DaShape: I actually enjoyed this one.
Right before I walked out the door to head off to the theater I saw a 5% rating on rotten tomatoes and it almost stopped me. However I thought, "there have been other movies out there that I've completely disagreed with the critics on so maybe there's a chance I'd like it".
Maybe it was because I had such low expectations but I still find the current 8% rating WAY too harsh. Is this the best movie ever made? No. Is it the best horror movie ever made? No. It's not even the best demon possession movie but it's still a good movie with descent scares and interesting story. In the end, did I feel like I wasted my money? No. Then, mission accomplished.
*SPOILER ALERT*
I've read countless complaints about the ending and I can see how some people didn't like it however I found the finale VERY realistic. If there was this "Found Footage" of an incomplete documentary it would end just like that . . . without an ending. Why? Because the filmmaker died and so it wouldn't have a real climax and resolution. However, it wouldn't have hurt to give the audience a little text sequence explaining what happened to everybody after the car crash with lines like, "No bodies were ever found" or "All involved in the car accident were found dead". Anything would have been better than what they gave us . . . which was nothing at all. Luckily I've snapped out of Hollywood's brainwashing of the American moviegoer and I don't HAVE to have a three act structure, climax, resolution to feel good about a movie.
Still, one of my friends pointed out the back story to the "Ben" character. Throughout the movie the demons keep provoking Ben and bring up his past. I didn't put two and two together at first. Early on Ben said he had been to 4 exorcisms but had only conducted/helped with one. It was obvious, Ben had been a victim of demon possession and had killed his mentor uncle. This explains his desire to help others with similar experiences and why he is so willing to defy the catholic church.
I could complain about a few things (like why would the hospital leave the daughter and camera man in a closed room with an insane women without somebody else in there with them) but I think the critic's reviews MORE than covered all of this.
*END SPOILER*
Again, I think many of the reviews on rotten tomatoes are unfair, unjustified, desensitized and biased - WHICH IS COMPLETELY FINE BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINION ABOUT FILM - but don't expect an objective summary of the movie if you like using that site to help you determine if a film is worth seeing or not.
