Film series have a habit of crashing and burning at the exact point they hit episode 4.

So it comes as something of a relief that the latest sequel sausage factory has the power to genuinely entertain – so long as your threshold for cheap comedy staples is agreeably high.

Part 4 follows that well-trod path with a frenetic 83 minutes that never outstays its welcome and manages to raise a few easy smiles along the way.

The film follows the plotline of War of the Worlds pretty faithfully – with surprisingly comparable special effects – but finds plenty of time to take swipes at, amongst others, The Grudge, Saw and most effectively The Village.

And while the likes of Leslie Nielsen, Carmen Electra, Bill Pullman, Shaquille O'Neal and a parade of impenetrably monikered hip-hop stars all step up to the plate for a spanking the film really belongs to Craig Bierko.

Tom Cruise in all but surname, Bierko infuses the comedy with a wide-eyed imbecilic charm and most of the laughs come from his idiotic attempts at first escaping and then thwarting the ensuing alien attack.

However – like the water-squirting incident that greeted SM4's main target in London last year – the humour on display is undemanding and directionless when it could be incisive and cutting.

If there was anything even mildly sardonic to say about the state of contemporary cinema then it might cross over from simple parody to genuine satire.

While many of the set pieces are clearly designed to send audiences into uncontrollable spasms the real gems are the blink-and-you'll-miss-'em moments synonymous with director David Zucker – the crash-landing hand glider is an absolute beaut – and though there's nothing new on offer here Scary Movie 4 can't fail to amuse.

File very much under "Guilty Pleasure".

Tim Postins