Cinema Verdict Review: Paranormal Activity 2

Paranormal Activity 2

OPENING: 10/22/2010

STUDIO: Paramount Pictures

RUN TIME: 91 min

ACCOMPLICES:Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
“Nothing can prepare you for what’s next.”

Opening Statement
Paranormal Activity 2 is an effective follow up to the 2009 original. It’s fitting the film is being released to coincide with Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter. You may just want to enjoy a quieter supernatural experience after you see the ghouls and demons on display in Tod Williams’ film.

The original Paranormal Activity was a shocker – a surprisingly efficient horror film that made good use of its ultra-low budget and visual set-up. That film, directed by Oren Peli, employed only one camera for its tale of a suburban twentysomething couple and their ghastly experiences with a demonic presence.

The sequel, adhering to the James Cameron rule of thumb regarding sequels– bigger, faster, and meaner–has a larger budget, more victims to toy with, and around six or seven cameras on which to capture the creepy happenings. The results are familiar, but entertaining.

Facts of the Case
Paranormal Activity 2 is a prequel to the original, with events leading up to those involving Katie Featherston and her doomed boyfriend Micah Sloat. This time, though, it is Katie’s sister Kristi who is the target of an unseen, demonic presence, one who may have an interest in Kristi’s newborn child Hunter.

After a supposed break-in attempt, Kristi’s husband Dan sets up a ring of security cameras throughout the house. It’s not long before the recorded footage begins revealing strange activities–bizarre noises, doors closing on themselves, the dog’s odd behavior–that worsen considerably each night.

Kristi’s stepdaughter Ali, meanwhile, suspects something sinister in the air and attempts to capture the footage on her personal camcorder. Her recordings reveal a shocking truth: that an evil entity is living amongst them.

The Evidence
How do you follow up one of the most successful low budget films of all time? You release a sequel as quickly as possible, up the ante, and double the screams. That’s exactly what Paramount Pictures has done, enlisting the aid of director Tod Williams (The Door in the Floor) to sustain its Paranormal cash machine.

Williams does a commendable job crafting scares–I jumped at least two or three times–and paces the film surprisingly well. His is an easy job. The blueprint was there, he just had to find a way to make it work again. And so we have a family beset by a strange apparatus that makes its presence known by slamming doors, and banging pots–kind of like a 3-year old toddler.

Of course, we saw all of this before in the original. It’s nothing new, but Paranormal Activity 2 doesn’t have to go for new. The scares in both films are akin to the slighter shocks found in other, more successful horror flicks such as Ridley Scott’s Alien, and John Carpenter’s Halloween. You know, the moment where a cat pops out of nowhere, effectively startling the audience before the true terror sets in? That’s Paranormal Activity 1 and 2 in a nutshell, sans the terror.

This is the kind of horror film where laughter is welcomed. You’ll laugh at yourself, laugh at your friends, and laugh at those around you for getting scared. It’s fun for a group on a Saturday night. If you’re alone and want true terror, I suggest Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist.

From a production standpoint, I was surprised at how sharp the film was. Acting wasn’t top notch, but the cast held their ground. The best of the bunch was little baby Hunter whose innocent presence alone further darkened the nature of the demon. After all, it’s one thing to pick on an adult, or even a teenager for that matter, but stay away from the little ones. They don’t deserve it.

The camerawork was believable. I don’t recall a moment where anyone was holding one unnecessarily. Even when a character ventures into a basement with a handheld they utilizes the camera’s night vision to see into the dark. Personally, I’d go for the flashlight, but the gimmick is reasonable enough to buy into. Kind of like the film itself.

Essentially Paranormal Activity 2 is nothing more than cheap thrills strung together with little substance attached. It’s fairly intense with plenty of scares, but there’s little else to recommend. I was disappointed that the demon wasn’t further explained. There is talk of Kristi and her sister practicing witchcraft as kids, and of an old relative who may have made a pact with an evil spirit for riches, but that’s about it. Perhaps such explanations aren’t necessary. After all, audiences who flock to movies like Paranormal Activity 2 aren’t interested in understanding the scares, they just want to laugh and throw popcorn.

Closing Statement
While the novelty of Oren Peli’s original film is lost, Paranormal Activity 2 is still effective as a crowd-pleasing, bump-in-the-night ghost thriller thanks to sharp direction from director Tod Williams, who makes the most of a very basic, but decidedly unique concept.

The Verdict

7/10