Scream 4's notable for its lack of story. Sidney returns to Woodsboro to promote her tell-all book about her experiences as a survivor of the Woodsboro murders. Ghostface begins slicing and dicing once she returns to her hometown. Beyond that, the movie introduces new characters to possibly stay with for a potential fifth and sixth Scream sequel. Among the new characters are Jill Roberts, Sidney's cousin; Trevor, the Billy Loomis-lite character; Kirby, the sort of Tatum-lite character; Charlie; the Randy-lite character. Scream 4 concerns itself with the re-make and reboot. Like the majority of remakes or reboots, Scream 4 is a bit Scream lite. Ghostface patterns the murders of the original Woodsboro murders. Jill and Trevor have a scene that's exactly like Sidney and Billy in the original. The much reviled Scream 3 also went down the path of nostalgia and with much better results. Throughout the fourth Scream, various scenes and beats felt off, unearned and forced. Overall though, much of the story felt off like the story needed more time before a shooting script was locked down for production.
Before I complain more, there were a number of individual things about the movie that I liked. The emphasis on webcams was great. In this digital age, in which everything somebody's filmed can be seen by the world instantly, the webcams added a new flavor to the Scream recipe. Of course, the movie only made use of the cameras in one sequence. Besides that, characters talked about the rules of the new slasher movie, and how the killer would film the murders. The webcams essentially disappear though.
Some of the scenes are incredibly structured, especially in the first act of the film and half of the second act. I found myself in awe of how simple the scenes were and how effective they were. Beyond writing, the performances by the newcomers were fun. Hayden Panetierre didn't suck the energy out of every scene she was in like she did on HEROES. Her character became my favorite, actually. The Cinema Club guys, Robbie and Charlie, successfully existed outside of the shadow of Randy Mears. Besides Kirby, the two were the funnest characters in the movie.
The marital strife between Dewey and Gale felt forced. The great thing about those two was their ability to work with one another. In this film, the decision was made to keep the two separate. While Gale's just fine without Dewey, Dewey became the worst sheriff in the history of horror. The man should've lost his job by the end of the movie. I missed the dynamic between the two. Each scene felt like something one would see between an adult couple in the revamped 90210 series on The CW.
Meanwhile, Sidney Prescott remained as cool as always. The heroine had a strength she didn't in the third Scream. In that film, she lived under a different identity and away from the world. Sidney's truly a survivor, in the best sense of that word, in this one. She faces Ghostface without blinking. Her hesitancy is gone. Early in the film, Jill, Kirby and their other friend refer to her as the Angel of Death but Ms. Prescott is the complete opposite.
The first half of the movie's good. Of course, the second half, and especially the ending, is a train wreck. The Scream franchise always avoided being campy but the ending embraced camp, and it was devastating to watch as a fan who became inspired to write after seeing Scream. The script problems are apparent during the final twenty minutes of the film. I give Wes Craven and company credit for the way Ghostface behaves in the movie though because it's consistent with the identity of the killer.
Overall, Scream 4 was a disappointment. I'd love to read Williamson's original draft to see what he truly wanted. The film isn't much different from any other recent slasher film. There isn't much urgency among any characters. The stakes aren't like they were in Scream and Scream 2. It didn't feel like a Scream movie. I also have no idea how a Scream 5's possible but I doubt the franchise continues beyond this one. Very disappointed.
Some other thoughts (WITH SPOILERS):
-The beginning of the film got off to a bad start with me. Whereas other media praised the stylish and wicked opening, three of my favorite actresses were one scene-and-done. The lovely Shenae Grimes left as quickly as she appeared. The only reason I ever watched and wrote about Life Unexpected was for the beautiful Brittany Robertson. She showed up looking as great as she always does then she disappeared. Coach's daughter herself, Aimee Teegarden, played the pretty blonde with the big tits (Ghostface's words) and then disappeared. I would've preferred either Brittany or Aimee to have more screen time. Emma Roberts didn't blow the doors off of this movie. Regardless, those three girls are awesome.
-That is my only other thought.
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