Though many do, I have no real investment in the popular video game series ”Five Nights at Freddy’s”. I’m familiar with the game and even gave it a shot. But it didn’t stick with me. That being said, the series (created by independent game developer Scott Cawthon) has quite the following and frankly it’s easy to see why. ”Five Nights at Freddy’s” had a neat premise which has translated into a successful multimedia franchise.

A big screen adaptation has been in the works for some time but ran into numerous delays for (of all things) script issues. And as it turns out the film’s biggest issue is indeed its script. Written by the trio of Cawthon, Seth Cuddeback, and director Emma Tammi, ”Five Nights at Freddy’s” (the movie) is a classic case of getting so carried away with other things that you shortchange what people are coming to see. More specifically, it gets bogged down in bland uninteresting drama rather than delivering the wacky animatronic horror it advertises.

Josh Hutcherson has the unenviable task of playing Mike Schmidt (not the ballplayer), a down on his luck mall cop who can’t catch a break. He can’t lock down a good job and he’s struggling to support his kid sister Abby (Piper Rubio), especially with his vulture of an Aunt (Mary Stuart Masterson) breathing down his neck. Things only get worse after he’s fired from the mall. Suddenly he finds himself in a desperate situation.

Just when all hope seems lost, Mike’s career counselor (Matthew Lillard) tells him about a job opening. It’s for a nighttime security guard position at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza Place. Once huge in the 1980s, Freddy’s has been shut down for years. But the sentimental owner can’t bring himself to have it demolished. The job description sounds pretty simple. “Just keep your eyes on the monitors and keep people out. Piece of cake.”

Despite the bad hours and even worse pay, Mike takes the job. And as you can probably guess, the job isn’t as simple as it sounds. You see, at night the Pizzeria’s old animatronic mascot Freddy the Bear and his robotic friends (a rabbit named Bonnie, a chicken named Chica, and a fox named Foxy) come to life and roam the premises. And they don’t take kindly to trespassers, even those paid to watch over the place.

So as you can see, it’s a pretty silly concept. But it’s just the kind of material that would make for some fun, outrageous, and completely self-aware B-movie schlock. Unfortunately the filmmakers lead the movie down a much different (and frankly ill-advised) path. They try so hard to be something else by spending an unfortunate amount of time on Mike’s family struggles. We even get this weird quasi-supernatural detective angle where Mike keeps revisiting the same childhood dream in hopes of finding clues to help solve his brother’s kidnapping from years earlier.

One thing the movie gets right is the atmosphere. From the crackle of neon lights to the dust-covered remnants of the once popular family eatery, the movie’s attention to detail makes Freddy’s a genuinely spooky place at night. And fans of the game will find all sorts of cool nods and Easter eggs scattered throughout it. This is by far the film’s biggest strength which is why it’s so frustrating that we spend so much time away from there.

Another gripe had to do with the film’s rating. Without question the movie’s PG-13 rating is going to help it at the box office. But I can’t help but think about how much gonzo gory fun could have been had if Tammi was allowed to really go for it. Instead we get the camera constantly turning away just as someone is about to get their’s. Again, it’s a choice that should make the film more money. But oh what could have been.

Yet if I were to guess, I’d bet franchise fans are going to find a lot to enjoy in “Five Nights at Freddy’s”. The story behind what’s going on in the pizzeria is preposterous and doesn’t always make sense. But the setting is both creepy and nostalgic (for anyone who grew up loving Showbiz Pizza) and the animatronic antagonists are hilariously effective. I’m guessing it will be a little tougher for those with no connection to its video game inspiration. They’ll (understandably) want more than a good setting. And unfortunately “Freddy’s” doesn’t have much more to offer. “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 2 STARS