[Pulse 2:Afterlife]
Plot:The world has been reshaped by the invasion of ghosts via the wireless internet. Cities are deserted, technology has been destroyed and the few remaining human beings eschew anything electrical in order to avoid a confrontation with the soulless ghosts that now wander the planet. Most of the ghosts are doomed to a repetitive loop of something they did while they were still despairing humans, but there are some ghosts so locked in denial, they do not know they are dead. They continue to haunt their homes, wrapped in fear that their souls will soon be torn from them.

Cast:Jamie Bamber, Noureen Dewulf, Laura Cayouette, Karley Scott Collins, Georgina Rylance, Kent Jude Bernard, Robin McGee.

My Thoughts:Decent sequel considering the first film was not that great.

Review:Make no mistake, "Pulse" (2006) was a far better film than it's straight-to-dvd sequel "Pulse 2:Afterlife". The sequel however did it's job well enough, for better or worse. But there was always an underlying feeling of "was this story worth continuing?" as I watched it...which kept nagging at me throughout. The movie picks up where part 1 left off, with no mention of "Pulse"'s survivors Dexter and Maddie. In "Afterlife", the demons have overrun the city, and there are a few areas where no electronic devices can operate...and that's where the survivors have relocated to. However for some reason, a few of the idiots who live in these so-called "safe zones"...still decide to venture into the cities at their own risk.

Go figure. The films focal point is a woman who has caught the black-plague (the infection which eventually causes the person to dissolve), and her quest to find her daughter. Her ex-husband however is also searching for their daughter. He manages to find her first though, just as her mom gets there a little too late to join with her ex husband and her daughter. And as she watches them drive away...she eventually becomes one of the demons. But that doesn't stop her drive to reunite with her daughter. And so this pushes her to stalk her husband and her daughter, even tracking them to the particular safe zone that they're staying at.

The twist to all of this is her ex husband is her ex because he had an affair, and the "other woman" shows up at the safe zone. Not good considering angry now-a-soul-sucking-demon ex-wife is en route to said location. This film is a decent sequel, but it fails on many levels because it breaks it's own rules. For starters, the infected people dissolve much quicker than they did in part one. But I guess to further the plot, that little change in rule was necessary. But worst of all, at the moment where the male lead's ex-wife shows up and he flees with his daughter after his daughter sees what her mother has now become...it's just all wrong for many reasons.

We're supposed to believe that the survivors have taken precautions at these safe areas such as guns, and checking people when they re-enter. Yet the demon-ex-wife easily gets into the safe area to get her daughter..and how does she do this? Through a computer of all things! What great logic! Especially considering the demons can come through the wi-fi, as discussed and mentioned hundreds of times in part 1, and this is after all supposed to be a safe zone. Ya know, a place where there's no internet, broadband, or otherwise service?

Yet for some unknown reason, these sensibilities are all reversed just so they can further this films snoozer of a story. Also one has to ask what the hell was up with the digital sets? Unlike "Pulse", which had the doom and gloom/urban set pieces...this film uses mostly digital video-game-like computerized set pieces which look utterly ridiculous, and really ruin the film to a certain extent. Not sure who's idea this was, but it does nothing to improve the movie. And then there's a nameless guy running around in a bright-red hazmat-like outfit who apparently we learn later on during a polite carjacking, is the new Josh...as he has a way to stop the demons and bring life back to the city.

But he doesn't stick around long enough to let the viewer know what it is exactly. He takes his red little outfit and escapes to god only knows where. And so our boring story continues, with the only sense of drama being that lead guy's daughter is pissed because he won't let her see her mom and lead guy being either too stupid, or nonchalant to explain to his daughter what mommy has become, and why she can't be with her ever again. But then again, this is a guy who screwed around on his wife, and managed...as we learn in the middle of the movie...to paint his ex as an unfit mother so he could gain custody of their child.

So we're not exactly delaing with Mr. Rogers here. Yep, this is a sequel which fails on so many levels, yet because of it's doom and gloom atmosphere...manages to be ever decent still. The situation and scenario as a whole, of digital-soul-stealing demons stalking the city does crepe one out, ever so slightly. And also makes for a pretty grim scenario. In that regard, the film...while not expanding on the story really, still offers up a decent 90 minutes only because it works within the base framework of the first movie.

I also add on a few points for the ending, which was justice at it's finest...and a pretty twisted scene of a guy dousing himself with gasoline before setting himself ablaze. Ya don't see that every film. "Pulse 2:Afterlife" is certainly not an excellent followup, but it does just enough to get the job done....sorta.

Positives:Gas station scene, paints a very grim picture of life and society after the initial digital-demon invasion, great ending.

Negatives:Boring story, digital set pieces were weird and ugly, poor acting by most except the little girl in the film, some huge plotholes.

Overall:One and a half stars out of four.





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