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Scary Movie 4 - Review

Scary Movie 4 Movie Poster
Length: 83 min
Rated: PG-13
Distributor: Dimension Films
Release Date:  2006-04-14

Starring: Anna Faris (Cindy Campbell), Regina Hall (Brenda Meeks), Craig Bierko (Tom Ryan), Leslie Nielsen (President Harris), Carmen Electra, Shaq O'Neal, Dr. Phil, Bill Pullman, Chris Elliot, Molly Shannon, Michael Madsen, Chingy, Lil' John

Directed by David Zucker
Produced by Bob Weiss
Written by Craig Mazin, Pat Proft

Visit the movie's Official Site!

Reviewed by Josh Tyler : 2006-04-13 19:51:04
Scary Movie 4 begins by taking Dr. Phil down a peg or two in a sequence that mocks Saw. It’s not the parodying of other movies that’s funny in the film’s opening, but Dr. Phil’s deservedly humiliating admission that he’s a total fraud. Scary Movie 4 is a sub par collection of random parodies, but in the few places where it’s not slavishly mimicking other movies, it’s actually worth a chuckle.

But most of the movie, as have the other three before it, concerns the parodying of well-known films. In this case the focus seems to be primarily on 2005’s War of the Worlds and The Grudge. The War of the Worlds storyline stars Craig Bierko in the Tom Cruise role. Bierko you may remember as one of Russell Crowe’s many victims in Cinderella Man. Or since no one saw Cinderella Man, maybe not. The film’s other half stars Scary Movie franchise veteran Anna Faris as Cindy Campbell, a brain dead girl who wanders from one skit to another. Following her path through the movie is like following Billy through a Family Circus comic, and just about as entertaining. First she’s in the house from The Grudge, later she’s joined by her sexually depraved friend Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall) and ends up in a fairly accurate retelling of M. Night Shyamalan’s failed bit The Village.

If you’ve seen any of the three previous Scary Movies, you know how this goes. Scary Movie 4 should probably come with a laundry list of other films you need to see before it, if you’re going to get the majority of its weak attempts at jokes. Therein lies this franchise’s success: it’s designed for people who prefer the familiar. You’ve seen the movies Scary Movie is redoing and lightly mocking, so watching it is a comfortable, challenge free, affirming experience. It’s a comedy franchise for people who turn the channel whenever a song comes on the radio that sounds like something they’ve never heard before. There’s nothing wrong with that attitude, it’s just not a path towards mental growth. Personally, I’d rather hear something different and new.

For those of you happy with paying to see more of the usual, Scary Movie 4 delivers a few decent laughs, most of them from Leslie Nielson in the movie’s non-parodying moments. Parody is best left to brief skits on SNL, but if it must be crammed into a movie and punctuated with fart jokes, then at least Scary Movie 4 breaks it up with a few original bits of Nielson nudity and gets its parodying over in less than ninety minutes. It might even make you laugh… once or twice.

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  • what website can I watch scary movie 4 on?
  • i love this put more pics on tho
  • Even the biggest turd sometimes has bits of delicious, sweet corn mixed in with it.

    That doesn't mean you should eat it.
  • *sigh* just because i have an open mind doesn't mean i watch everything ever made and enjoy it. "dumb" humor is either a hit or miss amongst people, and is not the same as every other comedy. And even though it is classifed as silly, or mindless, it still can contain some very creative and original material. So while I understand you people don't "get it", there's no reason to sit there and call it crap and insult the people who watch it.
  • adsp, having absolutely no taste and liking everything no matter how shitty it is, is not something to wear like a badge of honor.

    Your library contains everything? The man who watches everything and likes everything wastes a lot of time watching garbage when if he had more discerning tastes he could skip some of the garbage and watch something better.

    Nobody likes every comedy... because every comedy is different. Not every movie is genius, not every movie is funny. Some are poorly made. In your world, everything is perfect I guess, but that's not reality!

    A dog will eat shit and smile about it, but we're not dogs. We're able to discern the difference between a pile of shit and a nice, juicy steak.

