Annabelle Review

Rated R (Intense Sequences of Disturbing Violence and Terror)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 38 Minutes

Cast-

Annabelle Wallis-Mia Gordon

Ward Horton-John Gordon

Tony Amendola-Father Perez

Alfre Woodard-Evelyn

Eric Ladin-Detective Clarkin

Kerry O'Malley-Sharon Higgins

Brian Howe-Pete Higgins

Ivar Brogger-Dr. Burgher

Tree O'Toole-Thin Woman/Annabelle Higgins

Keira Daniels-Young Annabelle Higgins

Directed by John R. Leonetti

Annabelle is watching you...

Note: At AMC Loews 19th Street East 6.

James Wan's critically-acclaimed horror hit "The Conjuring" opens with an extreme close-up shot of a creepy, wide-eyed porcelain doll with a rather sinister smile. Three college roommates come to believe that this doll is possessed when they begin noticing some strange occurrences. At first, it was small, like a hand or leg in a slightly different position but one day, the doll inexplicably appeared in a completely different room, as if it was moving around by itself. One of the roommates contacted a medium, who reveals that a seven-old-girl named Annabelle Higgins had died in their apartment. She was lonely and had taken a liking to the doll. Being sweet, nurturing types—two of the roommates were studying to be nurses—they gave the spirit permission to enter the doll. Turns out that was a very big mistake as things soon got out of hand for the roommates, forcing them to enlist the help of famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. It's barely five minutes long but the opening scene in Wan's film, which wasn't even related to the main plot, scared me sh*tless and left me gripping the armrests on my seat in terror. Made on a production budget of $20 million, "The Conjuring" grossed over $300 million worldwide and received wildly positive reviews with 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. Because everything has to be a franchise nowadays, Warner Brothers and New Line Cinema quickly green-lit a spin-off revolving around the infamous 'Annabelle' doll. With Wan busy on Universal's "Fast and Furious 7" (he remains as a producer), directing duties were handed off to fellow cinematographer John R. Leonetti, whose previous credits include…"Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" and "The Butterfly Effect 2." The appropriately titled "Annabelle" is an obvious cash-grab but it's a cash-grab that at least preserves the integrity of its well-regarded predecessor, even if it doesn't entirely escape its shadow.

Set in the late-1960s in Santa Monica, California, a young married couple—Mia (Annabelle Wallis) and John Gordon (Ward Horton)—are anxiously preparing for the birth of their first child. Wanting to help complete his wife's doll collection, John presents Mia with a rare vintage doll that she had been searching for a long time but had given up hope on finding. The Gordons' quiet life in the suburbs is shattered when a pair of satanic cultists gruesomely murders their next-door neighbors (Brian Howe and Kerry O'Malley) and then invades their home. One of the cultists wounds Mia before being shot dead by the police. The other one—revealed to be their neighbors' brainwashed daughter (Tree O'Toole)—commits suicide while clutching onto one of Mia's dolls, the vintage one gifted by her husband. The couple tries to move on from the tragedy. However, spooky unexplained occurrences almost instantly befall them. Following a mysterious fire and the birth of their baby daughter Lea, the Gordons move to an apartment in Pasadena, where John begins his medical residency. All seems well, until the strange occurrences that haunted their previous home begin anew. Mia soon comes to suspect her vintage doll to be responsible and finds her suspicions confirmed when she learns that a soul-sucking demonic entity has latched onto it.

It doesn't reach the level of "The Conjuring" but "Annabelle" remains a solid horror flick.

If I had to describe "Annabelle" in one word, it would be 'derivative.' Director John R. Leonetti liberally borrows from James Wan's previous work, mixing the old-school, slow-burn 1970s horror that characterized last year's "The Conjuring" with the jump-scare fest of his "Insidious" films. There are echoes of "Rosemary's Baby" given that the majority of Leonetti's spin-off is focused on a new mother who's often left alone in her own apartment (the Gordons even bear the first names of that film's lead actors, Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes) but Gary Dauberman's script, which briefly flirts with parental anxiety and postpartum depression, lacks the sophistication of Roman Polanski's 1968 magnum opus.

"Annabelle" fortunately makes up for its absence of inspiration by being legitimately scary. Although it revolves around a haunted doll, the film avoids turning into a rerun of 1988's "Child's Play, which is a good thing considering it borrows so much from other horror flicks already. With the exception of one scene, the doll never actually moves. Instead, Leonetti utilizes extreme close-ups and out-of-frame/focus shots to suggest its sinister power. The cinematographer's previous collaborations with Wan has certainly helped his direction here as he knows how to properly build suspense, particularly in one scene that finds Mia watching television and sewing while popcorn pops on a stove that was turned on by an unseen force. Distracted by a soap opera, her finger inches closer and closer to the plunging needle as the loud whirring of the machine prevents her from hearing the sound of popping corn, and soon enough, roaring flames. However, the best moments are the ones where it takes a few seconds for your brain to register what exactly it's seeing. Pursued by a demonic apparition in her basement, Mia runs to the elevator and manages to close the doors but when they open, she's still in the basement! Seeing the exit sign down the hall, she rushes toward it and dashes up the stairs in terror. Of course, Mia trips along the way (you can't have a horror film without someone tripping at least once) and when she turns around…well, I'll leave it to you to discover what she sees. "Annabelle" isn't without its flaws, with the film lacking the exquisite period detail of "The Conjuring" due to its limited production budget. Although the running time is only a mere ninety-eight minutes, Dauberman's script still feels like its spreading itself too thin, with the story falling into a repetitive cycle of 'John leaving Mia at home alone while something terrifying happens.' As far as blatant cash-grabs go, this spin-off remains pretty solid, especially considering Leonetti's previous director credits include the 1997 abomination "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation"!

"May God have mercy on your soul!"

Despite the script's stilted dialogue, the cast—led by the ironically named Annabelle Wallis and Ward Horton—deliver adequate, if unremarkable, performances. The two have a playful chemistry with each other even though they're not entirely convincing as a married couple. Wallis screams and cries with the best of them, earning our sympathy as a beleaguered mother who only wants to protect her newborn baby from whatever supernatural force that is haunting them. Horton is somewhat bland as Mia's husband John but remains likable in the role with his good-natured demeanor. While his character may not be at home to witness the strange occurrences that Mia experiences, he at least supports his wife and doesn't actively question her claims, which is a nice change of pace. Tony Amendola, who has a reoccurring role as Geppetto on the ABC television show "Once Upon a Time," exhibits warmth and wisdom as Father Perez, as does as Alfre Woodard's kindly book store owner Evelyn.

Released on October 3, 2014, "Annabelle" has received largely negative reviews with 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, a far cry from its well-received predecessor. Critics noted that Leonetti 'borrows unabashedly from better horror films, content to leave viewers with a string of cheap jolts that fail to build on the far more effective The Conjuring.' Despite the less-than-stellar reception, "Annabelle" is still on track for a $30+ million opening weekend, which is a huge success considering the production budget is estimated to be a paltry $5 million. There's no denying the fact that "Annabelle" is a cynical, uninspired cash-grab but I still enjoyed it, even if it doesn't quite work on the same level as James Wan's film.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

"I like your dolls."