Let's get this out of the way: Paranormal Activity scared me. It had me jumping in the theaters, but the real scares came when I got home and started looking at everything all sideways-like. Seemed like, at any moment, I too could get fucked up by a demon.
Well, it's been about a year since then, and the sequel's only been out for a couple days now. I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into this. Some of my first thoughts:
1) Is this going to be the beginning of something akin to the Saw "franchise?"
2) Are they going to use their bigger budget on CG?
3) And is going to be just a rehash of the first movie's premise?
I wasn't...super excited when I walked into the theater. I figured, at least, Paranormal Activity 2 would be a fun way to kill a couple hours on a rainy weekend. So, I sat myself down amid the college guys and gals, who were already annoying me before the movie even began, and let it all start.
All I can say is: Yes! This movie is awesome!
Now, let me justify why, because this is one-of-those-movies: where simply going to see it makes people think that you're an intellectual invalid. I cannot (CANNOT) say exactly how many times people have tried to make me feel bad for liking a movie, but it is a very large number. 2012 was one-of-those-movies, as evidenced by the shitstorm I somehow kicked up on Amazon when I gave it a good review.
I go to see movies to have fun. That is all that's going through my mind when I buy that ticket. I knew that even if this movie wasn't going to be intellectually stimulating, philosophical, or universe-rending amazing, that I would still have fun. That's it, and I really did have fun. Here's why:
There seem to be various brands of horror flying around these days, but, for the most part, almost every horror movie that I've noticed being released is all about the murderfication. Blood-and-guts horror has been reigning supreme lately. The reason I like the Paranormal Activity movies so much, is that they don't rely on the gruesome. They manipulate tension, and they play on paranoia. That's why certain people love these movies, and some don't. It just really hinges on whether or not you can buy into the premise in the first place and suspend your disbelief for as long as the movie runs.
The second movie is pretty much a prequel, but it follows a new family, new characters, new location, all that jazz. I think it's a less confusing experience if you know this, because it doesn't really make you privy to the fact that it's a prequel until a half-hour into it. Now, the whole premise seems like a rehash in the beginning, too, but then the film really starts to play off of the story of the first one, expands the backstory of this "demon" somewhat, and just links everything together in a way that was really, really satisfying.
I had to admit that the writers actually put a lot of thought into this; they connected these two movies in a way that made perfect sense, and will actually make you look at the first movie in a different way. I really liked that.
Now, as for everything else, I really liked the characters. They were by no means deep, but they were really enjoyable to watch. The chemistry was there, which made it easy to buy into their situation. And when things steadily get going...boy howdy. The scares in this movie are, by far, more effective than they were in the first. They have a bigger budget, and they throw stuff at you that you'll very likely not expect. The entire audience at the screening I attended was screaming repeatedly as the tension ramped up.
This was a very effective horror film. In fact, this is the definition of a horror film to me: the kind where you leave the theater and you just feel exhausted from all the fright that was being thrown around the room. I loved it. I hope there's a third movie, because this series has done everything it can do to convince me that there are just some movies that should only be seen in theaters.
I didn't scream...but I was very, very close. =S
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