The very idea of "ghost-hunting" is such utter nonsense that I automatically have a hard time engaging with any media that plays with the notion. Like exorcism flicks, however - if a slightly different spin is put on the concept, that can make all the difference and pique my interest. Though it's not entirely successfully, I'm so very pleased that 'Portal' takes a bit different of a tack that makes this pretty fun.
Overt tropes and leaps in logic. Dialogue and story beats that are alternate between ham-handed, and sardonic and intelligent. Music cues aiding scene arrangement to build tension and release it with cheeky, fun inversion of expectations. Unnecessary shots of "creepy" children's toys and innocuous house features. This is all done with clear intention to supply the great punch of 'Portal': not horror, but comedy. The film pointedly mocks ghost-hunting with wry, stone-faced satire that pokes at every unconvincing scrap of hokum the genre dallies with - both TV shows, and movies that self-seriously operate in the same space. This is especially true in the first half, which one wishes were more representative of the picture as a whole: in the latter half, 'Portal' turns marginally more serious to emphasize plot, and in so doing the film becomes a little uneven.
Still, despite being a tad inconsistent - and maybe a little too self-aware at points - this is so much fun! The filming location is choice. I think the special effects look good, and other details like hair, makeup, and wardrobe are given fine consideration. I enjoy Corey Allen Jackson's score, both in and of itself and for the boost it gives to the cutting tone of the film. And I think the whole cast is super, with special commendations for Heather Langenkamp and Gregory Zaragoza - demonstrating poise and force of personality as level-headed interlopers who find the "ghost-hunters" in dire straits - and for Najarra Townsend, who illustrates (within the limits the screenplay gives her) range, physicality, and nuance that I know she carries so well.
It may seem like a small thing, but I must deduct another point of regard from the film's success for the unsightly use of neo-Nazi paraphernalia to adorn Zaragoza the first time we meet his character. I assume that that choice was fiercely ironic, but it's unwelcome one way or the other. It's an unfortunate inclusion that plants a solid red flag and somewhat sullies my enthusiasm.
Yet whatever its deficiences, I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The slant it takes will turn off some viewers, nevermind that its approach to the humor is so dry and earnest that it could easily be mistaken for a serious horror flick executed poorly. But if one is willing and able to engage with the movie for what it is, 'Portal' is a wonderfully funny, entertainment lampoon of one of the most dubious sides of the horror genre. Definitely worth checking out if you come across it!
