October 22nd, 2010
05:39 PM ET
Who's seeing 'Paranormal Activity 2' this weekend?Halloween is just over a week away, and hopefully the thrills and chills will start early with the arrival of "Paranormal Activity 2," the follow-up to last year’s word-of-mouth smash, "Paranormal Activity." While last year’s film took us into the creepy house of suburban couple Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat, this year we segue into the, er, spirited home of Katie’s sister, her husband, and their two children, a teenage daughter and a newborn son. Although the cast of characters has changed a bit, the central idea behind it is still the same, and many critics deem it frightening enough to still make you want to sleep with at least one light on.
“’Paranormal Activity’, and now its sequel, 'Paranormal Activity 2'…turn everyday banality into the monster—these movies make an empty suburban room as scary as any torture-porn abattoir,” writes Slate's film critic in a review. Thus “Paranormal Activity 2” is “similar to its predecessor in pacing and tone—if anything, a little too similar, with events ramping up at a gradual but merciless rate that anyone who's seen the original will recognize. Still, even knowing what's likely to come — the doors opening on their own, the skeptical characters scoffing at metaphysical explanations, the unheeded warnings from paranormally gifted guests — doesn't make it any less nailbiting to watch.” The problem of déjà vu occurred to the critic for the New York Daily News as well, who pointed out that while the film replicates the same effect of “Paranormal Activity,” that’s not entirely a good thing. “Director Tod Williams, taking over for original [‘Paranormal Activity’] filmmaker Oren Peli, never really zooms in on anything,” the Daily News review says. “Without giving anything away, much of the excruciatingly teased-out tension here echoes the first movie without upping the ante. There's the unseen demon, mysterious flying dishes and a puckish exploitation of our fear of what goes on while we sleep. But while doors do slam and you'll jump in your seat, the payoff is less satisfying.” A Chicago Tribune review has a slightly different complaint, noting that one of the ways in which “Paranormal Activity 2” does differ from its predecessor is that it doesn’t get the same solid ending. Yet, in the end, the critic still finds the movie as a whole to be fairly frightening. In “Paranormal 2,” “the banter's looser, more relaxed,” explains the review in the Tribune. “But the pacing remains methodical, so that when the kitchen cupboards and drawers suddenly fly open in union (a "Close Encounters" moment for sure) it's pretty arresting.” Did you think the same, or do you wish they would've stopped with the first film? And be honest - who left the lights on when they came home from the theater? You can let us know your thoughts with a single photo, or - for those perhaps inspired by the film - you can upload an iReport movie review. We'll round up your reviews, the good and the bad, next week.
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wooden kitchen cabinets are perfect your your home, they look good and can be cleaned easily –*
Great scare movie. Very well done how the tied the 2 movies together. Excellent launch out of your seat real scares a few times. If you like this kind of thing dont miss it.
DEMONS ARE REAL..AND YES YOU DO INVITE THEM IN YOUR HOME WHEN YOU WATCH MOVIES LIKE THIS.
..THIS IS NO JOKE...I KNOW THEY ARE REAL, I HAVE NO TIME TO LIE...
YOU CHRISTIAN, WITH ALL THAT STUFF, TRY TO GET RID OF IT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS....
I TRIED TO BURN A BOOK ON DEMONS AND IT WOULD NOT BURN...SOMETIMES THEY ATTACK
YOU AT NIGHT IN YOUR SLEEP AND YOU CAN'T MOVE OR TALK...THINGS UNPLUGED COME ON
AND YOU HEAR VOICES AND FOOTSTEPS..PLEASE PARENTS PROTECT YOUR CHILDRENS.....
HEY SKY I TOTALLY AGREE WITH BOTH YOU AND SHY MOVIES LIKE THIS CAN BECOME LIGHTENING RODS FOR DEMONS SO DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU DIFFERENT!!!!! I WATCHED THE FIRST ONE BY MYSELF IN A DARK ROOM WITH THE DOOR SHUT, ALL OF THESE WERE VERY BIG MISTAKES ON MY PART!!!! I AM A 17 YR OLD CHRISTIAN AND I MADE A MISTAKE IN THIS, SO BY DOING THIS AND PRAYING TO OUR ALMIGHTY GOD I FEEL LIKE THE REGRET IS SLOWLY MELTING AWAY!! 🙂
Yeah I noticed the messed up props too..though it did make me jump a couple of times..
and dont they have places for little kids like you guys to blog instead of CNN? this isn't the place to blog during detention with your friends...
Did anyone else notice they messed up the prop placement a lot in this movie for instance the kitchen island has several problems with coffee mugs being in different places from frame to frame and mail not being there one second and being there the next. I noticed several of these problems throughout the movie and it sucks cause it took away the realness of the footage cause you know it was edited.\
http://hesnotanobjectsoheleavesthecouch.blogspot.com/
i can't read some of my cnn blogged comments. ?????????????????
that was supposed to be interactive. interactive objects are things that can be moved and placed places. http://hecanhavewhateverhelikehammertime.blogspot.com/. awesome-o conquered.
THE WICKED SPIRTS ARE REAL. AND IF YOU WATCH MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU HAVE INVITED
THEM INTO YOUR HOME....THEY CAN TAKE THE PEACE FROM YOU HOME...THERE IS
SO MUCH I CAN SAY...WE ARE HUMANS FLESH AND BLOOD THESE ARE SPIRTS
AND THEY ARE POWERFUL...THE BIBLE CALLS THEM DEMONS...
Ok its a damn movie and a not so good one at that.. It wont bring spirits into your house.. I bet you think harry potter is evil too?!
That's ridiculous. I'm a Christian and I do believe that demons exist, but a movie won't invite them into your home. With the sort of DVDs, books and music I own, my apartment should be chock full of demons, if I follow your logic.
So calm down. It's just a movie.
i want to watch a true to life horror movie. Paranormal activity is totally BASIC!
indeed!
Awful movie. The original was lame. Just a lame take on 'The Blair Witch Project'...which itself was pretty average. Junior High kids will get a kick out of it. For adults...eh...not so much.
tinyurl.com/399xoyr
I'd have to say that the 2nd one was much more frightening than the 1st. The kitchen cabinets flying open, was probably one of the most frightening moments in the film. It's defenitely a must see for sure, and to answer the question about the lights being on when going to sleep after watching the film? well that was most defenitely the case for me. Doesn't matter how alike the 2 films are, it still sends a chill down your spine. Great job to the cast & film directors! when is the part 3?
ok lil buddy did nice job starting it. good job. shout out. http://dunnowhenandwherebutwhatdo.blogspot.com/. but they are surrounded now!
his intentions were well aimed. now he looks like a fool with his pants on the ground. http://wetastetherainbowraining.blogspot.com/. gotta go walk my dog. i'll finish it lil buddy
get your tickets in advance, don't get shut out, don't wait and line plus a bonus ! http://www.fandango.com/paranormalactivity2_131134/movietimes
i hope we can get this somewhere soon. http://thatseethroughboyisonfire.blogspot.com/. later. preferably not.
No. The first one was a laughingstock, but it was watchable. They had a cool Quija board.
I'll just wait for the DVD to come out and check it out from the library. Hey, it's free.
its 3:10 and im in detention, this suxs, cant wait to blow this place. hope everyone out there in blog land kick it this weekend, peace out.
You're gonna blow everyone in detention?? Prepping for prison, eh?
@Michael, Ha ha lmao! Now the guys at his school will be getting detention everyday!!!!