Paranormal Activity 2A good sequel is a rare gift. For the sequel to completely turn you around on a series incredible. I pretty much hated Paranormal Activity when it was released in 2009. I found the two leads to be disengaging, the set-up uninspired, and the scares repetitive and by the end lazy. I put on Paranormal Activity 2 expecting two more hours of frustration watching a good premise get thrown away. Sometimes I love it when I am wrong.
Paranormal Activity 2 owes a lot of its success to its cast. The family dynamic, dog and all, really worked to bring me in and let my guard down. Unlike the couple in the first film (whose appearance did not bring a smile to my face), the family has interesting and believable conflict apart from the haunted house routine. Speaking of which, that scene in the kitchen!?!? Oh man, right?
If you loved or hated the first Paranormal Activity, you should give its sequel a fair shot. It is far and away a better structured and paced film, with a houseful of likable characters you will actually enjoy watching get tormented on black-and-white security cameras.