Plot: What’s it about?
I think most of us have played with an Ouija board at some point. I know I did. I don’t think much of them now and didn’t when I was younger. The film tries to use the board itself as its selling point, but don’t expect much from this lame, by-the-numbers horror flick. A group of teens must confront their fears after accidentally releasing a dark power from the other side. The film seems geared toward the MTV crowd who have an affection for loud noises and quick cut style editing. Let’s not get started on the acting or the dialogue which is equally bad. I suppose Ouija boards can be scary, or at least the idea behind them, but building a film around such a flimsy premise is questionable. Even by that standard, there’s little here to justify your time.
I have no problems admitting when a horror film scares me. Sadly, I haven’t done that in quite some time. I’ve learned that with the comedy and horror genres my enjoyment comes down to did it make me laugh and did it scare me. Two seemingly simple things, but surprisingly hard to do. I’ll forgive a comedy for being familiar and having a lackluster plot so long as it makes me laugh. That’s about the same way I feel with horror flicks. If they can successfully scare me then I’m more willing to forgive the flaws. Ouija did nothing for me. I dreaded nearly every minute of its 89 minute running time. The last thing you want from a horror film is for it to be boring, but Ouija does just that. Skip it.
Video: How’s it look?
Though the movie will probably gather dust on your shelf (assuming you ponied up the money to buy it), I will say that the 2.40:1 AVC HD image does look pretty darn impressive. The movie itself is very dark, though the image is rarely compromised. Black levels are solid, I noticed no compression or artifacting in the least. Detail is razor sharp as well. Again, if you can put aside the actual content of the film itself, this is a good-looking picture.
Audio: How’s it sound?
As we might expect with a horror movie, the DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack is full of little pieces of shock and awe. Yes, Ouija perpetuates the stereotype set by countless other horror films with the silent bits followed by a jolt of “energy.” Vocals seem rich and crisp with surrounds kicking in to offer some ambiance. There are a few good scenes with some rich sound, but by and large this is your standard horror-film mix. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though.
Supplements: What are the extras?
DVD Extra
- Adapting the Fear – This is essentially the process of adopting a board game for a feature-length film.
Blu-ray Exclusives
- The Spirit Board: An Evolution – The history of the ouija board (yes, really) along with some interviews with the Director, Producer are joined by a doctor as well as a collector of boards.
- Icon of the Unknown – The cast and crew as they babble about the movie, what led them to the role and so forth. Bleh.
- DVD/Digital HD Copy
The Bottom Line
I went in with my mind open, ready for some good scares, but sadly that didn’t happen here. The flick is just a waste of time with zero talent on display. There are far better horror, or for that matter, supernatural flicks to check out before this dud. Avoid at all costs.
