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[Paranormal Activity 2]
Plot:After experiencing what they think are a series of "break-ins", a family sets up security cameras around their home, only to realize that the events unfolding before them are more sinister than they seem.
Cast:Micah Sloat,
Katie Featherston.
My Thoughts:Just as chilling as the original.
Review:Sequels don't usually live up to what came before them. But in the case of "Paranormal Activity 2", it's scary how good-as-the-original, this film is. "Para 2" follows a new family, being tormented and haunted by the very same demon, that tormented, and eventually possessed Katie Featherstone. But the demon is a lot more persistent this time around, and it wants something from the family.
Their baby hunter. But why? I think what makes this movie work is how it is a slow burn. It builds tension and suspense, just as well as it's predecessor. It takes it's sweet time getting to it's strongest scares and scare-points. Just like "Paranormal Activity" did. The movie really strings you along, with some key creepy moments first, before it hits you hard with the real scares, which come later on. This movie focuses on an entire family this time around, as oposed to the first film which was all about Micah and Katie.
This family however, has a connection to Katie. A secret I won't spoil here. And the films timeline also plays a key role in the movie, and the events which transpire within it. Again, another thing I won't spoil for any readers here. But I really didn't feel this movie was any better or any worse than "Paranormal Activity". I really liked "PA", and I thought part 2 was right up there with it. Not one point down or up. Both movies, despite being very different, were a lot of fun to watch and psychologically effective. This movie might scare some people to the bone, or even really mess with their heads.
But for me, it was more chilling than anything. The way the scenes are done, just so effectively, how they're exploited to their fullest potential. This movie truly knows what horror is. It doesn't need blood, guts, gore, or hyper-violence to get at you. All it does really, is put you in a comfort zone of sorts. A sense of false security. And then..."WHAM!"...it'll hit you with an obligatory moment, like a falling pan, or the trademark THUMP, that has become a franchise tag now for the "Paranormal Activity" series. That's what makes this film so enjoyable, how it can freak you out without doing much of anything really, or without following the usual horror movie rules of gore and carnage.
The film really harkens back to the old days of horror, where a drawn out scene or set of scenes, can keep a viewer in suspense, more than a psycho-killer leaping out of the bushes, and killing off some teenage bimbo. The sequel also has more of a story to it, a story thicker than the first films story. This time, the family that is being haunted gets the demons fury in small doses, and sometimes trickier, more subtle doses. But once the family begins to become more and more aware of what's happening, the demon's attempts to snatch the baby Hunter are thwarted more often.
And it then begins to get angry. So the movie then turns to the usual scare tactics of doors opening by themselves, falling objects, and some key terrifying moments where the demon attacks the family in a vicious rage. All of this is captured on the usual cameras because after the family comes home to find their house ransacked, they invest in a set of security cameras. Thus, we see creepy moments unfold almost every night of the family's ordeal. So what's new this time around? Well the family's teenage daughter begins to research the paranormal happenings in her family's house, and the family baby Hunter, along wth the family dog, both react to the demon in many sequences.
This is what strengthens the film though, as not only do we see the human reaction to this sprit, but also the baby's and the dogs. And seeing as how small children and animals can sense bad things more often than adults, via heightened perception, it makes for an even more effective scare tactic within the picture. But the one weakness to "Paranormal Activity 2"?
The father/husband, who in typical horror movie fashion, has to pretty much be beaten over the head with a ball bat before he finally listens to his daughter and wife about their fears that something bad has taken up residence inside their home. This all leads to a shocking ending, in which the film takes a violent turn, but also blends the violence with some very effective terror moments. "Paranormal Activity 2" is a very strong sequel, and definitely worth the price of admission.
Positives:Very effective scares, scenes are drawn out and lengthy with great suspense and strong moments. Good acting, and a terrific ending which is also very powerful.
Negatives:Nothing major, beyond the close-minded father/husband.
Overall:Four out of four stars.
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