I just finished watching the original Scream Trilogy for the first time in ten years, and was far more impressed with it than I was at the time of its release (1996-2000).

Ten years have also passed in front of the camera as Scream 4 welcomes a new generation of moviegoers to experience the franchise for themselves.

Back for a fourth time are Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Dewey Riley (David Arquette), Gale Weathers-Riley (Courtney Cox-Arquette), and Roger Jackson as "The Voice."

As we Scream into the twenty-first century, everyone has a Roger Jackson app on their phone that allows them to sound like the killer, webcams, smartphones, and social media are everywhere, Stab (the movie-within-a-movie based on the events of the original Scream) has grown to a seven-movie franchise, and Dewey and Gale are now married, following his proposal to her at the end of the previous movie.

Sydney Prescott is now a successful self-help author and motivational speaker who has returned to her hometown of Woodsboro (a.k.a. Springwood from the Nightmare on Elm Street series) to promote her book "Out of the Darkness," and moves in with her aunt, Kate Roberts (Mary McDonnell, The Closer) and cousin, Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts, Nancy Drew). Her return kicks off a whole new string of Ghostface murders, many of which could have been prevented, or at least delayed further, by common sense and the proper use of modern technology.

Making a welcome return is the self-referential comedy, mystery, and gore that made the first three films such a poignant commentary on the media and society of their time. However, the abundance of technology in Scream 4 is underused when it is absolutely necessary, yet so overused in some instances that it drains one's desire to participate fully in the series' whodunnit aspect. Granted, the who that dunnit is completely unexpected and the ending proved to be ironic on a brilliant scale, but the killers' motivation (if at all present) was selfish, purile, and tired by design when compared to the revenge motives exhibited by Ghostfaces past.

Scream 4 is a recognizable and fairly entertaining appendix to a well-concocted series, but like your average appendix, it otherwise serves no discernible purpose and should be removed if it becomes infected.

Perhaps I will feel differently in another ten years when Scream 5 comes out.

C-