Paranormal Activity 2

Saw the movie today. Only a handful of people in the theatre but it was a 2:30 show.

Here goes......... I had some mixed feelings about PA2. I would sum it up as not quite good enough.

It's a decent flick but can't measure up to the original with the scares or the ending. Actually for me, the ending felt somewhat rushed and just wasn't that scary. Disturbing, yes. Scary? No. And the pace was a tad slow at times.

The film does in my opinion, an excellent job actually, at establishing the introduction of the characters and very nicely ties in the events of this film with PA though there are some unanswered questions.

Why if Katie's sister is having problems with things going all "paranormal" doesn't Katie then mention this while talking about it to Micah when filming during their paranormal events. And how did that burnt pic get into their attic? But I digress.

I had mixed reactions to the explaining as it were, of the demon's intent and motives outlined by the one of the character that actually uses their brain in this movie and does some investigative work.

I thought it an interesting twist that nicely tied the events of both movies through the obviously frustrated demon and ultimately using Katie to get the job done though it had some help from one character that ultimately involves betrayal. People should be talking about this.

One major nitpick?

The slow buildup up in tension never comes close to delivering anything to what PA did and I really let down with the general lack of overall good scare moments and just how few and far between the great ones there were.

I was hugely disappointed with this. My biggest nitpick of the movie.

The best ones take place in the kitchen and with the daughter on the couch. That entire sequence in the basement where the mother takes the baby, was annoying and fell flat. Not going to lie to you, that second kitchen scare got me though.

One of the few truly, good scare moments.

Also, the the scene with the daughter sleeping on the couch is another. Why, oh why, couldn't they have had more scenes like this? What she experienced was genuinely creepy. I just wished they had more of these types of scares throughout the movie.

It would have been brilliant. And what was the deal with the demon and the basement?

Unlike others, I found the acting was just fine in my books. I saw nothing that indicated lousy, unconvincing acting for the most part. Just a couple of parts that felt forced.

But for all the hype, I still walked away thinking that despite a great job of tying in the events and the overlap between both movies, that it felt like they struggled to come up with something fresh to scare us with this time.

And how can they possibly do a third PA with what happened at the end and the fate of several of the characters? Who gets haunted next?

The movie is going to be successful and I did enjoy most of it despite my nitpicks but still...... They dropped the ball somewhat.

Creating a sequel to a film like Paranormal Activity sounds like a silly idea in theory. The film was released two years after it was made and went on to become a wild, completely unpredictable success. It struck a horrifying chord with audiences, and is one of the few movies I have seen where the participation of the audience was key to the film's overall effect. It was a memorable experience, one that cannot be replicated on DVD. So could a sequel to a film like this do any justice? Rather surprisingly, it can.

Paranormal Activity 2 revolves around the Rey family. Dan (Brian Boland) and his new wife Kristi (Sprague Grayden) have just welcomed newborn Hunter into the family, and very soon after, a weird break-in occurs in the house. Despite the family's affection for hand-held cameras, Dan gets security cameras installed around the house. Then weird, unexplained things start happening.

Paranormal Activity 2 easily could have been a phoned in sequel made specifically to bank on the original film's success. Instead, the filmmakers have crafted a film that not only ups the ante and precedents set in the original film, but enhances them as well. It gives us more characters and more cameras, and uses them to their advantage in every situation it presents. They even manage to craft a method of tying the original film into this one, in a totally unexpected way. It does what every good sequel should do – elaborate and extend the story from its predecessor. The sheer fun and surprise of some of these elements is more than worth the price of admission alone. But of course, the less you know about some of the surprises within the film, the better. It was secretive for a reason, and those going in unspoiled will no doubt enjoy the movie a lot more than those with an idea of what to expect going in.

What also works is that the film does not do away with the little scares and idiosyncrasies that made Paranormal Activity so effective. It lays them on, and builds towards some pretty horrific moments. While the original film relied on freaky and subtle special effects (the footprints and movement of the sheets come to mind immediately), this film relies more on sound and impending dread. The pumping bass gives away some of the scares a little too early in some scenes, but the unexpected high pitched sounds give way to some incredibly terrifying moments. Despite a higher budget, it felt more minimalist in a lot of ways, and showed that the filmmakers did not let success go to their heads. They wanted to maintain the same sense and style of the original film, and never once do they change this wise mentality. There are scenes that are much more elaborate and look like there was more money involved, but for the most part, it looks just as cheap as the original.

The experience of watching with an audience is also maintained here. There are plenty of moments of breathlessness, zany suspense and wild "What the hell is going on?!" moments scattered throughout the film. While the audience is more honed and prepared for some of these scenes than they were in Paranormal Activity, a lot of them still manage to be just as unpredictable and crazy as ever. While I did not see the film with a sold out crowd like I did last year, having a rather large crowd still managed to make the film just as scary as it should be. This is another film that will not be anywhere near as ridiculously effective on DVD.

