Review of Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) by James A — 17 Jan 2013

Paranormal Activity 2 follows the story of the demonic presence that torments a family who strives to figure out what it wants. After the phenomenon that sparked from the first film, this film had some huge shoes to fill.

So, the question is: Did it? Yes and no. How the film is developed and certain elements are introduced, such as a dog, a baby, and a teen, affect the direction of this story, from what could be a recycled bunch of scares to a scary film that takes on the style of its predecessor.

Now, the film uses all these elements pretty well and some scares reach you at a bone-chilling level. However, this film suffers from one of the flaws that the found footage genre holds, which is the slow pace of the film and the missing effect that you'd expect some scenes to have, due to a lack of music or maybe even quality.

Now, as many of those who've seen this type of movie know, the true effect of these movies isn't the immediate reaction within a movie theater or a living room. The true effect is after seeing the film, when you think the movie over and the scary elements become real or humorous, depending on the film.

In that case, I can say that, after returning home, I was checking my bed and turning one light on so I could turn off the next. Overall, this film is an exceptional piece of work and a good sequel to the infamous horror flick.

I'd recommend a watch, if you ever get the chance.