Insidious: Chapter 2
1/4
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Steve Coulter, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Terror and Violence, and Thematic Elements
How far titans fall...
Two years ago, James Wan and Leigh Whanell, the creators of the "Saw" franchise, unleashed "Insidious" onto the public. In my opinion, it was one of the scariest movies ever made (I was shaking for 45 minutes after the movie was over) and it made my Top 10 list that year at number 2. Last week, Wan and Whanell continued the story of the Lamberts. The result is an abysmally bad movie.
"Insidious: Chapter 2" feels like a rush job from beginning to end. No one appears to have any interest in making this movie. The actors, all of whom have shown talent in the past, are awful, Wan's direction is lightning fast and lacks atmosphere, and the story frequently makes zero sense. About the only one involved who appears to have any investment in the film is the studio, who is so blinded by greed that they don't care if the movie is crap.
I'd give a little plot synopsis as I usually do, but the fact of the matter is that this movie doesn't make any sense. About all I can figure out is that when Josh Lambert (Wilson) went into the netherworld, he brought back a demon or something with him, and now it's possessed him and is after his family. Or something like that. So his wife Renai (Byrne) is terrified for and at her husband and shields her kids from him as much as possible, while his mother Lorraine (Hershey) goes off on a quest to find the truth behind the spirit that haunts them. I think that's how it goes.
There's really only one performance that works, and that's by Lin Shaye. The character actress became infamous for showing her fake boobs in the Farrelly Brothers' sleeper hit "There's Something About Mary," and reprises her role from the first film (from the grave...of sorts). She has warmth and energy, and steals her scenes as Elise. Unfortunately, she's on screen for far too few of them. Patrick Wilson has a few creepy moments, but usually he's just saying the lines so he can pick up his paycheck. Rose Byrne, who has never given a bad performance until now, is just awful. She's both shrill and stupid. Barbara Hershey is a real trooper, but clearly understands that the script is shit and looks like she'd rather be anywhere else. As Carl, Elise's old ghost hunting pal, Steve Coulter blends into the background.
James Wan appears to have even less interest in this film than his stars. He rushes through the story (or what passes for one) as fast as possible, and not a scene goes by without something "creepy" happening. Of course, this only magnifies the film's flaws, but he doesn't appear to care. Still, he manages a few decent shocks, which is impressive under the circumstances. The scariest parts of the movie are the title cards at the beginning and the end.
The bottom line is that this movie is about as bad as a follow-up as one can imagine. And the ending leaves room for a sequel. Here's to hoping that the inevitable third chapter is better.
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Steve Coulter, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Terror and Violence, and Thematic Elements
How far titans fall...
Two years ago, James Wan and Leigh Whanell, the creators of the "Saw" franchise, unleashed "Insidious" onto the public. In my opinion, it was one of the scariest movies ever made (I was shaking for 45 minutes after the movie was over) and it made my Top 10 list that year at number 2. Last week, Wan and Whanell continued the story of the Lamberts. The result is an abysmally bad movie.
"Insidious: Chapter 2" feels like a rush job from beginning to end. No one appears to have any interest in making this movie. The actors, all of whom have shown talent in the past, are awful, Wan's direction is lightning fast and lacks atmosphere, and the story frequently makes zero sense. About the only one involved who appears to have any investment in the film is the studio, who is so blinded by greed that they don't care if the movie is crap.
I'd give a little plot synopsis as I usually do, but the fact of the matter is that this movie doesn't make any sense. About all I can figure out is that when Josh Lambert (Wilson) went into the netherworld, he brought back a demon or something with him, and now it's possessed him and is after his family. Or something like that. So his wife Renai (Byrne) is terrified for and at her husband and shields her kids from him as much as possible, while his mother Lorraine (Hershey) goes off on a quest to find the truth behind the spirit that haunts them. I think that's how it goes.
There's really only one performance that works, and that's by Lin Shaye. The character actress became infamous for showing her fake boobs in the Farrelly Brothers' sleeper hit "There's Something About Mary," and reprises her role from the first film (from the grave...of sorts). She has warmth and energy, and steals her scenes as Elise. Unfortunately, she's on screen for far too few of them. Patrick Wilson has a few creepy moments, but usually he's just saying the lines so he can pick up his paycheck. Rose Byrne, who has never given a bad performance until now, is just awful. She's both shrill and stupid. Barbara Hershey is a real trooper, but clearly understands that the script is shit and looks like she'd rather be anywhere else. As Carl, Elise's old ghost hunting pal, Steve Coulter blends into the background.
James Wan appears to have even less interest in this film than his stars. He rushes through the story (or what passes for one) as fast as possible, and not a scene goes by without something "creepy" happening. Of course, this only magnifies the film's flaws, but he doesn't appear to care. Still, he manages a few decent shocks, which is impressive under the circumstances. The scariest parts of the movie are the title cards at the beginning and the end.
The bottom line is that this movie is about as bad as a follow-up as one can imagine. And the ending leaves room for a sequel. Here's to hoping that the inevitable third chapter is better.
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