Reviews Film / Paranormal Activity

Review of the sequel

I should start by mentioning I haven't seen the first film, which might be a problem for those who have. Paranormal Activity 2 has been getting a lot of criticism for being too much like the original, and I can't comment on that at all. So let this review serve those who likewise missed the first, but considered watching this new one whilst Halloween is still nearby.

This film is atrociously boring. The first half hour is nothing but some family's baby videos (as if audience members don't find those annoying enough in real life, already). I ended up hating the family for being so dull and wasting my time. The only character I liked was a cool robot that cleaned the pool. After an exhausting amount of waiting, the ghost finally decides to show up. He spends most of the film dropping pans and making a racket for no apparent reason. I got the impression that the ghost was just a big klutz who couldn't move around the house without knocking past the furniture or stubbing his toes.

The film is entirely reliant on jump scares to provide the "horror" and it even manages to screw that simple device up; the scares only occur at night, and only when some stupid low rumble becomes audible. I guess the idea was that we weren't supposed to notice the noise and that it was meant to provide some subconscious sense of foreboding, but all it did was clearly telegraph the ghost attacks. As soon as it switches to day, the film drudges along again, with more boring family conversations.

Don't watch this film. Don't even rent it. Its reliance on cheap scares, and the fact that you can't give a shit about these boring characters makes this a real turkey.