The following statement has caused me much derision from many online friends and foes, but here goes again anyway: the last four movies that I've seen (either at home or in a theater) that really, truly scared me were "Suspiria," "Signs," "The Blair Witch Project," and "Paranormal Activity." Many horror fans hold "Suspiria" in a very high regard as not only one of Dario Argento's true masterpieces but an unmitigated horror classic, so I'm off the hook for that one, but I know plenty of folks who completely despise the other three movies. Not only that, they seem perfectly content to sling mud at anyone who enjoyed them. They may have been cheap, they may have been derivative, but one thing is for certain - I can't deny the effect they had on me, for very different reasons. For as long as I live, I'll never forget my experience watching the original "Paranormal Activity" a scant year ago. There's little empirical evidence I can provide for the following statement, so hopefully you're not annoyed by completely blanket propositions: I saw "Paranormal Activity" under the absolute best conditions. It was an afternoon showing, with maybe ten other people in the theater; outside, the weather was very cloudy and gloaming, and upon exiting a light rain had begun to fall. The size of the audience was very important; in a huge crowd setting, the audience members would likely be tempted to either (a) laugh, or (b) begin riffing on the film in MST3K-like fashion. With less people, it would have just been phenomenally boring. On that day, all ten of us were silent, riveted, and utterly engrossed in what was unfolding before us. Then, as an added bonus, yours truly got to drive home through the middle of nowhere in the rain. That was a fun ride.
The film itself was one of the best-executed thrillers that I have seen in recent years; it did a phenomenal job building up its suspense, its characters, and its situation. Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat were all too believable as a long-time couple with their entire life in front of them, completely undeserving of the supernatural pickle they find themselves in, and of the death sentence that eventually cracks down like the proverbial whip. In addition, the movie's creator-writer-director Oren Peli served up a tour-de-force in the atmosphere department; his goal with the film was to exorcise his own fear of ghosts, and since the movie deals with a denomic entity rather than a earthbound spirit, it's hard to argue that his ambitions were solid. The movie worked because, with a couple exceptions (the absentee demonologist, anyone?), the story was believable and the characters were sympathetic. For the most part, this is also true of the sequel.
While it takes a while for the plot cogs of "Paranormal Activity 2" to click into motion, we're able to piece together much of the basics within the flick's first act. Our central characters this time are Kristi (whose actress I can't name since IMDB has really dropped the ball on this one and currently doesn't have any casting info up yet), the second wife of a wealthy fast food owner named Dan who has a teenage daughter from his previous marriage. These people are all well-played by their respective performers, although not quite as engaging as Katie and Micah; perhaps it's unfair to compare the two since the situations are a very apples and oranges thing, but during the non-spooktacular scenes, this sequel isn't quite as gripping as its original film. Maybe it's just glandular. One thing is for certain - Ali, the movie's teenage character, is the rare horror movie teen whom you aren't rooting for to get lopped off at the neck. Added bonus and redundancy alert.
Just like the original, it takes a good long while for things to really start kicking into high gear, but the plot shouldn't surprise anyone. The new baby and German shepherd clearly see things that the rest of the family cannot. The pool cleaner mysteriously needs to be placed back in its expensive pool every morning. The various cameras that serve as the looking-glass into the lives of these characters (which is set up this time by an early instance of demon hijinx that the family mistakes as a malicious burglary attempt, thus leading to overzealous Dan installing the cameras as a means of security and surveillance against the would-be thieves) begin ticking by the nights and times in the same vein as the previous movie, as our eyes dart from one side of the screen to the other, desperately searching for anything that appears off. Since Kristin is Katie's sister, and this film takes place months before the events of the original, conversations arise that give us some inkling as to just what the origin of this whole conflagration may just be. And after all of the predictable "is it or isn't it a ghost?' argument scenes, the movie gives us an ending that is simultaneously hackneyed and satisfying.
Which brings me to the one glaring problem I have with this movie; the character of Dan, or "the dad," as most people will remember him. He starts off likable enough, but as the movie progresses he becomes your typical haunted house movie father character. Namely, he completely ignores all the evidence that would be plain as day to just about any sane human being despite the pleas of all other family members and comes up with truly eye-rolling rationalizations ("the wind closed the door" is heard many times throughout this movie). He also makes a decision in the final act that is downright detestable. Having said that, it provides the AFOREMENTIONED hackneyed ending with just a touch of poetic justice.
For the record, I have to state that I PRAY that very ending doesn't lead to another sequel. "Paranormal Activity 2" is quite the effective little movie. Its jump scares are truly jump-worthy, and a couple of them may just stick with you long after this film's 90-minute running time has completed. But it becomes apparent roughly halfway through the experience that this is a movie series that has already run its course; the story that needed to be told has already been laid out, and any further explanation for the demonic haunting or more gimmick infringement and/or expansion will just be seen as masturbation by the public at large. If you're in the mood for some good, solid creepy Halloween week theater viewing, however, look no further; this movie will more than tickle your scary bone.
*** out of ****.
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