![]() All this adds to a sense of authenticity, but doesn't preclude general audiences from understanding the story and being duly spooked. Jesse, Hector and their friend Marisol (Gabrielle Walsh) refer to the mysterious Anna, who engages in black magic, as a "bruja" (Spanish for witch) without bothering to translate. Jesse's grandmother speaks only Spanish and no subtitles are provided for non-Spanish speakers. Jesse and company are more fleshed-out characters than any since Katie and Micah of the first film, and their exchanges feel strikingly natural. Ethnic cliches and caricatures are avoided. While the producers of the franchise are clearly courting the films' sizable Latino fan base, the calculated effort doesn't come off as pandering. His grandmother attempts to counteract the spell he's under with some unconventional remedies of her own. He's "changing," as predicted by class valedictorian Oscar (Carlos Pratts) who was similarly cursed. In short order, he exhibits super-human strength and bouts of nasty temper. Jesse is stricken with mysterious bite marks. It's easy to become invested in the welfare of this charismatic cast and to feel trepidation when they encounter hazards. This fifth film, written and directed by Christopher Landon, has convoluted sequences and moments that stretch credulity.īut it also has more fresh humor, viable scares and character development than the past few sequels. The film relies more heavily on interpersonal connections between Jesse's friends and family than on recorded chronicling of things that go bump in the night, which formed the cornerstone of the previous films. Both have a likable Everyman quality and evident chemistry. It's a welcome update, qualifying as the best in the series since the first film captivated and unnerved audiences in 2007.īest buddies Jesse (Andrew Jacobs) and Hector (Jorge Diaz) have just graduated from high school. ![]() Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (*** out of four rated R opens today nationwide) is a marked improvement over its predecessors, having changed the locale and characters from privileged white suburbanites to a mostly Latino cast in a working-class urban setting. This fifth installment, however, injects new life into the tired franchise. Tales of demonic possession and spooky covens had grown predictable in this series of low-budget shaky-cam sequels. Paranormal Activity was becoming the inert norm. Rated%3A R%3B Runtime%3A 1 hour%2C 26 minutes%3B opens today nationwide. ![]()
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