Rated
R (Some Language and Brief Violent Material)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 31 Minutes
Cast:
Katie
Featherston-Katie
Micah
Sloat-Micah
Sprague
Grayden-Kristi Rey
Brian
Boland-Daniel Rey
Molly
Ephraim-Ali Rey
William
Juan Prieto & Jackson Xenia Prieto-Hunter Rey
Seth Ginsberg-Brad
Vivis
Colombetti-Martine
David Bierend-Surveillance Camera Expert
Directed
by Tod Williams
 |
| There's something by the door... |
Paramount
Pictures struck gold with last year’s terrifying “Paranormal Activity,” from
first-time director Oren Peli. With a shoe-string budget of $15,000 and
featuring unknown actors, the film went on to make $193 million worldwide. A
sequel was quickly announced but many people were skeptical and feared that it
would be a repeat of the disastrous “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2,” which
eschewed the minimalist style of its predecessor as Artisan felt that it wasn’t
‘commercial’ enough. These fears only grew when Peli revealed that he wasn’t
returning to direct and will instead serve as producer. Fortunately, our skepticism
was much ado about nothing, as “Paranormal Activity 2,” while lacking the
freshness of the original, retains everything that worked but also subtly
upping the ante to once again create an unsettling atmosphere.
The
film does not pick up immediately after the first one until its final minutes
but instead focuses on the events that led to it, so in a sense, this is more
of a prequel. Katie’s (Katie Featherston) sister, Kristi (Sprague Grayden) is
happily married to Daniel Rey (Brian Boland) and has recently given birth to a
beautiful baby boy named Hunter. Their family includes Ali (Molly Ephraim),
Dan’s teenage daughter from a previous marriage, the nanny/housekeeper Martine
(Vivis Colombetti), and their loyal German Shepherd Abby. When Hunter is a few
months old, the family finds their house ransacked but with the exception of a
necklace formerly given to Kristi from Katie, nothing valuable was stolen.
Daniel decides to install a number of motion sensor security cameras throughout
the house in case they get burglarized again but it soon becomes apparent that
there is an unseen force at work as strange things begin to occur at night,
such as random objects falling to the floor or a door slamming shut. The
situation gets worse as the days go by, forcing the family to take drastic and
questionable actions to protect themselves.
For
the most part, “Paranormal Activity 2” feels indistinguishable from the
original and the only major change is the new and expanded cast of characters.
You might say this is a flaw but this is one time where changing the formula
was not necessary. Director Tod Williams wisely maintains the escalating sense
of fear and dread but the new characters present a new dynamic in how they
react to what is happening to them. While we may expect the sudden loud noises,
the scares still pack quite a punch and I was literally on the edge of my seat
every time that low droning noise is heard in the background. The film does
stumble at one point as it rushes toward its climax when Daniel sees the
footage of his wife being dragged away and suddenly changes his tune, leaping
onto a drastic measure to save her and their son without considering the
consequences but given his emotional state, it’s not hard to see why. The only
other issue I can point out is the fact that since this is a sequel, it lacks
that sense of newness audiences experienced with the original film and it would
be wise for Paramount to avoid turning this into another “Saw” franchise. Of
course, there’s going to be a third one if the ending is any indication.
The
acting still convinces and we buy the illusion that this is a normal, everyday
family but the increased budget allows for the employment of professional
actors. While all of them are largely unknown with the exception of the
returning Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat, some may recognize Sprague
Grayden, who had a supporting role during the seventh season of “24.” This does
not derail the film but it’s a small misstep as it’s important for the
filmmakers to not let the audience feel that what they’re watching is staged. The
final minutes serve as an epilogue to the original and while not packing the
same out-of-you-seat shock, it’s no less unsettling and keeps us yearning to
know what will happen next.
“Paranormal
Activity 2” was released on October 22, 2010 and went straight for a wide
release, compared to the slow roll-out of the original film as it depended more
on positive word-of-mouth and viral marketing. Reception has been
noticeably more mixed with 61% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the most common complaint
from critics being that it ‘doesn't cover any new ground’ but agreed that ‘its
premise is still scary—and in some respects, it's a better film than the
original.’ Its opening weekend was heavily front-loaded with $41 million at the
box office, suggesting that it might flame out in its second week but the only
competition is the rematch with “Saw 3D,” which is being billed as the final
chapter, though this can be taken with a grain of salt. However, last year’s
“Saw VI” failed to top $30 million and it does not seem like the seventh will
either despite the added premium price of 3D so expect “Paranormal Activity 2”
to take the top spot once again. Despite the novelty having worn off,
“Paranormal Activity 2” is the rare sequel that maintains its frightening
atmosphere despite its minimalist style but those who didn’t appreciate the
original won’t likely be converted.
Final
Rating: 4 out of 5
"I don't know if the house is haunted, but I hope it is."
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