5 out of 10
Paranormal Activity 2 tries really hard to stick to the formula that made the first film so successful and largely it succeeds in doing so, but the magic, so to speak, is gone. That’s not to say that PA 2 is a bad movie, it’s not, it’s just not as good as the original. The first film was like catching lightning in a bottle and that is nearly impossible to pull off twice.
Stylistically, director Tod Williams sticks to the same palette that Oren Peli used in the original. That is to say, Activity 2 is filmed like a home video, with characters cut out of the frame and your basic shaky cam technique. This is essential, because had they tried to film this differently, PA 2 wouldn’t work on any level. Director Williams wisely takes it up a notch though by adding multiple security cameras to show the action. The security cams are also explained in a tidy, efficient way; the new haunted family has them installed due to a break in (or was it?).
Although this is the second film, PA 2 happens concurrently with the first chapter and as such connects the characters in this film with the last. I don’t want to ruin the surprise by telling you the connection, but by and large it works. By connecting the films, the filmmakers have also deepened the mythology behind the series, but to what extent? I don’t know that they can continue with this particular storyline in further installments.
So what is the problem with the movie you ask. Ultimately it comes down to not generating the same air of suspense that the original did. Don’t get me wrong, there are almost as many jump in your seat moments as the first film, but the vibe is different. Because of the way Paranormal Activity was generating hype and buzz, each little spooky moment, seemed all the more spookier. The second, although it tries hard, doesn’t generate as much excitement. This is by no means the fault of the filmmakers, but it does make Paranormal Activity 2 stand out as an unnecessary sequel, that was made strictly to capture more box office dollars. There’s nothing wrong with that, this is the movie “business” after all, but from an artistic standpoint, it is pretty pointless.
This time around, the house being haunted is occupied by a family. We meet them a year before the spookiness starts just as Mom and Dad are welcoming the birth of their bouncing baby boy. The couple also have a teenage daughter (the father’s from a previous manager), a middle aged, Spanish, nanny and a loyal German Shepard the size of a small pony. Fast forward a year and the family is having the aforementioned security cameras installed after a break in, in which nothing was stolen. Soon enough the cameras start recording some disturbing things such as pans jumping off their hooks, doors opening and closing of their own accord and the pool’s vacuum mysteriously surfacing out of the pool on to the cement. All of these things are meant to be frightening, but in fact they are rather tame. A few occurrences get your heart beating faster, but everything that unfolds on screen in between jolts is rather boring. Everything leads up to what’s supposed to be an exciting climax, but it feels quaint after seeing part one or Blair Witch for that matter. All of these mockumentary style horror films have to end in a nearly identical fashion, and at this point, the thrill is gone.
The cast dutifully play their roles and are all fine but the characters in the first film were much more charismatic. No one here has even close to the comic timing and line delivery that Micah Sloan conveyed in the first film, although, thankfully, he does appear in a few scenes in what amounts to a glorified cameo. Katie Featherston has more screen time than him and is also a welcome relief. She still greatly reminds me of Jenna Fischer from The Office and I can’t help but think that at any moment, Steve Carell is going to pop around the corner and yell boo.
All in all, the film stays true to its indie roots and you have to admire that, but Paranormal Activity 2 adds up to less than the sum of its parts. It has all the bark of the original, with none of the bite.