Thursday, May 24, 2012

Chernobyl Diaries - Review

Oh the originality!

It's never a good sign when a movie isn't released to critics for reviews prior to its opening.  That holds true for Chernobyl Diaries, which sets the bar staggeringly low for Summer 2012 horror.  Aside from the effectively creepy use of the Chernobyl site in Russia as a set piece, there isn't much worth mentioning here.  No time is devoted to character development, other than the oh-so-original character who's going to propose.  If you've ever seen a horror movie, you should know that's not going to go according to plan.  Yuri, the Russian "extreme tourism" guide, was entertaining and unfortunately wasn't featured in the film for very long.  However, Chernobyl Diaries suffers from a deplorable lack of scares that follow you home.  That's the real effectiveness of films like Paranormal Activity or The Strangers - they bring the horror into the viewer's home, rather than taking the viewer to a scary place.  While Chernobyl makes for a suitable haunted house, its scares are immediately forgettable.

1.5 out of 5

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