It's a movie that targets the "out of place" well. That's where it's easy to not get into it. It requires a certain level of detatchment from your self. The first part of the movie is slow for the purpose of the viewer to get an attachment to the stars. Similar to Stars Wars: A New Hope and Lord of the Rings: Fellow Ship of the Ring. If there was no attachment the second parts of these movies wouldn't have had the impact of being as good as they were.
In your case you found no attachment to the characters early on. Maybe you prefer gore, hack and slash and movies with sudden jumps. I'm not familiar with your movie preferences. PA uses about 2/3 case research study of "true" paranormal activities and hauntings. "Real" incidences don't start with a bang and lead to a climactic showdown fear fest. They are a slow build of "out of place" events to set your nerves on being uneasy.
It's a good movie, but like all movies. You need to be receptive of it as a movie for it's type. Instead of say being a Action Junky and expecting a good RomCom. My Mother in-law heard GTA 3d versions was awesome and wanted it. Once she got it. She thought it sucked. Good game, good movie doesn't mean it's good for you.
Squilliam: On Vgcharts its a commonly accepted practice to twist the bounds of plausibility in order to support your argument or agenda so I think its pretty cool that this gives me the precedent to say whatever I damn well please.
