Brett Warren (whosinthenews)

Mirror, Mirror on the wall who's the most decidedly average of them all?
This truly IS a fantasy. Kristen Stewart is supposed to be "the only person in the land fairer than Charlize Theron". That's rich. Excuse me while I kiss the sky, and then vomit in my mouth a little.

"The Exorcist was never scary at all and mega overrated. But... Insidious made me jump a few times" says Jason Owens of Flixster

Insidious is insidious, but liquor is quicker.
For the most part this film can be lumped in with the plethora of other haunted family horror romps, but James Wan and crew have a particular knack for jumping out from behind doors in a way that feels fresh and new. So, the movie may be one in a never ending line of similar plot rehashes, but it's mostly forgivable since it's simply the means of showcasing their cinematic sleight of hand. Pacing, score, sound effects and cinematography are all splendid here and Insidious might have actually earned a place in the horror-junkie library had the script not been so damned lazy. Like clockwork cliche plot points are thrown in as mere commas from some pre-existing horror-script template. "I'm scared, I think this house may be haunted".
"You're crazy, honey... ok, maybe you're not 'cus the devil just tried to grope me."
"I'm scared, let's move." (Well, at least that was sort of new. This basic concept of 'leaving' never occurs to most idiots in horror movies.
And then there's "Let's call the paranormal researchers" (and a psychic who looks like Happy Gilmore's grandma)
Insidious is definitely a film lacking in certain fundamentals (like Rose Byrne's inability to convey emotion, and the immediate dissolution of suspense when they try to show you what's behind the curtain) but that's certainly not to say there isn't plenty left to be enjoyed.