Film Review: Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Directed by Tod Williams
Starring Sprague Grayden, Brian Boland, Katie Featherston, Molly Ephraim, Micah Sloat
Written by Michael R Perry, Christopher Landon, Tom Pabst (screenplay), Michael R Perry (story)

Paranormal Activity 2 has the same basic format as its original. A family sets up a series of cameras around their house to investigate some spooky behaviour.

In this case, imagination is always much worse than what is actually on the screen. Unlike the original, which had some extremely terrifying moments, the scariest parts of the sequel were in anticipation of what was about to happen, and the jumpy times are always due to being caught off guard.

I wasn’t impressed by anything I hadn’t already seen in the first film. The only new element present in Paranormal Activity 2 was that it definitely became more dramatic, following the sequel ‘rule’. This time we see deaths on screen, which had less of an effect on me than what was left to the imagination in the original.

In terms of interaction with the ghosts/demons/spirits, it definitely didn’t surpass or even come close to meeting the original. With minimal camera time focusing on this aspect, there was far too much repetition of events that we had already seen the first time around (yep, we’ve seen someone get dragged out of a room/down the stairs already!).

What I did really love about Paranormal Activity 2 was the way that its writers fit it in with the original. The sequel takes place both before and then after the events of the first, and you cold probably call it a prequel more than a sequel. Without giving the ending away, it ties the two together nicely.

As always, money and profit rule supreme. The original should have been left alone – but of course, sequels sell, and almost never live up to the original. It seems as though the Paranormal Activity films are almost definitely going to become a franchise, which makes you wonder how much more can be done? And, after just typing Paranormal Activity 3 into Google, I am met with trailers and articles entitled ‘EXCLUSIVE! Breaking news! Paranormal Activity 3 is on its way!’ Great.

★★★