Just saying the plot alone sounds like the other films but what these films are really about is seeing it with a bunch of people and enjoy the scares. I really like trying to find anything out of the ordinary with some of the scenes like if a person is standing and there is windows all around them. Then I just look around for anything that's moving. That's what happens with the XBox Kinect scenes. Sure, it's a gimmick and something trying to outsell the oscillating fan from the last one, but it's fun to try to see if anything is moving.
However, I didn't think there were as many scares in this one as the other ones. A few creepy moments happen here and there. The neighbor's house across the street is particularly scary. The main girl, Alex, goes there a few times and my friends and I kept muttering on how stupid she is. However, nothing really stands out except maybe the scenes with a knife but it really doesn't go much of anywhere except another jump scare. The ending was particularly creepy but it goes by way too quick and I didn't even know it was the ending until the movie just ended. I was hoping for some build of suspense but instead it was like the filmmakers had to wrap up the film quick. One last criticism I want to add is that I never really got to know the parents. They seemed so one- dimensional. In the other films, I felt some connection to all the characters but the parents on this one just were blah.
I enjoyed this one, and it's slightly better than part two but that's where it stands. The first and third were better, but that's not to say this one is bad. I hope the filmmakers put more thought into the next installment and really up the ante on the scares. The fact of the matter is that I enjoy these films, and it's something to look forward to every October. I hate to see series go stale like last year's Halloween candy.