Starring Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Adam Brody, Anthony Anderson, Rory Culkin, Mary McDonnell, Alison Brie, Marley Shelton, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Lucy Hale, Britt Robertson

(7-Very Good Film)

Fun. Clever. Worn.

The Voice: This isn’t a comedy, it’s a horror film. People live, people die and you’d better start running.

Scream returns! A little older, slightly tired. Like most horror sequels, Scream 4 pales in comparison with the original. But Scream is a superior horror franchise and Scream 4, especially compared to the fourth entry in most series, is still pretty good. The freshness is gone, and most of the surprise has dissipated, but the cleverness is still there. Sydney Prescott (Campbell), the series’ final girl, returns to her hometown of Woodsboro, where it all started. Naturally, some new psycho rises up to don the mantle of Ghostface and wreaks havoc on the town’s teenagers. The first film spoofed horror films, the second one spoofed sequels, skip the third film, and then the fourth film spoofed internet culture and fandom. Best of all, Scream 4 gave Wes Craven one last chance to show his flair for horror and gruesome thrills.

-Walter Tyrone Howard-

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