Rating: R and Unrated
Starring:
Brian Boland as Daniel Rey
Molly Ephraim as Ali Rey
Sprague Grayden as Kristi Rey
William Juan Prieto as Hunter Rey
Jackson Xenia Prieto as Hunter Rey
Vivis as Martine
Directed by Tod Williams
Special Features:
Theatrical Version and Unrated Version
Exclusive Found Footage
Digital Copy Unrated Version
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.85:1)
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Sound
Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish and French Languages
Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish and French Subtitles
Running Time: 91 Minutes
The Details:
The following is the official description of the film:
“Just as Dan and Kristi welcome a newborn baby into their home, a demonic presence begins terrorizing them, tearing apart their perfect world and turning it into an inescapable nightmare. Security cameras capture the torment, making every minute horrifyingly real. Critics warn to “say good-bye to sleep” as ‘Paranormal Activity 2 will haunt you long after it’s shocking final scene.”
“Paranormal Activity 2” is rated R for some language and brief violent material.
Mini-Review:
If you liked the first film, you’ll probably like “Paranormal Activity 2.” First of all, it stands well on its own while simultaneously interweaving with the first movie. It expands on the demon mythology set up before and gives you a little more insight into why the family is being terrorized. That makes it a satisfying sequel.
The acting is also excellent. Brian Boland as Daniel Rey, Molly Ephraim as Ali Rey and Sprague Grayden as Kristi Rey give the ‘found footage’ a really natural feel. You feel like you’re peeking into the lives of an everyday family. You identify with them in the family moments and at least care about them when they’re terrorized.
If you didn’t like the first film, then you’re not going to like this one either because it’s a lot more of the same stuff. You still get a lot of long, boring scenes of security camera footage showing empty rooms. You get a lot more things banging around, bumps in the night, and lights turning on and off. You also get another shocking and brutal ending. Despite the fact that they expand on the story, it still very much sticks to the formula.
I also have to say that I’m mixed on the introduction of the baby Hunter into the story. On the one hand, it certainly adds tension to see a baby in jeopardy. Any parent would be set on edge seeing what happens to the kid in this film. On the other hand, it seems like a cheap way to create tension. It’s like holding a puppy over a wood chipper. Yeah, it gets the desired shock effect but it’s not terribly creative. In fact, if you take the baby out of the story, you have a movie that’s practically identical to the first one.
If you’re a fan of the first movie or a fan of horror movies in general, then I’d recommend “Paranormal Activity 2.” If you’re interested in it but never saw “Paranormal Activity,” I’d still probably recommend picking up the first one and watching it so that the ending of this movie has a bit more impact. Finally, if you weren’t impressed with “Paranormal Activity” then this has nothing to offer you. Pass on it.
You’ll only find one bonus feature on the Blu-ray. It’s ‘exclusive found footage.’ There are no deleted scenes, ‘making of’ featurettes, commentaries, or any other bonus feature staples.
