, if it ever comes. “Saw III,” “Friday the 13th, Part III,” “Halloween III” — none of these movies come close to the original. Which is why it’s so remarkable to report that “Paranormal Activity 3” comes surprisingly close to the quality of the first film, arguably surpassing it.

HollywoodChicago.com Blu-ray Rating: 3.5/5.0
Blu-ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

Where “Paranormal Activity 2” was a lot like watching the same rabbit come out of the same hat, the follow-up is a refreshing remix of the strengths of the first film. Instead of the sometimes-cluttered scares of the second movie, the directors smartly return to slow burn horror, allowing the scares to build slowly to a stunning ending. There are some true, honest scares in “Paranormal Activity 3,” including a great bathroom scene, an amazing moment involving a falling sheet, and the most brilliant horror plot device of the year — an oscillating fan. The movie isn’t a masterpiece by any stretch but it is a solid, entertaining rental that delivers more than one should expect from a third film in a horror franchise. The blu-ray is a bit disappointing (although fans should like the extended edition) in its lack of special features, but the most surprisingly effective horror movie of the year (given the low expectations after the last one) is special enough.

Paranormal Activity 3
Paranormal Activity 3
Photo credit: Paramount

Synopsis:
Paranormal Activity 3 takes you back to where it all began and the activity is more intense than ever. The cameras are on and recording the chilling moments when evil begins to terrorize young sisters Katie and Kristie for the first time. Brace yourself for the horror phenomenon that delivers “heart-exploding scares” so frightening that “the last 15 minutes will mess up your life.”

Special Features:
o Lost Tapes
o Digital Copy Of Feature Film (Unrated Version)

“Paranormal Activity 3” stars Christopher Nicholas Smith, Lauren Bittner, Chloe Csengery, and Jessica Tyler Brown. It was directed by Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman and was released on Blu-ray and DVD on January 24th, 2012.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

User Login

Free Giveaway Mailing

TV, DVD, BLU-RAY & THEATER REVIEWS

  • Manhunt

    CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

Advertisement



HollywoodChicago.com on Twitter

archive

HollywoodChicago.com Top Ten Discussions
referendum
tracker