Scream 4 Film Review (2011)

1 hr. 51 mins.

Starring: Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Emma Roberts, Adam Brody, Anthony Anderson, Alison Brie, Hayden Panettiere, Erik Knudsen, Rory Culkin

Directed by: Wes Craven

MPAA Rating: R

Critic's Rating: ** stars (out of 4 stars)

So let's see...horror-meister Wes Craven is returning to the Scream franchise after an 11-year hiatus, huh? After all, Scream 3 was released back in 2000. In fact, the original Scream hit our movie radar back in 1996 when it surprisingly gave a touch of ingenuity and distinction to the teen scene in fright cinema. Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson set a crafty standard for the scary flick scenario that was refreshingly self-deprecating, suspenseful, wickedly satirical and involving. Now as Scream 4 makes its way into the current creepy consciousness one must ask this question: does it continue to sink its teeth into the parodied perverseness of its previous outings?

Sadly, Scream 4 is a whispering shadow of its former self. The regurgitation of familiar elements of the so-called macabre madness is relentlessly flat and futile. The slasher-style shenanigans from the prior three installments have been polished off in favor of reintroducing the same old knee-jerk material-strained wittiness, transparent scare tactics, run-of-the-mill killings and recycled debauchery. In short, Scream 4 is brainless and breezy while the updated horrifying antics are about as potent as an arthritic Halloween hand puppet.

The return of Craven's direction and Williamson's writing leaves much to be desired. Back in the day the original blueprint was sharp and irreverent as Scream tapped into an attitude that was an effective mixture of hip contemporary dialogue, unassuming shock value and cleverness for poking a sharp stick at the genre's heralded formula for horrified hedonism. It was an effortless gesture for the Craven/Williamson collaboration machine to steamroll Scream as a pop cultural jolt to the system. Here, Scream 4 barely registers as solid cynical scratch to one's dry forearm.

As everybody is aware by now the disturbing existence of good ole Ghostface is the film series' on-going villainous pest and this new creep has yet another reason for crawling from under his rancid rock. Ghostface's favorite target-Scream heroine Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell)-is back in the fold as she returns to the scene as a noted book author whose intentions are to share her nightmarish experiences with her hometown crowd in Woodsboro, California. The ghoulish Ghostface does not waste any time in wreaking havoc on the vulnerable residents courtesy of menacing phone calls and committing multiple stabbings. Obviously his torment on the Woodsboro wounded is inspired by the arrival of Sidney and her treasured tome.

Sidney's teenaged cousin Jill (Emma Roberts) is somewhat bothered by her local notoriety. Jill realizes that wherever Sidney travels that trouble follows-mostly in the deadly results of folks getting killed in her vicinity. It does not take long for Jill and her contemporaries to receive the unwanted attention of Ghostface courtesy of his aforementioned antagonizing phone calls.

Other Scream veterans are back in the mix including town sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette) along with his budding ex TV reporter-turned-novelist wife Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox). As for the "new blood" involved along with anointed terrorized tart Jill/Roberts are a slew of characters thrown in the slaying circle for random ribaldry. There is a who's who of human obstacles that tangle with the gory-loving Ghostface. Jill's boyfriend (Nico Tortorella) and petrified pals (Hayden Panettiere and Marielle Jaffe) are among the flustered fodder for being jeopardized. The cartoonish cops (Anthony Anderson and Adam Brody) represent the loopy law enforcement. Additionally, the obligatory high school geek prototypes are included for comedic relief in the form of Rory Culkin and Erik Knudsen. Rounding out the supporting players are Sidney's reliable publicist (Alison Brie) and a devoted female deputy (Marley Shelton) that has the romantic eye for Dewey.

The conventional foundation for Scream 4 is downright redundant, lazy and dumb. Basically, the one-note characterizations are clumsy and clueless to the point that you root for the goon Ghostface to catch them in his caustic clutches. Their predictable reaction (as in all slasher movies) is to run and hide in obvious places that are dark or enclosed which defies logic even from a ridiculing Scream-induced standpoint. And why is it that no one-panicked or not-is able to remove that darn mask from Ghostface's noggin? How many times can Ghostface fall down a flight of stairs without us wondering about his massive medical bills?

Forcibly, Craven tries to modernize his treacherous tale of victimization with the onslaught of today's technological tool references (Twitter, Facebook, web cams, i pods, etc.) as he pushes these youthful newbies on us as the "new school" targets for the Masked One's devious angst. Still, there is nothing to energize Scream 4 other than the orchestrated wincing moments that labor on to no particular robust rhythm.

The performances are starchy and motionless. Campbell's Sidney Prescott is painfully stillborn as the former gal of gloom promoting her tell-all book. Roberts's Jill and all the other teen players are lumped together in mediocre butchering as there is not any considerable distinction to give them colorful substance for the taking. They are assembled for the mere purpose of being served as convenient periled mincemeat if not to solely partake in future Scream endeavors as walking waste matter. Real life married couple Arquette and Cox give some charged momentum as an on-screen pair whose marital livelihood is in gradual ruin as a result of Ghostface's naughty tendencies for murder and mayhem.

It is too bad that Craven has nothing really coherent to say the fourth time around as Scream 4 stretches into tepid territory as a soggy serial killer caper with pseudo-amusing leanings. The celebrated shrewdness and smugness of this film enterprise has elapsed some time ago. This reason for a revisiting cinematic Scream over a decade later may give some a pending hoarse throat in the process.