Scream 4 actually opens fairly strong with a cleverly entertaining play on the sheer predictability of the the genre. But then, the plot kicks into gear, ultimately displaying...well...the sheer predictability of the genre. Sure, Scream 4 is lovingly self referrencial and it's nice to see director Wes Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson wink at the likes of Shaun of the Dead (even if it is done in a bit of a labored fashion), but the fact remains that the film-makers think they can get away with rehashing the original film by merely acknowledging that that's what they're doing.

Sure, the identity of the killer has changed (the reveal follows the whodunit aspect of the entire franchise) and there's a nifty little ode to the current domination of the internet and reality TV, but overall Scream 4 is simply more of the same. The original Scream came along at a time when the modern horror film seemed all but dead and buried, and even though I've always found it to be a bit over praised, I do credit Scream for re-igniting the genre. It also spawned three sequels and a plethora of cheap imitators. On the bright side though, it paved the way for a true horror renaissance (led by Neil Marshall's cave monster thriller The Descent). Scream 4, like the original Scream before it, spends most of its time commenting of horror films of the past and delving in to the current status of the genre (taking torture porn in particular, to task), and while it's bloody heart might be in the right place, there isn't anything altogether memorable about it. The kills lack creativity and are repetitious in nature. The fusion of horror and comedy is only moderately successful.

It can be fun to be scared out of your skin (check out the recently released Insidious), but too often, Scream 4 doesn't know when to hold back (Anthony Anderson's fate is ridiculously over the top). The cast is comprised of familiar Scream veterans (Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette all return--although the trio seem to be sleep walking through the proceedings), and an onslaught of recognizable faces from television (Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Emma Roberts, and Hayden Panettiere). Of the cast, Rory Culkin fares best as a nerdy horror film fan whose awkward social skills and sheer love of the genre feel genuine. Craven created one of the most iconic boogeymen in screen history (I'm referring of course to Freddy Krueger), but like that razor clawed mad man, Ghostface has lost his luster in a sequel that's far more interested in reminscing than evolving. There's a pivotal moment in Scream 4 when a key character utters this prophetic line (I'm paraphrasing here); "You forgot the first rule of a horror sequel. Don't fuck with the original!" Amen to that.