Attempting to compensate for its own lack of originality and humor, Epic Movie spoofs several dozen films, a few MTV shows and, of course, Paris Hilton.

With the flimsiest of story lines, the film is more spliced-together mimicry.

Epic Movie was directed and written by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, who were among the "brains" behind the similar "Scary Movie" franchise (currently in production for a fifth installment) and 2006's Date Movie.

Having spoofed horror films and romantic comedies, Friedberg and Seltzer satirize mostly summer blockbusters - among them The Da Vinci Code, Nacho Libre, Snakes on a Plane, Pirates of the Caribbean, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the Harry Potter films.

A foursome of orphans (played by Kal Penn, Adam Campbell, Jayma Mays and Faune Chambers) are assembled from spoofs of various films by obtaining Wonka-like golden tickets, but once they arrive at the Chocolate Factory, they find that the candy maker (Crispin Glover) is a homicidal maniac. They escape through a wardrobe and into "Gnania."

The rest of the film is basically framed in a spoof of The Chronicles of Narnia, an odd choice. "Narnia" may have been a big hit, but action films and comic book adaptations are far more representative blockbuster fare. Epic Movie should have been a Superman or Hulk parody.