Paranormal Activity 2

Paranormal Activity 2



The last bit of this film made up for the first half.

Paranormal Activity 2 is the story of one family who decide to get some security cameras installed in their home after they suspected they were robbed. What the cameras find is something more paranormal.

The first film was made for next to nothing in one guys house with some friends. It had good special effects that seemed more realistic because of the simplicity of everything. It was a huge success based on word of mouth. Ca-ching. Now we have a sequel. In sequels usually the filmmakers will go bigger and better. Paranormal Activity 2 still has the same low key feel to it but at the same time it does feel grander.

I was bored to death with the first half of this film. The building of the tension was a bit slower for me than I would have liked. Paranormal Activity, if I remember correctly, did not take as long to get to where it wanted to go. The building of suspense here is too mundane. Luckily for this film, the second half woke me up and it was some pretty exciting stuff. Let me get this out of the way though, it does not have the same affect as the first one. The atmosphere that was in the air with the theatre from the original was gone with this one. We knew what to expect. We knew what the scares were going to be. "Okay, this is where the door closes. This is where she gets dragged on the floor. This is where we hear noises."

With that being sad, this film did do a few things differently than the first. The original film relied on visuals to scare the audience. Shadows, hooves imprints, flaming Ouija board, blankets, possession, etc. The sequel however relies more on sound. The sudden loud moments are what make you jump, not the visuals. The jump scares are in this one where the uneasy tension of fear was in the first.

The sequel also tries to up the ante by introducing a baby in danger. Babies are defenseless after all. Let's not forget animal endangerment as well. All aspects that overall did nothing for me, but it was a nice addition to change it up a little bit. The film also has some sort of story that goes with it. It gives a little bit of information on why these things are happening and I was surprised that they decided to go this route.

I give them credit for making it connect to the first one more than I thought it would. It doesn't come off as a sequel with no purpose (even though it actually is). The story it dives into gives more background to the first events and connects the dots. I must say that the last 5 or so minutes were the best part of this film.

Paranormal Activity 2 gets a thumbs up from me, even if it does lack the charm, fear and respect of the first one.

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Suspect's Reviews

This is why I feel it was overall basically on par with the first one, but just because the first one was set up in such a matter of fact way that made it seem like a documentation, a sequel does spoil that idea.I would agree here but then I was wondering if this accusation is based on previous expectations. Honestly I think the slow build up worked in the sense that all the crazy stuff seemed to happen so consecutively that because you weren't expecting a lot, it made it all the more intense.I dunno man, when she got back to her room and was close-lined, it was pretty awesome. Plus that kitchen cabinet part was brilliant, so I don't think most of these were predictable. The whole last 1/3 of the movie was more or less unpredictable.

Just sayin. I enjoyed it more than you did haha

There were bits that were interesting. You knew something was going to happen in a particular scene, but maybe not know what it was, like the cupboards. Which was scary because of the sound design behind it.

I liked how they changed it up with the cameras though. The security camera aspect gave it different feel because they are not always recording themselves. So I really dug that aspect of it.

Since self promotion is frowned upon here, and in-post linking a definite no-no, I'll just paste the review I put up on my blog on Friday.

(80) Lowered expectations, from being slightly disappointed in the first film, and mixed responses from friends contributed to putting me in the right place to be taken by this sequel. The security system scenario seemed lazy, and the players less endearing, initially but Williams knew just how much to show us and the new actors prove themselves during the prolonged payoff sorely missing from the original. See Paranormal 2 on a dinner date and you probably won’t have to sleep alone.

It may not be the scariest movie ever made but at least this time around the advertisements didn't claim it to be. It's certainly scarier than "Saw 3D," though, and maybe the most frightening thing I've seen this year.

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While I didn't think it was quite as good as the first, I thoroughly enjoyed PA 2. It seemed to stay true to its original essence. I was glad they avoided going too grandiose in light of it having a much bigger production company behind it this time. And they avoided making it into some sensationalist piece. The whole "mundane" aspect of the tension and suspense really adds to the movie I think. Makes it feel much more realistic. They proved once again though that they have a command of the use of suspense and tension which, after a somewhat slow start, was practically brilliant.

It says a lot for a movie and it's command over the audience when at the end of the film you hear the whole audience holding their breath, quiet mumbling as the screen goes black and stays there before end credits. Just waiting for something to happen and scare you again. Then the entire audience lets out a collective sigh when the credits to roll. In that final 45 seconds or so there PA 2 exhibited what a masterful control of suspense the creative minds behind the franchise really have, when they can grasp the audience in the palm of their hand like that.

Great insight! I've thus far decided not to see this movie. But your reviews give me some confidence I won't be disappointed.

great review, decided not to see in theatres. ill be waiting for dvd/netflix. thanks!

The rating is still low compared to the first Paranormal Activity. It seems sequels these days are trying to make money using the success of the first movie. Anyway, it's still worth watching as long you don't expect something greater or scarier than the first one. Other than that, I hate horror movies that involves babies.. LOL.

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J.C.

will have to check this out.

I didn't like the first paranormal activity at all. I still want to watch this one though. I want to watch it first to judge for myself. If its horrible halfway through, then I'll will stop.