About Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)
Just as Daniel and Kristi welcome a newborn baby into their home, a demonic presence begins terrorizing them, tearing apart their perfect world and turning it into an inescapable nightmare. Security cameras capture the torment, making every minute horrifyingly real. Critics warn that Paranormal Activity 2 will haunt you long after its shocking final scene.
Directed by: Tod Williams
Runtime: 91 minutes
Studio: Paramount Pictures
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Review: Paranormal Activity 2
I reviewed the first Paranormal Activity film some months back and I thought it was dreadful. The shocking ending wasn’t bad but it couldn’t compensate for everything that had gone before. This sequel is partly a prequel but partly runs simultaneously with the events of the first film. My only hope when tackling Paranormal Activity 2 was that it would be everything the first film wasn’t i.e. good.
Following a burglary where the house has been trashed but the only thing stolen is a necklace, Kristi (Sprague Grayden) and Dan Rey (Brian Boland) have some security cameras installed to keep an eye on things, especially their baby son, Hunter. Of course we know this isn’t a burglar but something paranormal and very unpleasant that wants to do harm. The security footage gives us some very revealing images of a malevolent spirit at work but what will the family do to stop this?
This film links to the first one as Kristi is the sister of Katie (Katie Featherston) who was in the first film with her boyfriend. The necklace that is stolen at the start of the film was a gift from Katie to Kristi and remains the only thing pilfered in the house though all the rooms are damaged save Hunter’s bedroom. The family foolishly get rid of the housekeeper Martine (Vivis Cortez) who tries to keep evil spirits at bay, while Dan’s teenage daughter Ali (Molly Ephraim) begins to suspect not all is at it seems, especially when she is lured outside whilst babysitting and the door is closed behind her!
The monotony of the first film is prevalent here I’m afraid. Things became so bad that whenever a new night started I found myself guessing which room of the house the security cameras would show us next! Worryingly, in the 90 minutes the film is on I learned the order! I think it goes pool, kitchen, bottom of stairs and Hunter’s bedroom but I have slept since memorising the order. There are some improvements here. The German Shepherd dog is a welcome addition, clearly alert to the malevolent presence in the house while the spirit seems fascinated by the baby but none of it is especially scary. People being dragged out of rooms and down stairs may have startled in the first film but not this time round. Even when a potentially scary moment occurs the camera is shifting round so fast you’ll just be shrugging your shoulders wondering what the hell is going on.
Although Paranormal Activity 2 has a couple of improvements on the first film you will find the whole thing less than impressive. The storyline ties up well with the first one to be fair, there is at least evidence of some thought there, but the concluding segment is very similar to the first film so it won’t shock you all that much. I don’t deny that the concept for the Paranormal Activity films is a good one but a lot of the trickery used here to deliver scares such as heavy footsteps, slamming doors and pans falling from rails are nothing new. A third film has already been made and I imagine a fourth will follow soon as well. Such reality does nothing to increase my enthusiasm. This was better than the first film but not a great improvement really.
Paranormal Activity 2 may be a superior film to its predecessor but it asks a lot of its audience to spend time with a family who are not particularly interesting. Once again, the dog is the star of the show here, brilliant acting performance, made for a very convincing dog in my opinion. The dog aside and the decent ending are just not enough. I will watch Paranormal Activity 3 at some point but hopefully not for a while.
Verdict: 1/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Paranormal Activity 2 | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
