It’s only been two years since Kofi Outlaw was among the first film reviewers to screen the original Paranormal Activity back when the film was only in limited release. At the time, it was undecided whether the found footage of the horror film would ever see a full-scale release. However, the original Paranormal Activity made the box office to the respectable amount of $107 million domestically on a production budget of just $15,000. As a result, it was no surprise when the sequel, Paranormal Activity 2 scored an astounding $41 million in its opening weekend.

Now, the franchise is back once again with Paranormal Activity 3, a “prequel” that explains the story of sisters, Katie and Kristi, who are tormented by another worldly presence. This time, however, the movie’s producers recruited a fresh filmmaking duo, Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, to handle directorial duties.

Although the beginning of the movie may seem slow, the second half of Paranormal Activity 3 is the most intense and frightening segment so far in the popular found footage series. Directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman take their sweet time getting to it but once the scares begin, they don’t let up. That’s the good news.

The bad news is for a third film in a series, it adds almost nothing to the overall Paranormal Activity mythology. Not to mention well over half the footage in the new trailer is not even in the actual movie. Fans might also be disappointed that Katie Featherstone, the star of the first two films, only makes a brief appearance to give a bit of context to the rest of the film which is primarily about her character and her sister as little girls. The viewers will realize they did not have a pleasant childhood.

If you’re a fan of the Paranormal Activity series like me, you should know Katie and her sister Kristi regularly referenced some bad things that happened when they were kids. Paranormal Activity 3 is the solution to those bad things, but actually seeing them doesn’t really provide any interesting insight into the first two films. There are some hints at the origin of the whole thing, but they’re clearly told. Instead, the film simply gives us the information that not only do Katie and Kristi attract demons, but each has an almost superhuman ability to shut out events from their depressing years. That’s the only explanation for their lack of sheer terror when the activity began again later in life.

There’s also a little more plot to be found in the story and they gave a brilliant ending in a lengthy, intense single-take that expands a little on what came before. Nevertheless, the found-footage conceit that ties the series together is getting more than a little anxious. The ending to Paranormal Activity 3 was nothing as expected. I was hoping for the movie to finally reveal the secrets of the demon itself, instead they still leave a blank picture of it. Overall this movie was an alright horror movie. It’s not really for someone looking for a good scare, but just to have a fun time with friends and family.