If there is anything that works against the film (outside of a rather ludicrously bad effects scene involving a pool cleaner), it is that the film takes a bit too long getting around to hooking the audience on for the ride. Part of this is because the film's primary characters are nowhere near as captivating as Katie and Micah were. We care about what happens to this family, and we feel the pains and scares they are going through. But we never see the irresistible chemistry or horrifying realism of what is happening on screen the same way. In this case, it is much clearer that we are watching a movie, and the illusion of it being "real" footage is never there. Part of it is also due to the first act being padded out with a bit too much dialogue and set-up for what we can expect to come. I liked these early moments a lot more than most people did, but I still think they could have been significantly stronger and better honed.

I also feel that, despite the lengths everyone went to creating a film that did not simply cash in on a brand, its lasting impact was nowhere near as intense and petrifying as the original film. It admirably tries, but it never quite reaches the same heights. It can try all it wants to be just as good, but the lasting effect and charm of Paranormal Activity was just how wildly original it was. It is not an easy film to replicate, and while I admired all the techniques used in this sequel to make it feel in line and a worthy sequel, it simply cannot match up and go the distance as a film that betters the original.

I was greatly surprised by what Paranormal Activity 2 has to offer its audience, but must contain my enthusiasm for it. It is the rare sequel that does everything right, but it just never manages to be anywhere near as strong a final product as the original film. It is by no means a disappointment, just simply nowhere near as effective as the original film. And that is not necessarily a bad thing.

7/10.

(This review also appeared on http://www.geekspeakmagazine.com).

A couple become increasingly disturbed by Paranormal Activity in their home that maybe linked to their an infant son. His teenage half-sister against their father wish tries to uncover the truth.

This sequel /prequel contains some quality direction by Tod Williams who takes over the reigns for this instalment. With the usage of static security camera's and some thought out camera work it gives P2 a slight edged and a grander film quality over it's predecessor. However, the jump out sound moments aside the sound effects and design appear less creepy this time around.

The whole cast are fantastic. The acting is plausible and natural by the leads, notably Molly Ephraim who plays the inquisitive everyday daughter and Vivis Cortez as the 'help'. Those with young children and pets will be left a little more disturbed by this follow up and fans of the first will be pleased by Katie and Micah's return.

Sadly, for the most part its purpose is to build up to a big scare at the end. Again it's simply another story told through the eyes of a camera lenses and the writers inject some unnecessary connections and exposition to the goings on which takes away some of the mysteries random edge.

It's nearly 15 years since the 'The Blair Witch Project' used the camera point of view and while Paranormal Activity 2 looks better than the first it goes over the same old formula.

If you enjoyed and were scared by 1st you'll be blown away by Paranormal Activity 2. Yet, old school haunted house fans maybe left less chilled and thrilled.

I love a good horror story, and the premise behind this is a good one- that the sins of the "Father" may be paid for by the "Son." There are strange occurrences in the household, including the house being trashed during a supposed break in. This prompts the installation of video cameras with recorders to record events in and outside of the house. The daughter stumbles across something on the internet suggesting that there may be a demon in the house. This is seconded by the nanny, who senses an evil presence. Sounds like a kind of scary premise, right? Well, that's about it- the premise is never developed. While We learn that the mother and her sister experienced "Disturbances" when they were growing up- we never learn what was the nature of them, only that they do not talk about them. We never learn if there was an ancestor that made a "Deal with the devil," it is brought up and suggested and the movie fleshed out with that premise just accepted. However, it is never explored in any way- and that really makes the plot WEAK.

I know it will seem a cheap shot but I will make it anyway- on the cast listing on IMDD the camera installer man is listed at the top. He gave perhaps the most solid performance of any of the actors and actresses, so perhaps it was meant that way.

Three stars is my rating- a good premise developed with a weak plot and mediocre acting only goes so far. The sad part is that this could have been so good, and so frightening. My gut tells me, like other reviewers have mentioned, that this was a rush job to capitalize on the first movie, and not an attempt at a good, memorable movie- as it is not.

The audience jumped, and begged for it to be less scary. A really fun night out that must be seen in a cinema, otherwise you're just a big scaredy-cat.

I purposely avoided trailers for this because I didn't want any of the story spoiled and I can safely say I wasn't disappointed. Top notch acting, especially the younger sister - I hope we see more of her on the big screen in future.

The original is better but this is a class act too and some very spooky moments.

One scare in particular is worth the ticket price alone.

Go see it!