OK, what did I really expect?

Paris Hilton doing a gratuitous striptease - Check. Boneheaded teens being slaughtered in order of their relative importance to the plot - check. Villains who can handle pretty much any bodily injury short of decapitation without being slowed down - Check.

While the teen adventure horror is not normally my cup of tea, I found myself in a darkened theatre on a rainy Sunday watching House of Wax, and on some level - being entertained.

Fans of the original House of Wax, featuring the immortal Vincent Price, need not be concerned about defilement of their sentimental memories of the kitschy classic, as this update makes no real attempt to emulate the original. Really, the only similarity is the basic MO of the bad guys in their treatment of the victims.

Mindless entertainment, but genuine entertainment nonetheless, though for the budget-minded, I'd recommend holding off until it's out on DVD.