Supermallet

Yeah, looks like crap. Part of what was great about the first one is how small the initial hauntings were. Unless everything they've shown is from the last third of the film, it looks like subtlety is out the window.

Matthew Chmiel

It looks like they're staying true to the set-up of the first one, so that already gives it an edge over the possible Blair Witch 2 syndrome. However, unlike Suprmallet, I hope everything they're showing is in the first two-thirds and hope the third-act is a fucking free for all... but, I do agree and it just doesn't look as good.

I'll be down for a midnight showing only (hopefully the free one if Vegas stays in the top twenty) to see the audience flip out again... considering its any good.

Matthew Chmiel

Free screenings on Wednesday night at midnight in the top 20 most demanded markets:

http://www.paranormalmovie.com/rsvp/

islandclaws

Ok, I can't say much more than this but a couple friends of mine have seen the film and they swear to me that it's awesome. Like, amazingly, catch-you-off-guard awesome.

riotinmyskull

fuck. you mean i might have to actually see this now?

Groucho

How did they feel about the first film?

islandclaws

They both really enjoyed the first film, but they also saw it months before the hype hit. Trust me, I prodded them something fierce about the fact that 2 looks so shitty, but they promised I wouldn't be disappointed.

Supermallet

Unless it's a musical, I highly doubt it will catch me off guard.

Solid Snake

Lines start forming at 4pm? fuck that...not worth my time.

GenPion

Now that would be something to catch audiences off guard. I almost wish a movie advertised as a spook-fest would turn out to only be that way in the frosting, and contain something like this in the center.

I really disliked the first film. I just didn't find it scary in the slightest.

I'm curious though as to how this second one does box-office wise.

If it performs well, I do believe we may have another scary movie series for every Halloween for the next few years... so I'm wondering as to whether or not people will buy into the marketing for this film or not.

Matthew Chmiel

I don't want to state that Paranormal Activity 2 is a complete failure, but it's an interesting failure to say the least. There are portions of the film that seem good on paper, but the execution is pretty terrible.

When it comes to making sequels to films that were not expected to be hits, we know:

1. Lightening doesn't strike twice.
2. The ante needs to be upped.

Paranormal Activity 2 is a sequel that tries to repeat what made the first film successful while adding layers to the mythology of the first and trying to go a bit further. Guess what Paramount? You're not Lionsgate with the Saw franchise; whereas the Saw franchise has done a stellar job at creating mythology without creating gaping holes within the story's continuity. [There's some continuity issues, they're just not large enough to fit a 747 through like this one.]

The film takes place before, during and after the events of the first. How does it do that? By taking place in the home of Katie's sister with her husband, step daughter and brand new child (the film flash forwards to when the child is of suitable age to be terrorized by demons). In this entry we will find out why Micah is obsessed with that camera he purchased and more on how Katie and her sister were terrorized as children. The only problem with this? Most of where the "shit gets real" is done prior to the events of the first. This creates a big gaping plot hole as why any of this mentioned in the first film? You think Katie mentioning her sister being recently terrorized by a demon is a big piece of information to leave out. However, this isn't the first time in this film the crew treats the audience like they're morons.

Up until about 45-50 minutes of the film's 85 minute runtime, we're treated to a rehash of Paranormal Activity. Switching back to day and night scenes, loud noises are heard and things move in the dark. Things that were scary in the first film as they were new and the slow burn then was effective. It's not effective when we've already been through the territory before. Hurry it the fuck up and let's move on, shall we?

By time the fun starts occurring, it happens way too soon. The film blows its load way too quickly on some genuinely frightening sequences such as:



All of those sequences happen before the film reaches its conclusion, which is pretty lackluster.



With that, we have our entry made for Paranormal Activity 3.

I'd like to point out that it took three writers to work on this film. I'm assuming all three of them are mentally retarded if it took three writers to churn out this. Greutert should be thanking Lionsgate up and down that he dodged a bullet by getting pulled to work on the next Saw.

Most of the audience didn't seem to appreciate this movie, probably less than I did based upon their reactions (a lot of applauding for the pool cleaner's numerous appearances --- you'll see what I mean if you watch the movie).

As someone who loved the original, I'm severely disappointed with this sequel. However, why should I be sad? I'll hopefully get to see a decent sequel next week with Saw 3D!

