Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Disturbing yet enthralling

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

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.

This prequel to a prequel doesn't offer anything new, as it is pretty much a case of been there done that. Nothing about the film was credible, and the acting unconvincing. When the couple decided to film their sex scene, it was so obvious they either need marriage counselling or they've never had sex before. They just didn't know what to do! There are just so many flaws in the film. Notice on Night 7 the camera recording light is off, yet the camera is recording. With the girls, I got so confused with who is Katie and who is Kristi that it later didn't matter anymore. When Kristi stands motionless for more than an hour watching the couple sleep, it doesn't have much effect, as it feels they included this scene because a similar scene in the original film was highly effective. When Dennis scans the tapes, he never even sees this, though. Neither does he see when Kristi jumps off the banister. Both these events should have been important enough for them to focus on, but they don't. The imaginary friend story is also way too cliched. The film also blatantly steals from other films, including 'Poltergeist'.There are so many instances where it is just not logical for Dennis to be walking around with a handheld camera - especially towards the end. There are scenes where he literally picks up the camera first before trying to save the girls. Seriously!!! Who would believe this?On a positive note, I did find the moving camera set-up effective, as this was logical. I also enjoyed the absence of jump scares and jump scare music. In general, though, I would not have missed anything by not watching this.

I have seen the first two; this is a prequel to the events in those movies. After watching it, I read the reviews and then watched the trailer. Other reviewers had mentioned scenes in the trailer that weren't in the movie as it was released. I was astonished to see some of the scariest - as well as essential to the story - scenes in the trailer, but not in the film itself. What the heck?!?!? This movie would have been so much better if they'd left those scenes where they fit in the sequence of events. These PA movies are boring for about 3/4 of the screen time; there are lots of segments of the "found footage" where nothing at all happens. Nothing. If they'd left in the scenes that were in the trailer, at least there'd have been more scary moments to make up for all the dull ones.

I can't believe I've seen this more than once, it's just too good just like all the other movies. It would have been so much better if the filmmakers had made this longer; incorporating some of the footage you only see in the trailers and make the movie two hours of fright! The house fire should've been in here as part of keeping in continuity with the original Paranormal Activity, and the movie would've made more sense and would've been more scarier! But for now, this is a go.

For my money this is the best of the series, I wasn't particularly blown away by the first two, although the first one did have the more original feel to it. The usual scares throughout, but the story here is quite good, there's more meaning, rather then scares just for scares sake. There is more of a subtlety here, until the very end that is. I like the fact that it's set in the seventies, ore hi tech, all the technology they have on hand is clunky, makes it more interesting.It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, you could argue that it plods along a great deal for the most part, and the scares are few and far between. Best bit for me had to be the scene where the camera pans to the babysitter sat at the table and the sheet comes to life, it's a very good moment.Good performances, the kids do a fine job, the youngest in particular. 6/10