Haunted - 3D

There are several aspects which complete a movie. More focus on one parameter and overlooking the other generally results in an unfinished piece of work which tastes good only in parts but fails to impress you overall. This is how you feel about Haunted-3D.

A horror movie has its base in certain parameters like Sound, Camerawork, Background score and its perfect usage, and unpredictable twists and turns. "Haunted" scores well in terms of Sound though it was too loud at several points. Cinematography was quite good and the scenic beauty of Ooty has been well captured. Background score was pretty average. Its something that many a times makes a movie stand out overshadowing several glitches too, but couldn't do so for Haunted-3D. One of the weakest links was the highly predictable nature of the script and the story. You can almost predict the complete storyline which in a way reduces the thrill and horror element of the movie to a considerable extent.

I am not an expert in the 3D domain but the print was quite hazy and it seems it happens so in case of stereoscopic 3D vision, so it has to be neglected time and again. Another major weakness which was visible throughout the movie was individual performances. What an individual performance can add up to your script can be felt by remembering "Bhoot". Right from lead actor and actresses to sidekicks there wasn't even a performance good enough to be mentioned. "Haunted-3D" is a movie that's completely based upon its 3D and special effects and doesn't cater much to anything else. It's like the effects and 3D should have acted as an icing on the cake though what has actually happened is vice versa.

During certain phases of the movie, you even feel like laughing out loud and sometimes you actually do. The way it all started, it was projecting as a quite interesting plot which later on turned dull and slow post interval. The pace at which events unfold early on makes you feel (and feel good) that its going to be a short movie but then all of it vaporizes with unwanted scenes added up for no apparent reason. The rape scene shown in such details somehow resembles the B-grade horror flicks of the 80's. If you have to pick odd one out, you will surely pick out the dance sequence which has been inserted for showcasing actor's dance skills alone.

But amidst all this mix up, you do witness some spooky scenes now and then. Though they don't bring the hell out of you but surely fulfill your desire to get a bit scared(at least a little), but again even these were sadly, quite predictable. Certain scenes remind you of a few new and old Hollywood movies and the good thing is they have been carried out well. Its definitely a movie which shows that Indian cinema is progressing since there was not much fault or any major or minor glitch in applying the special effects including 3D, but at the same time reminds that its not only about creating the right effects but also using them the correct way along with a good star cast, screenplay and some great dialogues. Lets just hope this degrading pattern for Vikram Bhatt comes to an end and taking this as a learning step, he produces a classic horror movie soon enough.

My Verdict: 5/10 (mostly for Special effects including 3D)