    No offense, but it sounds like you're exactly the kind of person talked about in this review. You're easily amused. You like everything, you don't really care what it is, just put something in front of you and you'll enjoy it. That is by definition... easily amused.
  • Well I didn't mean to attack them, because I did enjoy them, but I certainly wouldn't classify a movie like Anchorman as "real" humor. 40 year old virgin, yeah. I personally would put movies like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang or Snatch above those two anyday though.

    "But in answer to your question, whether or not the 50 condoms scene in 40 Year-Old Version is original (which it kind of is, I can't think of any others like it), it works because there's some heft behind it."

    As for this, yes, it is original.. but I mainly brought it up to prove a point. The scene was highly exaggerated, for nothing like this would ever happen...period. But in that sense, that's exactly what made it sort've comical. Kids walk in, tons of condoms everywhere. That very same concept though is what's used heavily in a lot of "dumb" comedies. (dumb and dumber, space balls, naked gun, and of course, scary movie) We're given everyday scenarios, some even typical or expected, but blown out of proportion, so much that it becomes ridiculous, and hilarious at the same time.

    Again, I just don't see how you could watch some comedies and find them hilarious, and then turn to others and push them aside as being mindless, when they're clearly not. What's even funnier is how you say that I'm happy "seeing the same"... To me, this seems a bit hypocritical considering you're basically admitting that you don't care for "dumb" humor, meanwhile I'm open to everything. So who's really the one who's content with seeing the same? My library contains everything, what about yours?

  • Well asd, attacking other movies really doesn't make your position stronger. But in answer to your question, whether or not the 50 condoms scene in 40 Year-Old Version is original (which it kind of is, I can't think of any others like it), it works because there's some heft behind it. It actually means something in the film, because they've gone through the trouble to build characters you care about and can laugh at/with.

    It's not the easy joke. The script has worked to bring you there.

    Scary Movie is just a random collection of easy jokes that anyone, even you could have written.

    That's the difference.

    But that's fine! Don't be ashamed to like Scary Movie. You're in the majority. You're happy seeing the same, easy things over and over. Just embrace it! It's ok. I certainly don't mean to make it sound like you're a loser for it.

    But it is what it is. It's not exactly high comedy. Let's not pretend it is. There are really stupid, crappy movies that I enjoy too. I embrace them and admit what they are.

    Scary Movie 4 isn't the anti-christ. I gave it a 2.5/5 for a reason. There are worse movies you could support.
  • You guys bring up other movies as if I only see "dumb" humor, which I don't. I'm a huge movie watcher, and have seen probably any comedy you can dish out. I don't see though, how someone can sit by and laugh at things in anchorman, 40 year old virgin, dodgeball, etc. and then not find certain things funny in movies such as Scary Movie. Sure, not everything is hilarious, but it's the same with any other comedy. Just about all of them throw in some typical, recycled joke here and there. Oh how funny, he goes through 50 condoms because he's never used one before... HOW BRILLIANT...
  • No, I think ASD has a point. He represents a growing number of movie goers who really don't want to watch anything original, clever, moderately intelligent or genuinely humorous.

    If there's a fart joke, a poke at Michael Jackson and a fat black man who says mutha****a in a really high pitched whiny voice then it's a hit for them.

    As a responsible movie reviewing site Cinema Blend should be issuing two reviews, one for the fart-giggling no-brainers who feel comfortable in their insepidness and one for the rest of the world who still takes pride in the ability to think.
  • With all due respect you fail to have a sense of humor if you laugh at this repetitive tripe. Go rent Anchorman or 40 Year Old Virgin if you want real humor.
  • *sigh* I told you previously to let your wife (or girlfriend...whatever) review this movie, for you fail at having a sense of humor... I mean come on, this is the second time you compared it to Saturday Night Live, a show that has been dead for years now do to horrible writers and only decent actors... Please, just don't review comedy movies anymore, stick to movies more up your alley. (whatever that may be)

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