The first Paranormal Activity all began in 2006, where it was nothing more than a film that was circulating through film festivals, receiving awards and getting no popularity from the outside world. I remember going onto the IMDB boards for the film a couple years ago to see everyone demanding that this film get released, and trying to see if there was any chance to get it to go to more film festivals (that maybe I could attend one day). The hype for it was pretty big back then. Finally, after three years and many complications about whether or not to release it to the public, and concerns about possible remakes, Paranormal Activity was released to the public after the first ever "demand it!" advertising, and became the most profiting film ever.

Due to how popular the film was, and seeing how much money it raked in, Hollywood found an easy pathway to making a sequel in order to steal money straight from our pockets because we want to see a movie with cheap scares and a possible realistic portrayal of a family haunted by a demon.

And to my amazement, I was pleasantly surprised by this film.

Sixty days before the death of Micah from the first Paranormal Activity, Paranormal Activity 2 focuses on a family of four, their dog, and their housekeeper. Once their newborn son arrives at home, things start to get a little weird. It all starts when the family arrives home only to find it destroyed on the inside, and they assume that they have been robbed. The thing is, nothing had been stolen except for a necklace given to the wife of the family by Katie (from the first Paranormal Activity). This gives them a reason to set up home security cameras just in case the intruder decides to come back for more. But they catch something more terrifying than a home invader...

For the most part, I loved this film. I may be one of the few who actually enjoyed Paranormal Activity, along with this film, but I think they did a better job than I expected. I didn't know how they were going to use the security cameras, but they came to work out quiet well. I was also surprised that they also used a home video camera (possibly used to document the newborn son that they had), which was also used effectively (and includes night vision, so you know shit's going down when they turn on the night vision).

At first, I was getting a bit disappointed. The characters were annoying (ESPECIALLY the daughter. I didn't like her throughout the film. She was annoying and stupid and a total daddy's girl), and everything that happened in the first film was also happening in this film (a lot of similarities�especially the "fake scare" that Katie had in the first movie, where she was freaking out about a spider. Well, the same thing happened here, except it was a large shit in a toilet bowl...)

After a while, though, things began to get a little more intense and a bit eerie as well. There were loud noises that would make me jump a bit, or make my heart stop for just a moment. But they stayed calm and not too threatening. I started to get a little bored with it, but the last 30 minutes is when things really pick up and don't let go. So don't give up just yet if you decide to see this movie. If you though the first Paranormal Activity was boring, this one will change your mind. The last 15 minutes are non-stop, heart-pounding action (slight over-exaggeration), but it was pretty intense.

The only things I didn't like about the movie were 1) they showed footage and showed parts that they didn't really use any other time of the film. Some being about the baby's room with a mirror, a window, and the bathroom that the room is connected to. Weird stuff happened there, but they never used it to their full advantage. 2) They had a possible reason for why the demon was haunting them, but it was only for a quick second, and they never mention it again. I feel they could have done a lot more with it, but I guess it's just what makes it scarier not knowing why this demon is doing what it's doing. 3) The multiple security camera idea was neat, but the bad part about using more than one camera is because it makes it more cinematic and movie-like, where it changes from room to room during a continuous scene (such as the wife being dragged throughout the house, switching from one room to another). But there was one scene where it was used very effectively and really freaked me out (such as when all the lights go out in the house...).

I also found it a bit weird that the demon was a lot more touchy-feely with this family, and that there was more action and intense moments in this film than the last. There was really no reason for it to be so dramatic in this film than the last, since the last film there was actually a reason for the demon to start getting more show-offy (the fact that Micah was taunting it with the camera and whatnot). And knowing that this movie is also a prequel, it's strange that the demon would just be so dramatic in this one, and then come to not do as much damage in the first Paranormal Activity.

I also liked how they tied in the first movie with this one. They made some cool connections and it was nice to see the characters from the first Paranormal Activity return in this film.

Overall, this was a cool little sequel. One of the few sequels that I enjoyed and it was much better than I expected (and not knowing much about the film made it all the better). If you want to have fun and experience a neat little thriller/horror with the whole shaky-cam/steady-security-cam, or just a fun little film to watch for Halloween, definitely check this out, even if you didn't like the first. But if you didn't like the first movie, and you know you won't like this one, then don't bother seeing it unless you just want to review the movie for everyone else.


Sean