Following in the long tradition of spoof movies arguably started by Kentucky Fried Movie and continued in the first three Scary Movies, Scary Movie 4 seeks to lampoon the horror genre. This time out, its primary targets are War of the Worlds, Saw and The Grudge, but there are minor references to tons of horror films past and present, as well as several pop culture events and real-world occurrences.
Anna Faris, who has made a career of this franchise, returns for her fourth go-around, and does an admirable job of keeping the concept fresh while invoking the character she is meant to represent (Sarah Michelle Gellar in The Grudge). She is paired with Craig Bierko, who does his best Tom Cruise, imping War of the Worlds and mimicking Cruise's sometimes over-the-top public persona. A sequence poking fun at Cruise's Oprah appearance is sure to irk his fans, but for casual observers of pop culture, it's one of the most hilarious segments of the film.
The film follows the Naked Gun approach to filmmaking, which is perfectly natural, since David Zucker is at the helm for his second movie in this franchise. This means there is absolutely no discernible plot, but a ton of jokes at a rapid succession. What invariably happens when you throw this much stuff at the screen is that half of it hits, half of it misses.
For instance, it's not particularly funny to see an invading alien device called a TriPod that looks like an enormous iPod. Likewise, seeing Dr. Phil, who makes a strange cameo opposite Shaq, get hit in the head multiple times with an iron bar is plenty cathartic, but it isn't funny after the first time it happens.
Politically-minded fans might be disappointed that the film takes repeated stabs at the intelligence of the US president (played by longtime Zucker favorite Lesley Nielsen). For instance, in one sequence, the president is informed that the country is being attacked by aliens while he's visiting a grammar school. Instead of addressing the crisis at hand, he demands to hear what is going to happen to the duck in the children's story. This kind of comedy is almost more obvious than the poop and fart jokes that permeate the film, and your reaction to it will be polarized depending how you feel about the current administration.
The movie is at its best when it's in full-on spoof mode, as with a segment that goes after M. Night Shymalan's The Village. Chris Elliott parodies the Adrien Brody character by running around saying "pee pee vagina," which will be funny to you if you A) Are 13 or under or B) Work at IGN. Regina Hall, another Scary Movie alum, steals the Village sequence . Carmen Electra, who plays a blind woman (possibly trying to mimic the role of Bryce Dallas Howard in the film, who knows?), adds nothing to the film. She is not really an actress and definitely not a comedic actress, and her crowning achievement in humor is only made possible by some pretty amazing gastrointestinal foley work.
Faris and Bierko manage to deliver a relatively steady stream of laughs, although many of them are predicated on the fact that you've seen the movies in question. Those who missed the aforementioned War of the Worlds, Saw or The Grudge will be especially in the dark. If you haven't seen these films, have a Blockbuster night before heading to the Cineplex to take in SM4.
If you enjoyed any of the previous Scary Movies this one will likely appeal to you. The humor is broad, but much of it hits. What's more, there isn't a whole lot to laugh at in the cinema these days. If you have a healthy knowledge of horror films and a Saturday afternoon, you could do a whole lot worse than Scary Movie 4.
2.5 out of 5 Stars, 5/10 Score
