Review: Paranormal Activity 2

More things go bump in the night with this sequel that pleasantly surprised me!
I really enjoyed Paranormal Activity, a lot more than I expected and it became something of a cult movie in my mind, so when a sequel was announced (and without the original director) I was immediately sceptical. Add to the mix a bigger cast, bigger locations and multiple cameras... yeah, I was expecting a flop.
I really like films that have small casts and limited locations. Paranormal Activity 2 has whole family moving into a giant house: parents; a daughter; daughter's boyfriend; dog; baby; nanny and a menagerie of baby toys, all to be used to mess with our heads as an unseen spectre roams freely.
But while the expanded setting may dilute the eye-watering intensity the first film gave, here we do have a more believable setting. Gone is the douche running around with a camera all day, even the security cameras are explained reasonably well, and while we still aren't sure what jobs these people have to acquire such a place, it is somewhat explained and isn't as glaringly obvious even if it hadn't been.
The scares are still spine tingling, if a little predictable in light of the original's... well... originality. The use of sound is still excellent, and a gripping "Oh wait a second..." moment near the end properly joins the film with the original, which is near enough genius.
Surprisingly faithful, and a decent scare romp, though I think I still refer the fixed-camera from the first film; it racked up tension far, far more effectively.

And because you are awesome and reading my blog, I want to give you my old review of the first movie too! :)

Geez. I watched this at the right time of day, in the pitch dark and silence of night.
Now I didn't like this film's marketing campaign... theatres full of screaming, leaping Americans... so I was reserved but hopeful for a scare or two.
It starts out, like many do nowadays, with the usual hand-held amateur video theme. A young couple are experiencing strange events in their home, and decide to try and record them.
The setup was a little dodgy at times. I'd love to know what jobs these apparently jobless individuals have to own such a beautiful house! While the boyfriend is a complete douche; running around with a camera every second, regardless of his girlfriend's mounting anxieties. But, these are acceptable clichés as the film builds like an unrelenting storm.
The last... forty minutes are horribly suspenseful, each recorded night becomes more unbearable than the last. The film works incredibly well with little more than quiet sounds and subtle movements, often nothing happens at all for agonizing seconds, your eyes unable to tear away. The fixed camera perspective demands you watch things unfold.
Admittedly some will hate it, it is very much like The Blair Witch Project; it relies on suspense and builds tension without action, blood or gore.
I'm so glad I chose not to watch this in a cinema; it is best watched alone or with a friend/partner, in the dark of night.

Paranormal Activity 3 is already in production, am I concerned? A little bit. But I can see it working as a trilogy now, provided the final chapter is executed with extreme care. The sequel filled in a lot of gaps very nicely, hence the kudos I gave it, but a third part would have to be careful not to get singled out as being unnecessary or unbelievable.


Now... I am going to try and sleep...