Paranormal Activity: Tokyo Night

... always take a camera with you, every where you go ... Well that's a version of a popular song, that could apply to this movie as well as to other found footage themed ones. It's more fitting in this case, because of the jump across the "pond" from America to Japan. But even there and with a different culture, evil never sleeps. It might be dragging its feet and its still slower than a turtle (until it puts in the high speed gear that is), but it seems to work its charm every time.

Having a camera while you run for your life or rather catching it and still be able to film coherent material is tricky. But manageable as it seems. All jokes aside, this is a slow burning affair, one that is considered to belong to the Pananormal Activity universe. For whatever reason, other than to make money of advertising and compel to the Asian market that is of course ...

Haruka Yamano (Noriko Aoyama) returns from America to Tokyo in a wheelchair with both legs with multiple fractures in a car accident and is helped by her father and her brother Koichi Yamano (Aoi Nakamura). Their father travels to Singapore for business meetings and Koichi takes care of his sister and films her most of the time with his camera.

On the next morning, Haruka tells that her wheelchair had moved during the night and Koichi check the windows of her room to see if a stranger has broken in their house. He tells that probably a spirit had moved the wheelchair and he uses salt near the door of Haruka's bedroom to protect her against evil spirits. However, on the next morning they find that the salt is spread near the door. He checks the tape and believes that the house is haunted by a ghost. He decides to tape his room too and along the days, weird noises and events happen in the house.

They invite the priest Saionji to purify the house against ghosts and along four days nothing unusual happens. Haruka tells to Koichi that, in America, she had hit a woman called Katie that had just murdered her boyfriend and appeared in front of her car. Their father returns home but he needs to travel again. But on the fifth night they see in the tape that the house is still haunted. Koichi decides to call Saionji again, but they learn that the priest had died five nights ago after leaving their house. Haruka discloses to her brother that weird things had happened to her also in America. Further, she tells that she had researched the life of Katie and had found that the girl was also haunted by ghosts. Now the fiend is more violent and still haunts the siblings and they do not know what to do.

The low-budget "Paranômaru Akutibiti: Dai-2-shô - Tokyo Night" is a remake of "Paranormal Activity", with a similar story. After the original "The Blair Witch Project", many low-budget movies made with hand-held camera have been released. "Paranormal Activity" is ridiculously overrated but this Japanese remake is better than the original. However, the remake of a bad film may be even better, but never a great film. Last but not the least, this is the first time that I see a Japanese remake of an American film and both do not worth watching. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Atividade Paranormal Tóquio" ("Paranormal Activity Tokyo")

When I first heard about a Japanese take on Paranormal Activity, I thought it was a joke. Then I saw the trailer for it and thought it looked horrible. Being a big fan of Paranormal Activity films, I really wanted to see it. Unfortunately, they didn't release it here in America, and I'm still waiting. However, I managed to get that chance to watch it but I couldn't understand a word they were saying since there was no subtitles on the transfer I saw.

To be honest, this film feels just like the first Paranormal Activity. It begins with the guy in front of the mirror adjusting his camera, a lot like Micah's opening scene on the first one. Then he goes out to his driveway to a car where some girl is..... hmmm... feels like the first Paranormal Activity again. But unlike the first Paranormal Activity, it begins with something happening early on in the film. He puts a mound of sugar on the door and finds out that it mysteriously gets wiped all over the floor.

I also like that they kept the whole Night #1 title card that the Paranormal Activity films have. The unfortunate thing is that the first half of the film just feels like a rehash of the first one. Doors opening and closing, the girl screams out of her sleep, sometimes just going nuts for some reason. As I'm watching, I'm waiting for something different to happen. It has to offer something new eventually.

It does.

For the last thirty minutes or so of the film, things get a little crazy. There's a moment in the film that is creepier than any of the American Paranormal Activity films never achieved. I won't spoil it, but let's just say you will know when you see it. There's also a little twist in the end, where you think it's going to end the same way as the first film.... but it doesn't.

Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night is a worthy entry in the Paranormal Activity series. It does tie into the franchise and worth a watch if you like these films. Next time I see it, I'm watching it with subtitles so I know what they're talking about. There's a lot of slow parts, though. Then again, so did the American versions.

This film effectively builds tension and utilizes its cultural setting to deliver scares, drawing upon Japanese folklore and urban legends to enhance the horror experience. The found-footage format adds to the film's realism and immersion, maintaining a steady pace as the supernatural events unfold. The siblings and their relationships with other characters feel so authentic that you can't help but believe they are indeed related even outside the confines of the film. Although the sequel may suffer from a lack of originality, while potentially perpetuating cultural stereotypes, it remains a decent add-on to the franchise, with chilling moments and a unique cultural perspective on the horror genre.

Toshikazu Nagae, the director already made a horror in 2002, Gosuto shisutemu. 8 years later he picked in on the success of Paranormal Activity. It is said that it was a sequel to the original one but I guess that it was said for promotional reasons only. This is just a remake from the original one. Funny, we are used to see it go otherwise. Normally Japanese flicks are remade by Hollywood.

You love or hate the Paranormal franchise. I like them but with this one I missed something. For me the best part were the last 20 minutes. The movie starts with the telling of a girl coming back from the states after a carcrash. Almost after 5 minutes in this flick things go wrong but what I didn't like was that her brother already guessed that an entity was in the house. And from there on it's a pure rip-off of the original. Of course the ghost is being cast out by a priest in Japanese rituals, that's the only difference but towards the end we get that typical The Grudge or Ringu girls, you know the face when you see it.

I never really jumped while watching or ever got a creepy feeling because I have seen it all before. And don't get me wrong, PA3 did give me some goosebumps. But then again I wouldn't recommend it for those who are easily afraid because it all happens at home.

It fits perfectly in the franchise (as did Paranormal Entity)but yes, I think most geeks will hate it.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 1/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5