Review of Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) by Ian B — 26 May 2014

To say my expectations for this sequel were low is an understatement. The first film was the very definition of a mixed bag (great beginning, terrible ending), so I really had no intention of watching a follow-up.

Then director James Wan knocked it out of the park with The Conjuring, so naturally I was curious to see if he could carry some of that momentum onto Insidious 2. Well, he did and he didn't. In fact this movie is the exact opposite of the original (boring beginning, surprisingly good ending).

The first half is littered with the usual cheap jump scares, but once the film builds on the backstory and mythology, while also ingeniously tying scenes together from the first film, the movie actually finds its footing.

Unfortunately it may be too little too late for some viewers. Insidious: Chapter 2 is no better or worse than the original, but it's a serious disappointment compared to The Conjuring.