Bumps in the night and film

Paranormal Activity was one of the most significant sleeper hits (a movie that makes more money than expected) of the decade, having been demanded by audience, and climbing the charts at the box office. The film alone grossed over 190 million dollars worldwide, with only a budget of $15,000 making the film one of the most successful movies of all time, along with Blair Witch Project and Mad Max. Only a year later, Paranormal Activity 2 hit theaters hoping to have the same success as its predecessor, but with a new director and much bigger budget, is this sequel a hit?

Paranormal Activity 2 is a prequel, taking place before the events of the first film, with the last five minutes acting as the sequel for the film. The story follows relatives of the predecessor’s protagonist as they encounter numerous paranormal events, and the same entity that haunts the main characters in the last film.

The movie offers more scares than its predecessor, but at points gives off a been-there- done- that feel, as many of the paranormal events are replicas of the first films. The film still has the slow build up of the mockumentary genre, but always has you feeling like something scary is just around the corner. Although the film has a much bigger budget, much of the originality remains in tack and never feels too special effect oriented, rather than past mockumentary films such as The Last Exorcism.

The acting is solid and helps make you believe that the characters are reacting to real events. The film is well made and has a structured and professional feel which is what its predecessor lacked. Although the film does drag in the beginning with numerous cheap scares, it makes up for it in a finale that most movie goers will not see coming. It is disappointing that the film doesn’t have much innovation, but is definitely more entertaining and engaging than its predecessor was.

This is a rare sequel that takes what the original had and improves it on nearly ever level, the scares get better as the film goes along, and the story isn’t as unbelievable as the last film, with the box office success that the film has had so far, hopefully Paranormal Activity 3 will bring something new to the table, rather than repeating the same story over and over. Saw would be a great example of that.

Review by D. Foster

Posted in: Entertainment