James Wan’s The Conjuring 2 is the rare horror-sequel that at least matches the quality of the original with some genuine scares and well written character development for the Warrens in conjunction with fine performances by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.
The Conjuring 2
(2016)
Genre(s): Horror, Supernatural
Warner Bros. | R – 134 min. – $29.98 | September 13, 2016
Date Published: 09/02/2016 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 4.0/5 |
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The Conjuring was a worldwide box office blockbuster ($310M) so it was a no-brainer Warner/New Line would go for a sequel. Thankfully director James Wan returned to the director’s chair, though that doesn’t automatically equate to a good sequel. And yet The Conjuring 2, while not as good as its predecessor, is still a well made film and unlike others in the horror realm, can stand on its own two feet, not anchored by the first movie, though seeing that one does help as a viewer to care about the two main characters… The Conjuring 2 continues the supernatural adventures of husband-wife team Ed and Lorraine Warren (PATRICK WILSON, VERA FARMIGA) as they take a case known as England’s Amityville, the Enfield Haunting, in which a demonic force that is attacking a single mother (FRANCES O’CONNOR) and her four children, specifically young Margaret. It appears the former home owner isn’t keen on the family living in his house and soon the haunting turn violent.
Meanwhile, the Warren’s are in a bit of a crisis. Following the Amityville haunting, which comprises the film’s opening sequence and where we are introduced to a creepy “The Nun” (who not only fits into the story but will apparently get her own spin-off a la Annabelle), Lorraine wants to take a break. However, they are called to at least visit this family just as a consultation but upon their arrival, they become more involved than initially intended. Initially, though, there is thoughts the entire family’s ordeal could be a hoax, and that’s where the film kind of falters given what we as the audience see is no doubt a haunting so it’s pointless to even call the goings-on as questionable, though it does come into play toward the end. Franka Potente has a brief role as the film’s skeptic, out to prove the haunting to be a hoax. Having watched the first film just the night before, in preparation to review the sequel, I found this entry more or less on par, and in some respects superior. While the story is a bit better in Conjuring 1, the character development with particularly the Warrens was fantastic and gave their relationship more depth and even a sweetness as Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga shared amazing chemistry together making me as a viewer actually give a damn about their characters’ well-being, especially when Lorraine has visions of her husband’s demise.
Co-Written, produced and directed by James Wan, The Conjuring 2 is the rare breed of horror sequel that in many respects matches the original with plenty of genuine scares not to mention some solid performances by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga with special mentions for Frances O’Connor and Lauren Esposito. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.5/5 |
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Unfortunately for slip cover fans, this release did not come with one for some reason. However, inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Crafting The Conjuring 2 (10:09; HD) takes viewers behind the scenes with cast and crew interviews discussing the process of making the sequel. The Enfield Poltergeist: Living the Horror (12:46; HD) looks at the real-life events at the center of the movie and includes interviews with those who experienced it. Creating Crooked (6:44; HD) examines the creation of the Crooked Man. The Conjuring 2: Hollywood’s Haunted Stage (5:08; HD) is a mock featurette on possible haunting on the Warner Brothers lot where the film was shot. The Sounds of Scary (7:00; HD) is about the score composed by Joseph Bishara. Deleted Scenes (6:31; HD) – We get a handful of scenes either cut down or removed. Nothing really noteworthy but worth a watch. Preview – Lights Out |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| The Conjuring 2 materializes onto Blu-ray presented with a 1080p high-definition transfer and in its original 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio. For the most part, this is a sharp looking video with good detail throughout and while colors are certainly more on the drab side considering the genre, the splashes of color does at least pop off the screen well enough and the darker shots are stark showing no signs of artifacts or aliasing. |
AUDIO – 5.0/5 |
| Amazingly enough, this movie received a Dolby Atmos track (TrueHD 7.1 for older systems) and it utilizes every bit of the atmosphere and scares unleashed by the filmmakers. As with the first film, there are many bumps (or knocks) in the night not to mention sinister laughs or growls which permeates each channel quite effectively. Dialogue levels sound crisp and clear and there’s some nice depth throughout from the score/music to the deep, dark and disturbing demonic voices. |
OVERALL – 4.0/5 |
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Overall, James Wan’s The Conjuring 2 is the rare horror-sequel that at least matches the quality of the original with some genuine scares and well written character development for the Warrens in conjunction with fine performances by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. The Blu-ray released through Warner Home Video offers great video/audio transfers and while the features are fine, they are rather basic. |
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.