Scream 4

Aw, "Scream 4". It's one of the most anticipated horror films of the last decade and rightfully so. After all, most fans never thought they'd see another sequel after "Scream 3". That film alone nearly put a nail in the coffin for what once was a promising franchise, yet here we are. "Scream 4" is now playing in theaters nation-wide which means there's a lot of buzz surrounding the movie. Some of the buzz is positive, but there's a lot of negative buzz out there as well.

Is "Scream 4" a sequel? Is it a reboot? These are just a couple of the questions viewers will be asking themselves upon entering the theater. Of course, the biggest question likely cycling through most of the viewers' heads is whether it's going to be a repeat of "Scream 3". Lets face it, that movie doesn't even deserve to bare the name "Scream". It wasn't necessarily a bad flick, however, it didn't exactly follow the formula of its predecessors. With that said, there are a lot of weary fans out there who've seen the name Ehren Krueger in the same story as "Scream 4" and have flipped. For those of you who aren't aware, Krueger penned "Scream 3". While original "Scream" writer Kevin Williamson chimed in with some ideas, a majority of what we saw in the the third picture was Krueger's doing. Fortunately, this time around Williamson penned the first draft and Krueger did nothing but a few rewrites. So for those of you debating whether to see "Scream 4," let it be known that Kevin Williamson wrote the script. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, lets get to the good stuff.

The first five minutes of the movie were met with utter disappointment across the entire theater. There were ooohs, awwwws and WTF?s. Fortunately, something happens and we're once again eager to watch the film unfold. Saying anything else about the opening sequence could spoil the fun thus we'll stop there. It is, however, safe to say that fans of the franchise will undoubtedly be satisfied with what the filmmakers have done. For those you wondering how possibly they can stay true to the franchise while at the same time bringing something fresh to the table, worry no more. Long story short, you're in for one hell of an exposition.

With the opening kill out of the way, the film dives into it's story which follows Sidney Prescott who is now a celebrity after her self help book becomes a bestseller. She's touring around the country to promote the book, which of course revolves around her shattered past. The last stop on the tour is her hometown of Woodsboro and her arrival is expediently timed with the anniversary of the Woodsboro murders. Sidney is unaware, however, that another psychopath is plotting another string of murders. It's sort of a 'Welcome Home' gift for Sidney. After all, it wouldn't be a "Scream" movie without bodies piling up around our beloved franchise heroine. It also wouldn't be a "Scream" movie without odd-ball Deputy Dewey, now the town's sheriff, and feisty Gale, now an author herself, showing up in the mix.

"Scream 4" doesn't center as much on the three original characters as the previous films did. Instead, we're introduced to a bundle of new characters including Jill who is Sidney's cousin. She and her friends are the primary focus this time around meaning one of them is a likely suspect in the latest series of slayings.

If you recall the first teaser poster released for "Scream 4", it had the phrase 'New Decade. New Rules.' stamped in fine, red print across the top. The movie itself stays true to those words. Two new, would-be Randy types break down the latest rules the characters must abide by in order to survive. That's the first complaint. The rules are never made all that clear.

"Scream 4" contains a lot of flaws. Fortunately, Kevin Williamson spends a lot of times reminding us what kind of film we're watching. Doing this makes it a lot easier for viewers to quickly overlook errors. That's another thing. This movie is extremely fast-paced. This is likely why the final twist worked so well. We never really have much time to think. Williamson utilizes various distractions including someone getting offed every ten minutes or so. To put it simply, there's not a lot of time to cycle through the suspects.

This is easily the most brutal entry in the "Scream" franchise. The kills weren't all that original, but the aftermath of each death makes it easy to forgive Williamson for his lack of creativity in that department. One scene in particular involves a character getting stabbed in the forehead. The look on the victim's face is absolutely priceless.

Viewers will be thankful that Williamson doesn't cheat them. Unlike "Scream 3" where Krueger completely threw viewers off by convincing them the killer was dead before it was even revealed that he was the killer, there are no tricks this time around. Williamson stays true to his traditional formula where viewers are given an opportunity to guess who the killer is before his/her identity is revealed.

Overall, it's a safe bet that most "Scream" fans will be satisfied once the end credits roll. Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven stay true to the series while at the same time bringing some new, fresh elements to the table. Fans will undoubtedly, proudly accept "Scream 4" as true sequel. In addition, it's not hard to see a fifth and maybe even a sixth film somewhere down the road. "Scream 4" is a solid entry in a mostly superb horror franchise. It's a fun, witty thrill-ride right on track with the first film. Fans will be screaming for more!