Posted to Arts & Entertainment by Megan Suddarth at 12:00 a.m., Oct. 26, 2010
While listening to the thundering stomp of footsteps that climb up the stairs of a well-off suburban home, you can’t help but close your eyes and wait for the nightmare to be over. With clenched fists and half-open eyes, the scene before you unfolds. The demon is back in “Paranormal Activity 2.”
With the same creepy effects and startling sequences, the movie catches the attention of the audience from the beginning. With an opening in the home of the sister of the protagonist from the first movie, Katie, we realize that “Paranormal Activity 2” is actually a prequel to the first and none of the incidences that occurred before have happened yet.
The plot has a more unexpected twist than the first. Now we get to see exactly why the horrible events from the first movie occurred.
Even with the low-budget special effects, viewers are still shaking in their seats, trying to anticipate what will happen next. Although the effects mimic those of the first, they don’t bore because they’ve been played up more than before. There’s still the same “body being pulled out of the room” trick. However, this time it happens twice, providing the audience with a shock of surprise.
Overall, this movie surpasses the first by far. With even more jolting sequences, it provides for many more opportunities to jump and scream and hold onto the person next to you — especially in the last fifteen minutes.
The Wandering Sunflower 