The Scary Movie franchise has returned for a fifth installment, and just when fans were hoping the movie would surprise them with something better, it turned out to be completely predictable.
The movie pulled in around $15.1 million during the weekend, coming in second behind, “42,” the Jackie Robinson baseball flick, which made around $27.3 million.
“Scary Movie 5,” includes parodies from films: “Paranormal Activity,” “Mama,” “Sinister,” “The Evil Dead,” “Inception” and “Black Swan.”
The film plays off various pop culture references by beginning with actors Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen in bed together, then continues with cheesy jokes about both of their infamous public blunders.
The flick follows a couple played by Ashley Tisdale and “Scary Movie” franchise veteran, Simon Rex. They have recently adopted two children, and they then begin to realize that eerie events begin occurring in their home, much like the films “Paranormal Activity” and “Mama.”
It is almost painful to sit through the roughly 85 minutes of the film, due to the jokes that it tries so hard to make funny. The attempt at being witty by merely mentioning a recent pop culture occurrence falls flat every time.
I find it very interesting how some very successful stars like Molly Shannon and Sarah Hyland (“Modern Family”) are willing to make appearances in a film that is known to be a box office disaster.
Receiving a 5 percent score on the movie review site, “Rotten Tomatoes,” “Scary Movie 5” is another expected disappointment from the franchise that has gone on entirely too long.
The first two “Scary Movie” films were arguably the best in the series because of the direction from brothers Marlon, Shawn and Keenan Ivory Wayans. Since the Wayans have stepped away from the franchise, it appears that none of the other directors can quite compete with what they created.
‘Scary Movie 5’ hit theaters Friday.
Grade: D