Jackskeleton

Boobs.

I thought the first one was pretty weak, but I actually enjoyed the way this one incorporated the first and answered some of the shit from the first.

The audience was eating it up at my screening. So your mileage will vary, I suppose.


oh yeah.. Boobs.

Matthew Chmiel

Are we talking about Katie in the bikini or the brief nipple slip from Katie's sister in the bath tub?

I don't think there were any "questions" that needed to be cleared up from the first other than what happened to Katie after killing Micah. Nothing in this film delivered any of the mythology in a manner that would make it seem interesting.

tylergfoster

Interesting, I felt the exact opposite. I was thoroughly pleased by the sequel and all of its developments. It's slow to start and the epilogue's kinda obvious, yeah, but I liked it more than the original.

Matthew Chmiel

I felt the original was more effective by being straight forward, this one was very "scattershot."

Jackskeleton

So far it's 2-1, Matthew. I liked it. And that's saying a lot considering I really though the first one suffered pacing issues.

I thought this one did a better job with the pacing. Yes, we got a couple of rehashed noise and bullshit from the first one, but I think they bumped it up a good couple of notches. Fleshing out things like the picture and the why of the first film was a pretty nice nod.

Tod Williams, the director, does the "invisible force fucks with a family" scenes a lot better than Oren Peli. I think that while it's the same sort of scares, it was two different styles and I actually enjoyed this one a lot more than I did the first.

Matthew Chmiel

I will still argue that this is "forced" progression.

Someone (I forget where) used REC 2 as an example, which I would state is The Godfather II of the found footage genre. REC 2 is an example of "natural" progression occurring, by jumping into the events of REC right where it left off and upping the ante right out the gate (if REC is Alien, REC 2 is Aliens). Nothing ever feels forced in terms of adding upon the mythology created in the first because the filmmakers aren't intentionally calling out things brought up in the first for sake of moving the story forward.

I feel the references to the photo, the camera, etc. seemed good on paper (which I referenced in my first post), but the progression is "forced." If you think it works, congratulations; unfortunately, I've seen enough sequels and particularly horror sequels to know that it doesn't work. It creates plot holes within the first film now based upon the knowledge we learn in this entry (if Micah was in part of a discussion with Katie's sister about her being "haunted," why isn't this nugget mentioned anytime during the first?). That's also known as lazy and poor filmmaking.

Going back, I remember when the rumor plot lines of the sequel were going to involve a family moving into the house of Micah and Katie where the demons (and Katie) haunt the new family. I feel that would've been a better idea.

tylergfoster

This definitely bugs me a little, but not nearly enough to be any kind of dealbreaker. There are similar tiny holes in the Saw franchise.I disagree. I don't think that'd be enough of a connection to the original, and those connections, above all, were what made this enjoyable for me.

StephenX

86% on Rotten Tomatoes.


Color me surprised. Loved the first, and most reviews point to this one being even better in every way. I cannot freaking wait to see this.

riotinmyskull

i'll be seeing this tomorrow at a $4 matinee

asianxcore

Going to go and try to see this on Saturday.

There are two showings locally tonight at 10pm and Midnight, but I don't feel like staying up.

J. Farley

Definitely not as good as the first one. There are some effective scenes, all of which have already been mentioned, but aside from creating plot holes, I just didn't care for where this one tried taking the story of the first.



That said, looking at this one as strictly non-canon, it's a solid film. I prefer the slit-throat ending of the first anyway. This just doesn't work in connection to the first for me, and I didn't think it was as strong on it's own either. The only thing this one has over the first is Katie in a bikini.

glassdragon

I saw this tonight, and while I still won't say it's a great movie, it was way creepier than the first. I didn't jump once on the first, I jumped out of my seat 2 feet at least twice in this one. I kind of liked it honestly, and liked this way better than the first.

Rypro 525

yeah, what glass said. There are def. some jump out your seat moments. I just didn't like the ending

Jackskeleton

Did you miss the part where they hinted that the demon's intention was

While the story does seem like it's done by patch work, just sitting back and accepting it in an absurd level, even the whole notion of what the dad's plan based on illegal nanny/help suggest is something I could buy.

I love how you treat this like it's Star Wars and as if the first is some holy grail and not some really poorly paced film. Oh, heaven forbid you allow this sequel to tarnish the magic of the first one...