FILM: SCREAM 4 (SCRE4M) – UK CORRESPONDENT
Review By Lee Allen
Director: Wes Craven
Cast: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox Arquette, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, Hayden Panettiere
Synopsis: Ten years have passed, and Sidney Prescott, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer.
Review: As a huge fan of the Scream trilogy, hearing about the green-lighting of another Scream outing was just as exciting for me as was the news for twi-hards that they had another two, not just one film ahead. So what did this viewer make of the ten year in the making sequel to his favourite horror films? Pretty surprised actually. First of all I will say that no, it isn’t the best Scream, not even second best, but it is the third best, so Craven did succeed in improving on his last Scream attempt. The return of the familiar characters is refreshing, and welcomed, as probably the worst outcome of another Scream film would have been if it was a completely new cast, therefore would have garnered the term, ‘remake,’ or ‘re-imagining;’ two terrible terms, overly used in cinema today. Neve Campbell is more than herself in this than what she was in the third. After surviving all of those previous psychotic serial killers, she has gained a swagger, a slight arrogance, with her self-help book and her soaring confidence when it comes to the killer. On more than one occasion she faces the killer head on, instead of her patented fleeing action, actually going after them and taking full charge of the situation, giving lifesaving instructions to many people. David Arquette returns to his great character of Dewey, hopelessly trying to clutch the macho persona, when really he’s just his normal, stuttering and frightened self. Cox’s Weathers seems a little more subdued, yet still maintaining the feistiness she so brilliantly developed in the beginning. The blood and gore is, in some instances a little over the top, but the others that are less so, make up for the ones that are more so. The direction is fantastic in a multitude of scenes, really making the audience tense up in sick anticipation for the killers move, or jolt into frame.
Although not living up to its full potential, it delivers some killer dialogue and wicked comedy at the expense of lives. Marco Beltrami shows once again why he is the primary choice of Wes Craven, giving us flitching, pulsating music for the intense scenes, and familiar music for the familiar scenes, such as the famous Woodsboro School, and the three returning inhabitants. So when asked, ‘What’s your favourite scary movie,’ I will not reply with Scream 4. That doesn’t make it bad, or not living up to the original, it just means it isn’t as good. Scream, is a sensational horror-slasher, and the 4th tale, follows in the footsteps, but unfortunately doesn’t make any new ones for itself. And yes, this reviewer loved the throwbacks to the trilogy, focusing heavily on the first, but as others have said, we would have liked a little more originality, and perhaps a film that doesn’t need the trilogy to stand up, instead creating and being supported by its own pair of legs. So yes it’s a horror-slasher you definitely should see without hesitation, just for the satire alone.
SEE HOW IT RATED ON ROTTENTOMATOES.COM HERE
