Well at least it didn’t go Blair Witch 2 on us.
Despite its flaws (of which it has many), Paranormal Activity 2 (PA2) remains true to the original and succeeds, for the most part at least, in retaining everything good about the “less is more” approach to horror. Ghost stories will always be far more frightening than a million Saws, and what has been passed between movies is the series’ exact ability to make a door moving on it’s own utterly terrifying.
Saying that, it doesn’t half drag at times. Whilst the original relied on it’s slow pace to gently but firmly wring tension from its audience, PA2 is just slow. Yes, when the first title reading “Night 1” appeared I got goose bumps yet, unlike the original, literally nothing happens until the halfway point. This time the audience is attuned to the illusion and, frankly, creaking footsteps and loud bangs just don’t cut it quite as much. Funny that something so frightening a year ago can now seem old.
That said, despite its lack of delivery, there are moments of pure gold to be found. There’s a redux of the dragged-from-the-bed moment in the first that still distils horror and one moment set during the day was so frightening that the post-scare-nervous-laughter failed to even materialise from the stunned audience.
Paranormal Activity 2 is effective but ultimately just ok, average, run of the mill. It’s inoffensive stuff and at least has some staying power due to the fact that it remains a rather frightening film but the rushed job and truly weak finale (and I mean weak) let it down almost to the point of ruin. But, even with the weakest of the “found footage” horror genre, the consistency in their troupe and the impressive continuity between this and the original saves it. It’s harmless at the end of the day, and creepy.
Still, that kitchen scene…(shivers)
3/5
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