The Conjuring 2
Lorraine and Ed Warren travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by a malicious spirit.
Cast
Vera Farmiga – Lorraine Warren
Patrick Wilson – Ed Warren
Frances O’Connor – Peggy Hodgson
Madison Wolfe – Janet Hodgson
Lauren Esposito – Margaret Hodgson
Simon McBurney – Maurice Grosse
Franka Potente – AnitaGregory
What Went Right
Madison Wolfe who plays Janet is very good. Such a young actress displays a whole range of emotions, effortlessly. Being the main character I suppose she has to, but the girl still holds a sturdy talent.
A few scary moments genuinely scared me. Or rather – made me jump. I love being made to feel on edge or scared during a movie, and The Conjuring 2 did that at least three or four times. The movie contains a nice amount of tension with a few jumpy moments, I genuinely shivered during the ‘tent’ scene.
The final scene which takes place in the Hodgson reisdence isn’t too bad. It’s a scene where paranormal activity becomes a full-blown horror story, with Lorraine hammering on the basement door as Ed makes his way through it and into the house. The heavy rain and thunder is a bit cliché (it never seems to be average or even nice weather in a movie when horror unfolds in or around a house at night). That said, the element ensures Lorrine looks like a drowned rodent as she screams for her husband. Amazing how effective wet, disheveled hair can be.
This scene isn’t dull either; the action is pretty much constant – and the tension builds nicely until the appearance of the phantom himself.
What Went Wrong
As mentioned above: the tension builds nicely until the appearance of the phantom.
Because when he does show up, everything happens very quickly and all at once. It’s down to Lorraine to see him off, so the woman enters the final room in the house – is slammed against and levitated up the wall – screams a few bible quotes – and WHOOSH…
..the horror who has been tormenting the Hodgson family is gone within seconds.
A 127-minute build up to his appearance, and then he’s defeated in less than 1.
This finale was nowhere near as juicy as I wanted – or expected – it to be.
The Conjuring 2 isn’t too bad I suppose. I thought it would be much worse than it was. But then it wasn’t as great as I’d hoped. It offers a fair few jumpy moments as the story plays out, and the cast are impresssive.
Worth running to the cinema for?..
..no.
Don’t rush to see this sequel, it’s not worth the enthusiasm. Yes it’s jumpy, but it’s not an Oscar winner. And if you’re expecting it to follow on from – or link in any way to The Conjuring – don’t. The only element which makes it a sequel is the fact Ed and Lorraine are part of the story.
I have no doubt that if you’re the type of viewer who scares easily, you’ll consider The Conjuring 2 one of the scariest movies you’ve seen in a while. If not, let it go and wait for something else.
