Scream 4 (Dimension Films)

Synopsis: Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), now the author of a self-help book, returns home to Woodsboro on the last stop of her book tour. There she reconnects with Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette) and Gale (Courteney Cox-Arquette), who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) and her Aunt Kate (Mary McDonnell). Unfortunately Sidney's appearance also brings about the return of Ghostface, putting Sidney and the gang, along with the whole town of Woodsboro, in danger. Written by series creator Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven, the film stars also include, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Anthony Anderson, Adam Brody, Marley Shelton, Nico Tortorella, Kristen Bell, Anna Paquin and Lucy Hale.

My take: Been there.... Done that.... Oh, that was new.... Been there.... Done that... Get the hint? Well, that's the point of this film. Even the opening sequence rips on and deconstructs opening sequences, right before it falls into its own clichéd opening. Fans of the series will be happy to see original writer Kevin Williamson behind the pen again. This film is more reminiscent of the original Scream than the lackluster Scream 3. Throughout the story, the characters pick apart the clichés of the previous 3 films while giving away all the surprises of this one. 

The actors are plentiful in name, which helps hide the identity of the killer(s), since any one of them could be it. Each character is given enough time to give them a little depth, but not enough to be fully invested. Luckily, half the cast are return veterans, so they've been developed already. Unfortunately, the story isn't as well constructed as the cast, and the film seems to split in two, where one story follows the adults and the other follows the kids. The end results being a disjointed and muddled middle of what is, otherwise, an ok movie.

Verdict: This film feels like a warm, familiar hug...  from your uncle... that hangs on too long and begins to make you feel uncomfortable. I mean, they spend so much energy dissing the clichés they helped create, only to spend the rest of the film being mostly predictable. But, there is enough newness here to keep the fans happy.

Rating: Rent it

Genre:  Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: R - for strong, bloody violence, language and some teen drinking
Run time: 103min.