Movie Reviews: "Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones"

[JamesG]

Movie Reviews: Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones


It’s been a decidedly mixed period for the Paranormal Activity franchise; come critics have hailed The Marked Ones – the latest entry – as a new start for the series, while others have condemned the production values, asserting that a fresh start is exactly what it needs.

The spin-off/sequel sees the young Californian Latin-American Jesse (Andrew Jacobs) designated for possession by the same demon who previously claimed Kristi and Katie. This new direction hasn’t totally convinced everyone.





Brent Simon at Screen International says The Marked Ones:

“achieves a feeling of realistic socio-cultural milieu but suffers from an under-sketched narrative and a timidity born of parceled-out corporate profit protection.”





Sean O’Connell of Cinemablend.com says it:

“Scrapes the bottom of the franchise's barrel, begging found-footage audiences for a few extra dollars as it drives the final nail into the coffin of a series that should have died years ago.”







Other critics call The Marked Ones a fresh start for the franchise.


Mark Olsen of the Los Angeles writes, “What comes next remains to be seen, but The Marked Ones feels like a fresh start.”



Chris Bumbray of JoBlo's Movie Emporium called it, “One of the better entries in the series.”



Tara Brady – writing for The Irish Times – says: “As spin-offs go, this is closer to Frasier than it is to Baywatch Nights.”







All these mixed opinions have lead to a not-embarrassing but equally unimpressive 61% on review site Rotten Tomatoes.

This means one thing: fans of the franchise might find some fun here, but newcomers might want to steer clear or forever be put off the Paranormal Activity brand.

-IMDb News