Annabelle 2: Creation

Have an appreciation for horror and there are a fair share of good to classic ones in the genre as well as a fair share of not so good and even downright bad ones. Really liked both 'The Conjuring' films so watched 'Annabelle', which was inevitably compared to them a lot, and found myself disappointingly not caring all that much for it (while not detesting it).

Saw 'Annabelle: Creation' after hearing that it was a much better film and also that it looked quite good. After seeing it, it is agreed that it is a far superior film to 'Annabelle' in most areas. There are still faults here and major ones and it's not my definition of great, but whereas 'Annabelle' was lacklustre this just scraped above average and what 'Annabelle' didn't do well in this does much better. It has clearly not worked for some and that is understandable.

'Annabelle: Creation' as aforementioned has issues. The dialogue is still very awkward-sounding and banal, doing little with developing rather clichéd characters, and while the familiarity of the story didn't bother me actually (although there are certainly predictable moments, and a little over-simplicity going on) the ridiculousness and illogic of the final third was less forgivable.

Likewise with the ending, that was as rushed and anti-climactic as that for 'Annabelle'. Stephanie Sigman overacts a bit too.

However, 'Annabelle: Creation' is a good looking film, with a great Gothic atmosphere, lush and darkly atmospheric production design and stylish photography. The supernatural effects are surprisingly excellent too. The music is haunting and the direction brings a genuine eeriness and mysteriousness, as well as much more momentum and ease, that was not there in 'Annabelle'.

Where 'Annabelle: Creation' is vastly superior in too is that it is scarier and more interesting. There may not be an awful lot novel, but there are some nice jolty shocks, the odd unsettling surprise and some genuine suspense and dread on particularly a psychological level. There is far more momentum here and the pace is tighter. The story intrigues, while the characters may not be the best developed but they at least have personality and easier to get behind. The acting is much better here too, with the standout performances coming from Talitha Bateman and Lulu Wilson (both terrific).

Overall, not great but a decent improvement. 6/10 Bethany Cox

The Mullins (Anthony LaPaglia, Miranda Otto) suffer a tragedy when the daughter Bee is hit by a passing car. Twelve years later, they open their home to abandoned girls. Janice is handicap and Linda is her best friend. There are four other girls and Sister Charlotte. Their world is turned upside down after Janice finds the doll Annabelle locked in the closet.

This is a nicely made horror movie. It has nice set pieces and individual scenes. The doll and the entity serve as nice horror villains. Whether I like or love this depends on the girls. The young actresses are fine but the characters need more individuality to stand out. Janice and Linda are the main lead. While they have more screen time, they should be given even more. One of them should be in every scene. The horrors are too scattered among the girls. It would be more horrifying if Janice and Linda suffered while the others disbelieve. That should hold out as long as possible. The other girls lack individuality which make them too much like cannon fodder. I do grow to care for the girls but it should happen sooner. Overall, it's better most horrors and it's well executed.

This movie is th scariest scary movie I've seen in SUCH A LONG TIME! It's better and scary than the first one with a better story line and twist. I was not expecting this movie to be this good!

I'm not sure if you're like me, where every new horror feels as if someone is flogging a dead horse, but that's exactly how I felt about Annabelle Creation. Here we go again, it's a prequel to the original. That doll is dug out, sat stationary, and all manner of nasty events happen.

It's a very nicely made film, it's very well acted by the largely young cast, it's a good, if sad story, and there are a few decent scares. The trouble is, those scares have been done so many times, even, dare I say it throughout the franchise.

It lacked the interesting side story that was present throughout the Conjuring films. As I say it's a good movie, but come on, give us something other then doll scares girl.

It's nice to watch a horror film where it gets better and better, and this one is going in the right direction.