A CABIN IN THE WOODS: 5 FOR / 5 AGAINST RESURRECTED

I haven't done a review in my 5 FOR / 5 AGAINST style in a while but thought that The Cabin in the Woods was a good movie to resurrect the format.

I went into the movie really only knowing that it was greatly anticipated because of its director, Joss Whedon of Buffy, Angle, Serenity, Dollhouse and Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris), and because it had a very delayed release because its movie studio went bankrupt or something like that. Bankruptcy explains Australian hunk Chris Hemsworth's (Thor) not so built up build.

I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had known that it was more Scream or Zombieland like than Jason or Saw like. I hate to say it because I want Joss Whedon projects to do well so he'll get to do more, but I recommend waiting for the DVD. 

5 FOR

1. Not your typical horror movie - it is very funny once you're in on the joke. The yummy frat boys in shorts and tanks sitting in front of me laughed non stop.
2. Joss Whedon favorites: Fran Kranz and Amy Acker - Dollhouse and Angle, Bradley Whitford, Richard Jenkins AND Sigourney Weaver!
3. A much better second half than first.
4. Excellent special effects and very creepy monster/demons. Great blood bath!
5. The characters are slightly smarter than the typical horror movie characters.

5 AGAINST

1. It reached for the top and never made it over. There was a lot of room and material to really go extreme but it never did.
2. The plot was a clever idea but it was under developed and therefore also predictable.
3. The deaths should have been more inventive, gross and jump-out-of-your-seat scary.
4. If you're going to spoof horror movies and have an R rating, you should be showing some flesh - especially with Chris Hemsworth in the cast.
5. SPOILER!!!!! I think a better and spoofier ending would have been to have the virgin die only to find out that they were wrong about which victim was the real or more virginal virgin.