"We shouldn't have done this. This was dumb."
It is clear to see why Oren Peli's follow-up to his breakout hit Paranormal Activity was not released with great fanfare. After some good world/character-building at the start, it takes over half the running time to actually get on to the eponymous base, at which point the first-person shooting makes the descent through corridors and stairwells look like an old-fashioned videogame. The solid cast plays it well, and the overall construction is simple but effective, but Area 51 cannot overcome its fundamental limitations that it looks exactly how you expect it to look, it plays out exactly as you predict, and therefore it has little dramatic point. Once Idiot Plot takes over for the final third in what is clearly the least secure secret base ever, and with a lot of Blair Witch running, it all leads to yet an another disappointing abrupt finish.
No comments:
Post a Comment