By Jose Cazares
“Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension” is a generic but fun-to-watch horror film with several moments that will make viewers jump from their seats.
The film is about a little girl named Leila, played by Ivy George, who is being stalked by a demon that appears as a fuzzy CGI blob.
At first it resembles a shadow and slowly gets darker as the film progress.
It’s not gory or shocking, but it is creepy in some scenes.
In one scene, the demon stands in front of Leila’s bed and nobody can see it, even though they are in the same room.
Scenes like this build anticipation, but the film doesn’t make full use of this.
The 3D effect adds to the film. The demon leaves behind particles and the 3D effect makes it look like it surrounds the audience.
A lot of the comedy comes from the interaction between the father, Ryan, played by Chris J. Murray, and his brother, played by Dan Gill. Gill’s character Mike is funny.
He’s the skeptical one out of the two and constantly makes jokes about Ryan.
His jokes are usually cliche with references to pop culture.
They’re jokes people have probably heard from a friend or said themselves, which makes him relatable.
Mike isn’t a deep character and is in the film for comedic relief.
He immediately resorts to cursing when the demon makes its presence known, which is entertaining.
The mother, played by Brit Shaw, doesn’t play a big part in the plot until the end of the film.
Shaw does a good job of filling her role. She plays a skeptical mother for the first part of the film and a concerned mother for the other half.
The characters in the film are all character tropes found in almost every horror film.
George plays her role well. She’s silent during the scenes she needs to be and her childish mannerisms help her depict a playful girl who is slowly becoming distant.
The plot progresses when Ryan finds an old video camera that shows things only the girl can see.
It’s a campy effect that sets it apart from the first film, which had no special effects at all.
The film has ambient music that builds up tension and a lot of the scares come from that build up.
“Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension” is the kind of film that’s best enjoyed in theaters with a group of friends.
The demon doesn’t have a clear motive, which makes the plot dull.
The film can be enjoyed without having watched the previous movies.
“Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension” is currently theaters in 3D and 2D. It’s rated R for language and some horror violence.