"Paranormal Activity 2" improves on original

By James Hill III

2009's "Paranormal Activity" was in some ways a spiritual successor to the original "Blair Witch Project." It is generally accepted as the most profitable movie ever made with respect to return-on-investment, beating "Blair Witch." Made for only $15,000, "Paranormal Activity" grossed almost $200 million worldwide. With that kind of profit margin, Hollywood naturally jumped at the chance to make a sequel, and I was immediately worried it would turn into a "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2"...an almost painfully unnecessary and disappointing sequel.

Luckily, those fears were unfounded. "Paranormal Activity 2" manages to improve on the original in many ways, while maintaining the style and tone of the first movie. A slightly larger budget ($3 million, still paltry by average Hollywood standards) allowed the cast and crew to make the film a little more consistently scary, as opposed to the constant tension and scary ending seen in the first film.

"Paranormal Activity" built its initial fear off of its realism; a budget of $15,000 meant that the filmmakers weren't working with much and, therefore, everything they filmed had to walk a fine line between looking cheap and maintaining the atmosphere. The sequel still feels like a documentary, but its multiple camera angles and (slightly) higher production values make for a more taut film as a whole. Admittedly the film's ending isn't as gripping or surprising as its predecessor's; it mostly makes up for that by actually scaring the viewer multiple times beforehand.

This time, the plot centers on Kristi Rey, the sister of Katie, the protaganist from the first movie.Kristi's family is slowly affected by strange, possibly supernatural occurrences. The basic plot structure remains the same from the original; Katie and Micah even show up, though Micah is first accompanied with a sly nod to his ultimate fate. The family's house is ransacked and they decide to put in security cameras to deter any future "break-ins."

The increased budget means that, instead of the one camera from the first film, the director uses at least five. Some have opined that the additional cameras make this seem more like a "movie" and less like an "experience," but I disagree. The extra cameras provide more opportunities for the fear manifested in "Paranormal Activity 2" to attack the viewer, while still leaving enough to the imagination to eat away at the mind long after the reels have stopped rolling. As the hauntings increase in intensity, the tension rises, interrupted by legitimate scares and audience screams.

This isn't the best horror movie I've ever seen, and it might not even be the best of 2010, given the acclaim heaped upon "Let Me In" (American remake of the Swedish "Let the Right One In"). But it accomplishes something rare in Hollywood, especially when horror is concerned: it improves on the original while staying loyal to its pedigree. And for that, it deserves praise. So, if you're a fan of horror or need a date-night feature, "Paranormal Activity 2" is as fine a choice as any this year.

Contact James at jhill@scu.edu or at (408) 551-1918.