The fourth kind is about as memorable as the average alien abduction. Except for some minor discomfort the viewer is liable to be left asking "Whahappn?" That a film like this could get made is the only real indicator of conspiracy and that is the real problem. The film works so hard to prove it's ridiculous premise is based on real life that it loses the ability to do more than shock you with it's bag of hoary old cinematic tricks. I've seen this three times now and wanted to like it. The cast is first rate, and the film looks stunning on Bluray but it's hard not to see the irony. This, much more expensive movie is, in fact, far less successful in exploiting its premise than the tiny budget indie hit Paranormal Activity. The Fourth Kind might be a fun movie to waste a Saturday afternoon on, and it might scare the living daylights out of more sensitive viewers. But, ultimately, for anyone who watches films regularly, especially horror films, The Fourth Kind comes off as fourth place.
There are quite a few BD Live and Pocket Blu features here but the primary features on the disc itself consist of some deleted scenes.
I have to disagree with the Paranormal Activity comparison; both are derivative and executed by the numbers, but PA lacked substance, emotion, believability, talent, and failed to deliver on any of its ideas, being content to throw any contrived, haphazard trope the audience's way without explanation or at least the weight of context. Instead we got platitudes from a vapid, charisma-free misogynist.
The fictional "true story, really" gimmick is like watching a 13-year-old mangle an old joke: painful and tiresome. I thought The Fourth Kind's smug director cutaways to be particularly offensive, and the side by side novelty ultimately fell flat. But at least The Fourth Kind had a decent, compelling structure to begin with.
I am somewhat easy to please, and I am an avid sci-fi/fantasy/horror film lover. I am afraid this film bored the living shit out of me