A small number of reviews have begun trickling in at Rotten Tomatoes from twenty cities that got a free sneak peak of the film. Of the half dozen or so reviews, the majority are fresh.
Most of the reviews on RT seem to be from small independent websites. "PA2 is an absolute success that is smarter and scarier than the original," said JimmoyO from iamROGUE.
"This is a rare sequel that complements and enhances the original without betraying the elements that made it work in the first place" concluded Steve Barton from Dread Central.
So far there is only one negative review displayed on RT. "There are a few "jump out of your seat" moments but when you break it down, it's just a simple rehash of the original," said Matthew Toomey of ABC Radio Brisbane.
The original film "Paranormal Activity" did some staggering numbers, as it grossed $193 million worldwide last year. Not only that, the film only cost fifteen thousand dollars to produce!
The genius of the first film, written and directed by Oren Peli, was the eye-spy nature of the scares. As the main couple slept, a single, stationary camera showed the strange events in time-lapsed form. The scares built slowly in the first film, but the audience reaction was key. An eerie calm would come over the crowd as the movie would get quiet, and the audience had to separate the creaks and shadows from normal or paranormal. A slow murmur would build as someone would spot the unnatural happening and soon enough everyone would be intent on the noise or suspicious shadow. Sometimes there was a payoff, and sometimes it was a tease. However, the audience never knew which to expect and throughout the runtime, the payoffs got bigger and bigger. The film clearly worked, as it gave me some genuine scares and left many in various states of shock. The returns also tells of the success, as it was originally micro-budgeted with a sub-$15,000 cost and sold with a smirk that this was real, gaining over $100 million in the domestic box office for distributor Paramount.
However, when they announced a sequel soon after the first became a hit, many were skeptical, including me. Was this a quick cash grab to build off the success of the 2009 hit? That was certainly the feeling, as even Peli did not return to the helm. However, praise has to be given to Paramount for not turning this into a by the numbers addition, as director Tod Williams and writer Michael R. Perry take what was great about the first film and turn things up a notch. While the first film was more subtle and had a slow build, this one is much blunter and the scares start coming early and never relent. Yet it still works. The same payoff and tease approach is at play, but with a larger cast of characters, we get to see how different they react. In fact, that same, low rumble that precluded strange events in the first is back, and acts as a cue for audiences to start honing their sense on what is amiss in the image on screen.
Where Perry and Williams really succeed is in the cast of characters. The original film utilized and small cast of unknowns, but for Paranormal Activity 2, leeway is given and they went for actors with a little background that does not affect the effectiveness of the film at all. We care for the characters in the film, and root for them to win. When the tension and stakes elevate, we cringe and hope for everyone’s safety. The fact that all of the events occur within the domicile of an ordinary family in the suburbs hits the home run that can leave people weary of their own habitation, much like the first.
The ultimate success of the film is that things are ratcheted up a bit. Which means if you didn’t dig the first film, there won’t be a lot at play here to win you over. However, for those looking for more of the same, Paranormal Activity 2 represents the rare addition that builds onto the original in exciting ways that will put the doubters (including me) in their place.
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