Paranormal Activity 2 - Review

Nothing like a fun scary flick to get you in the mood for the Halloween season. I really enjoyed the first Paranormal Activity. It was gimmicky yes, but it had a suspenseful concept, chilling performances, some great jumps and scares, and is one of the few films to use the "found-footage" concept well. It was the surprise hit of the season, striking a chord with audiences and critics, therefore making a sequel inevitable (A horror sequel??? wow... how original)

Most of Paranormal Activity 2 takes place before the events of the first movie. While the first followed the hauntings of a young dating couple, Micah and Katie, PA2 centers around the family of Katie's sister. The family includes Katie's sister Kristi, her husband Dan, their teenage daughter Ali, and their newborn son Hunter. After a mysterious break-in that left their home trashed, the family installs some security cameras throughout the house. Once the cameras go in, unexplained and seemingly paranormal activity (hey that's the name of the movie) begins to happen with a strange entity pursuing the innocent family.

I could make this the easiest review ever by summing it up like this... Did you like the first one? If you did, then you'll probably enjoy this one too. If not, then I doubt this one will fair any better. And there is where Paranormal Activity 2's biggest fault lies... its more of the same. Aside from having a moderately bigger budget and more camera's at its disposal, there are no major differences. Then again, I suppose if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The story may not be any special and a number of plot holes are pretty distracting but it certainly works in most of the same ways the first one did as well, and it some ways does it a little better.

If there's one thing PA2 does as well as the first, its in building suspense. It does follow a certain pattern and it takes a little while for anything interesting to start happening, but once things get moving, its a fun ride. About halfway through, things really start getting weird, making it easy to forgive the so-so opening. Also like the first, it boasts an eerily effective sound design, utilizing creative sound effects to amazingly creepy and suspenseful results. The visuals and "ghostly effects" are once again used in a minimalistic manner, using little to no cgi but upping the ante from the first. Its definitely best watched in a full theatre, so everyone in the audience will collectively scream at the numerous jump moments. You never know whats around the corner and what's coming next... and that's what makes these movies so fun.

The new characters work well for the most part. The teenage Ali was a welcome addition as an intelligent young individual whose performance was believable and convincing. The mother, Kristi, was somewhat hit and miss. She was the most frequent victim of the entity, and you do have a bit of a connection to her, even if she's not always the smartest. Her husband, Dan, is easily the most unlikeable character in this movie. At first, I didn't have much against the guy, but his actions in the 3rd act are so incredibly stupid, that I couldn't stand him anymore. I won't spoil anything, but when you see the movie, you'll know what I mean. Maybe that was an intentional choice by the filmmakers, but it didn't work for me.

Overall, director Tod Williams gives us a surprisingly enjoyable and suspenseful followup. Its not as good as the first, is quite gimmicky, and it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining without a theatre full of rowdy people. But if you're looking for a fun scary flick to watch with a group of friends this Halloween, this is definitely a good choice.

My Score: 3.5 out of 5!


Happy Halloween Everyone!!!