2hotFeature one of my absolute favorites!

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Leoni Haney Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Hayleigh Joseph This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

cricketbat Watch Paranormal Activity 3 if you want to fall asleep, not if you want to be frightened. This movie forces its storyline into the exact same framework as the previous two movies and it just seems ridiculous. Additionally, this slow, tedious movie constantly tries to prove that it takes place in the 80s - probably because it doesn't look or feel anything like the 80s. Plus, the few jump-out scares are not worth the wait. This franchise is on its deathbed and it needs to pass on.

TheLittleSongbird Why see the 'Paranormal Activity' films in the first place? Despite not being a fan of the found footage/video surveillance style of filming generally, the basic premise to begin with was quite interesting. Also wanted to see whether they lived up to the hype (both positive and negative, have always heard very mixed views and the divisiveness both ways have been quite extreme) and which side I'd fall under.After finally seeing them, after putting off seeing them for a while (mainly due to being behind with film watching and also being wary of the hype both extremes), to sum up in one word what my feelings on the 'Paranormal Activity' films are, it is indifference. Certainly don't have the vehement hatred some have for the films, nor do they strike me as masterpieces of the genre.Didn't care for the original 'Paranormal Activity', though there were things that were impressive, and liked the second even less, some effective moments but too far and between in a dull and repetitive second instalment. 'Paranormal Activity' is a different story. Actually in some weird way had high hopes for it, with the trailer it had it had potential to be the best film in the series. The film itself is sadly the anti-thesis of the trailer, with what was so good in the trailer weirdly not in the finished product, it felt like a completely different film altogether as others have understandably said. Do agree with those that say it's inferior to the first two, making pretty much all the mistakes of the second film and making even more flaws as well.'Paranormal Activity 3' is not irredeemable. There are two scares that come off well, the hair-raising Bloody Mary sequence and the jumping-out-of-one's-seat part with the babysitter. Some of the lighting is eerie and the film does pick up momentum in the second half when one is seriously considering bailing out.Something that never occurs to me to do when watching a film, being someone who believes in giving anything a fair chance and that anything that isn't watched all the way through shouldn't be commented upon, certainly not in the manner that occurs all too frequently on this site). Katie Featherston does her best though with fairly little to do.Unfortunately there is a lot wrong with 'Paranormal Activity 3'. One of the biggest problems is that it's dull and at worst even more of a slog than the second film, with a snail's pace in the first half and a lot of pointless downtime. Apart from two moments, the film to me just wasn't scary, there is not any brooding intensity or ominous foreboding and very little sense of dread or unsettling eeriness. Too much of it felt mundane, through the motions and even more too calculated than the second film.Katie Featherston aside, like with 'Paranormal Activity 2', the acting is either annoying or bland, not helped by characters that have very little to them or frustrate the viewer with truly stupid and sometimes borderline illogical decision making. The acting and line delivery for the children couldn't have been more way off. The camera work is still rather gimmicky and annoyingly repetitive, while the dialogue especially in the downtime/filler moments (which are too many and either serve no point or incredibly dull) is enough to make one cringe.All too often, the storytelling is thin and repetitive, with a initially interesting idea that has now gotten fatigued and stale. The downtime moments feel little more than filler that easily could have trimmed and it would have made the pacing much tauter. The direction occasionally shines but is mostly flat. Also agree on being hugely let down by the ending. Just when things started picking up, it all comes crashing down towards the end, with things becoming unintentionally funny and ridiculous and then it just ends with a lot unresolved.Overall, pretty weak. 3/10 Bethany Cox

llysander This entire series with exception to one scene in the second movie is awful. I can't figure out why everyone thought it was so scary because there is definitely a lack of scare and suspense in this movie. If I would have gone to the theater to see this, I probably would've walked out during the first half hour. Why? Because there was absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing going on. I think the bedroom door moved a little. Seriously though a half hour, I am not exaggerating. If you want to see a good horror movie with a lot of suspense, then I suggest you see Wes Craven's They. My favorite scene in this whole series is the kitchen scene in the second movie. Where all the pans fall and the cabinets fly open. It is the only scene that will startle you in the entire movie.

Jethro Troll This third installment of the PA franchise pretty much follows the script of the first two, and while the first one is by far the best, this one is a solid addition to the series.First, let me start off with the one glaring problem with this movie. For the movie to work, you have to suspend belief that in no way most families would endure such trauma. In other words, most normal families, after reviewing footage of the night before and seeing footage of their daughter being lifted off the ground by her hair, or watching their daughter having a one-way conversation with some unseen entity, etc...would have run for the hills much earlier. Of course, that doesn't make a particularly good movie, so if you can suspend that belief and watch this movie for what it is, it's not bad and will provide some chilling moments.This movie is based on the perspective of the viewer watching old, home-made footage. One interesting aspect of this is how this comes about. In the beginning, someone breaks into Kristi's house and steals the box of old VHS tapes, and then suddenly we start watching them. It's not disclosed who this person is that steals them, but I wonder if that becomes an important piece of information for later in the series. Anyways, the old footage shows the sisters as young girls, living with their mom and her boyfriend. The young girls are cute and innocent, and that kind of makes it the more disturbing when you witness what happens to them, especially to the younger one as she generally thinks it's just fun and games, yet we know differently. And what really impressed me was just how good the acting was when it came to the girls, especially the younger one, Kristi. They were believable, engaging, and likable.One different and interesting thing about this installment is the usage of a panning camera which pans back and forth between the kitchen and living room. This adds a level of suspense as it's sweeping back and forth as things are happening. You get the feeling that there's always something dire going on in the other room that you cant see. The scares are pretty similar to the earlier movies in that you really don't see the entity, you just witness the activity going on around the family, though we do see Kristi conversing with it, whom she calls Toby.If you liked the earlier Paranormals, then you'll most likely enjoy this one. Personally, I think the fist one is by far the best so far, and Im getting the feeling that the rest of the franchise wont come close to that one, but this one isn't bad. It follows the similar formula, which isn't a bad idea, and yet it's just different enough that you feel like you're watching a part of a franchise and not the exact same movie. However, it's just not quite as scary or creepy as the first one, nor does it stay with you nearly as long.