Poison Ivy: The Secret Society (2008)

The fourth, and we can only hope the final, instalment in the Poison Ivy series of films is a step backwards after the superb third movie. It's not quite as bad as the second film but it feels more like another kind of film altogether. Like The Skulls but with sexy girls in place of smug, snobby guys. Not that I'm saying that's a terrible thing, it's just not as entertaining as it could be.

Daisy (Miriam McDonald) heads to college and quickly finds herself the subject of attention, some of it wanted and some of it unwanted. She likes handsome young Blake (Ryan Kennedy) but finds her opinion of him changing as her eyes are opened by the manipualtive Azalea (Shawna Waldron). Azalea is quite a prime figure in the secret society known as the Ivy Society and decides to corrupt Daisy and use her for her own ends. And Azalea also uses her sex appeal whenever she needs to wind a man around her little finger.

Bizarrely moving between scenes of sexiness and nudity and scenes that look like they were written for a standard teen chick flick (there's a makeover moment, in particular, that feels as if it belongs in a completely different movie), the film just about keeps boredom at bay but it's a close call.

Miriam McDonald, Shawna Waldron and Ryan Kennedy are all okay. Waldron is undeniably attractive, it's just a shame that the characters are all either too naive or scheming to really root for. Support comes from Crystal Lowe (probably still most recognisable for her role in Final Destination 3), Andrea Whitburn, Greg Evigan and Catherine Hicks.

Three people wrote the script, which makes you wish that just one of them had taken charge and kept the movie properly focused, and Jason Hreno does a capable enough job with the direction. No fancy moves or tricks but this is decent enough stuff for a TV movie. If there's nothing else on.

4/10.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Poison-Ivy-4-DVD/dp/B001RQFXWQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1327960663&sr=1-1