Review: The Haunting in Connecticut

Let's start off by saying how excited we were to see this movie. Ever since the day of its release, we've tried to see it. From 5 trips to Hollywood Video, to coming up empty on XBOX Live and Comcast OnDemand, it finally arrived in the mail through Netflix. We were finally going to get to see this movie which had evaded us for weeks.

Quick Spoiler Free Summary:
The Haunting in Connecticut is based on the true story of a family who moved into an old mortuary in Southington Connecticut. They moved into the house because it was cheap and closer to the hospital where the eldest son, Matt, recieved treatment for cancer. Matt starts having visions of the mortuary in its earlier years. The family soon realizes that they aren't the only ones in the house.

Review
Plot- 3/5
There were no problems with the plot. It was easy to follow due to a lack of twists and plot holes. It was so easy to follow it became predictable. It wasn't terrible, it was just extremely average.

Acting- 3.5/5
The characters in the film were believable, except when they were supposed to be scared. They were almost nonchalant when it came to the insane paranormal activity happening right in front of their faces. Not to say that it was dead panned the whole time, but when the real balls to the wall paranormal phenomonena occured, they seemed to have an absence of emotion.

Special Effects- 4.5/5
This movie had no lack of special effects. The ghosts and poltergesit activity were believable. The special effects were well placed throughout the movie, having no instances of unnecessary effects, or extensive shortage.

Fear- 2.5/5
This movie wasn't as scary as it tried to be. There were a couple parts where certain things popped out, but nothing to put you on the edge of your seat. Toward the beginning it seemed as if things were "just there." They weren't emphasized enough, which could cause you to miss certain things if you were not attentive. The good effects made things a little more frightening, but not enough to warrant a higher rating.

In Conclusion- 3.5/5
We feel that this movie is not terrible, but is by no means great. If you are a hardcore horror fan, this movie will not entice you. As it truly lives up to its PG-13 rating. Its good for a weekend rental, but would be no special inclusion in your horror movie collection.