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Review: “PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2”
This movie is a “sequel” to the film with the same basic name that came out 3 years ago. Before the advance screening I attended, there were some comments made by 3 of the Police stars of the A&E TV series Chicago Paranormal Detectives, who spoke of the previous film (which they’d enjoyed) & how at least one of their group is thoroly a “SKEPTIC” about the basic subject of “mystical” type occurrences…
… This new film is shot (in what purports to be Carslbad, CA) as if it was a sort of “documentary” (ala “Blair Witch”, etc.). It’s what I call an “OLD-style” horror movie, in which “Things go BUMP (& THUD) in the night”, rather than the new “SERIAL killers” type where “Things go Crunch, SPLATTER & Splash at ALL times of the day”…
… The main “returning” character is Katie (played by KATIE FEATHERSTON) as a once-“TROUBLED” young woman. Her boyfriend is Micah (played by MICAH SLOAT). In this version, an “unknown” actress plays her sister who, along with her husband (played by BRIAN BOLAND), has just had a new baby boy called Hunter. There’s a teen-aged daughter from a “first” marriage, a Latina lady who plays their nanny, & a very “charismatic” & memorable German Shepherd dog…
… After baby Hunter is brought to the large new home, “STRANGE” things keep happening in the house. As “supernatural” phenomena keep occurring (such as odd movements by a pool-cleaning machine & various falling items & eerily-moving “smoke”), many of the people react in what to-me are very OUTLANDISH ways:
… The father is (typically) “OBLIVIOUS” to there being any importance to the bizarre happenings; his wife is “alert” to the happenings, but is strangely “brave” and “silent” in the face of them; the teen daughter does foolish things like opening DOORS to see what’s “causing” the troubles; and, when things become increasingly “DANGEROUS” & “THREATENING” to all concerned, rather than do anything “LOGICAL” like seeing a psychologist or calling the POLICE, they instead contact an INCENSE-WAVER!...
… There are some GOOD “creepy” special effects, such as movements regarding the baby & his mother -- but they’re comparatively “few & far between”. The story is SLOW in getting started, the “Demon” element is pretty concealed, unexplored & ineffective, there’s a massive number of “HOLES” in the story (wherein people act stupidly and a number of things are NOT “explained”), & the DOG is perhaps the most consistently sensible, interesting & “heroic” of the group…
… Overall, while the acting is passable, the movie is just “OK”, leaving me with an “EHH—“ response. It’s not actively “bad”, but I’d rate it at just 6.00 out of 10 stars…
This movie is a “sequel” to the film with the same basic name that came out 3 years ago. Before the advance screening I attended, there were some comments made by 3 of the Police stars of the A&E TV series Chicago Paranormal Detectives, who spoke of the previous film (which they’d enjoyed) & how at least one of their group is thoroly a “SKEPTIC” about the basic subject of “mystical” type occurrences…
… This new film is shot (in what purports to be Carslbad, CA) as if it was a sort of “documentary” (ala “Blair Witch”, etc.). It’s what I call an “OLD-style” horror movie, in which “Things go BUMP (& THUD) in the night”, rather than the new “SERIAL killers” type where “Things go Crunch, SPLATTER & Splash at ALL times of the day”…
… The main “returning” character is Katie (played by KATIE FEATHERSTON) as a once-“TROUBLED” young woman. Her boyfriend is Micah (played by MICAH SLOAT). In this version, an “unknown” actress plays her sister who, along with her husband (played by BRIAN BOLAND), has just had a new baby boy called Hunter. There’s a teen-aged daughter from a “first” marriage, a Latina lady who plays their nanny, & a very “charismatic” & memorable German Shepherd dog…
… After baby Hunter is brought to the large new home, “STRANGE” things keep happening in the house. As “supernatural” phenomena keep occurring (such as odd movements by a pool-cleaning machine & various falling items & eerily-moving “smoke”), many of the people react in what to-me are very OUTLANDISH ways:
… The father is (typically) “OBLIVIOUS” to there being any importance to the bizarre happenings; his wife is “alert” to the happenings, but is strangely “brave” and “silent” in the face of them; the teen daughter does foolish things like opening DOORS to see what’s “causing” the troubles; and, when things become increasingly “DANGEROUS” & “THREATENING” to all concerned, rather than do anything “LOGICAL” like seeing a psychologist or calling the POLICE, they instead contact an INCENSE-WAVER!...
… There are some GOOD “creepy” special effects, such as movements regarding the baby & his mother -- but they’re comparatively “few & far between”. The story is SLOW in getting started, the “Demon” element is pretty concealed, unexplored & ineffective, there’s a massive number of “HOLES” in the story (wherein people act stupidly and a number of things are NOT “explained”), & the DOG is perhaps the most consistently sensible, interesting & “heroic” of the group…
… Overall, while the acting is passable, the movie is just “OK”, leaving me with an “EHH—“ response. It’s not actively “bad”, but I’d rate it at just 6.00 out of 10 stars…
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