Paranormal Activity - The Ghost Dimension: 12 Ways It Ruins The Franchise

5. It Has Some Cool Ideas But Doesn't Pay Them Off

To be fair to the film, it's bad but it's not a complete creative wash-out. The spirit photography concept could've been interesting with a better writer and director, and there are a few other cool ideas (namely the "spirit tunnel" which allows Leila to travel from her bedroom back to 1988 as seen in the trailer, and Toby being able to get a human form), but they're just not developed or given any remotely interesting payoff. Considering that we can now see Toby, wouldn't it have been cooler if a) there was more than one spirit camera, so the entire film allowed us to see him and b) perhaps the camera mics were working on a frequency that could record him when he talks to Leila also? It basically feels like a first draft that was quickly cobbled together for a fast buck, making even some of the mediocre prior sequels seem organised and nuanced by comparison.