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Three years after he blew the doors off cinemas across the country with one of the biggest modern horror movies, The Conjuring, James Wan comes back with a true sequel to The Conjuring, aptly titled The Conjuring 2. Often, horror sequels try to get too big or too flashy and end up being far inferior to their predecessors. The Conjuring 2 is certainly bigger and flashier, but James Wan has some gift for taking a generic storyline and making it scary as hell. The Conjuring 2 takes place six years after the original film in Enfield, London. It's based on the Enfield Haunting, one of the most well-documented paranormal cases of all time and was labeled "England's Amityville." In this haunting the Hodgson family, a single mother and her four children, are being tormented by a spirit and call on several paranormal investigators to help them, including Ed and Lorraine Warren. The case quickly turns into a media circus with allegations that the haunting may be a hoax, and the Warrens have to decide if the kids are playing an elaborate prank or if the Hodgsons are living in a very real nightmare. Being a horror sequel, or really just a movie sequel in general, it's expected that this movie is going to up the stakes and flashy imagery compared to the original film. The Conjuring 2 is no different. There really isn't a scene that's as brilliant as the hide-and-clap game with Lili Taylor from the first Conjuring. However, at a staggering 134 minutes, James Wan packs in a ton of surprisingly durable scares. After a great opening sequence, Wan gives us about 5 minutes to get acquainted with the Hodgsons before already scaring us silly with the first night at the Enfield house. There's tons of agonizingly long tracking shots that ratchet up the tension for an incredibly long time. What's great is that not all of these shots end with a jump scare. Be warned though because if there is a jump scare, it's perfect. There's not a single cheap jump in this movie. The "scare scenes" themselves are very long; once one of those great tracking shots is done, you'll go to another person for an equally scary scene. Because there's so much suspense and so many scares in the movie, the 134 minute running time never feels too long. It feels just right, although the scares might be exhausting by the end of the movie. Wan also has a knack for making an old scare new again. He can somehow make a tired jump scare scary again, but at the same time, it's not quite as fresh as it was the first time. That's what holds back The Conjuring 2 from surpassing the original film. The Conjuring 2 does have some heart though. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are great as the married ghostbusters, and the Hodgson family is a likable group of people to hang out with for two and half hours. Madison Wolfe steals the show as Janet, who gets put through the wringer throughout the whole movie. Even if it doesn't reach the heights of its predecessor, The Conjuring 2 is an incredibly scary thrill ride that'll be hard to top this summer. I do have to admit that I did scream very loudly once.

I might have been the only one in the world that wanted a sequel to 2010's criminally underrated Alice in Wonderland, but whether you wanted it or not, here's the sequel. Alice Through the Looking Glass takes place a few years after the first movie after Alice has finished her voyage around the world. When she returns, an old friend from Underland leads Alice through a mirror which leads her back to Underland. She learns that her best friend, the Mad Hatter, has lost his "muchness." The Hatter found the first hat he ever made where his family was killed by the Jabberwocky, and he thinks that his family is still alive, but no one believes him, including Alice. The White Queen devises a plan for Alice to steal a device called the Chronosphere which will allow her to travel back in time and save the Hatter's family. All the characters come back from the first movie, although a lot of them are in smaller roles, but the real standout is newcomer Sacha Baron Cohen as Time. He and Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen were surprisingly funny throughout the film and made for some memorable villains. Mia Wasikowska also had a reliably good performance as Alice. Through the Looking Glass doesn't have the thorough world-building that Alice in Wonderland had, but the plot is easier to follow in this one. Along with some breathtaking visuals, Alice Through the Looking Glass should please fans of first film with a fun and exciting return to Underland.

I typically don't see a movie solely for its cast, but I couldn't pass up a movie with Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt and Chris Hemsworth. Winter's War certainly isn't the best thing these actors have done in their careers, but it's still a fairly entertaining twist on the Snow White tale. The Huntsman acts as a prequel and sequel to 2012's Snow White and the Huntsman, which I regrettably hadn't seen before I watched this, and it follows an escalating battle between the Ice Queen, Freya, and her sister, Ravenna. Freya's former Huntsman, Eric and, fellow warrior, Sara, who were raised to protect Freya, have to conceal their forbidden love while combat Ravenna's intentions to take back Snow White's kingdom. Despite the campy writing and plot inconsistencies, I still found quite a bit to enjoy about Winter's War. Watching Charlize Theron be a badass as the Evil Queen was ridiculously entertaining. There's also the beautiful cinematography, costumes, visual effects and *ahem* Chris Hemsworth that made the movie visually stunning. The campy writing also isn't so bad that it goes into cheese territory. It's fairly self aware and fun while not taking itself overly seriously. The plot is a bit more of a fantasy romance with some action in it, but Jessica Chastain and Chris Hemsworth give their characters some life so that you do want to see them succeed by the time the movie is over. The Huntsman: Winter's War is fairly slight entertainment, but it's got a great cast, characters, stunning visuals and a lot of fun.