Good Sequel

Rating: Null/10 (15 September 2013)

Having avoided the first INSIDIOUS, this is an attempt to review CHAPTER 2, a haunted house horror flick that goes beyond sudden jolts and cheap thrills with a creative, multi-layered storyline
Centering again on the Lambert family, we begin with Patrick Wilson's Josh as a young boy. Like the poor kid in SIXTH SENSE he sees dead people, and, according to wraith expert Ellise, played by Lin Shaye, one has stubbornly latched on, making the "Why don't they just move out of the house?" question completely futile...
The scares are effective, and most importantly, so are the chills. The difference being: scares occur for the moment while chills are always present. But what really makes I2 work is the eclectic cast, sharing equal time in a story building mystery along with terror and, thanks to neurotic ghost hunters Specs and Tucker, a few worthy laughs as well.
As Josh goes under a spell from the formidable lead wraith, whose presence is revealed further in, the changeling makes him a dead ringer for Jack Nicholson's Jack Torrance in THE SHINING, including a frantic door-bashing scene sans the axe, and Rose Byrne as wife Renai is the perfect Shelley Duvall
Her sheepish aura helps boost Josh's frantic intensity, and the multiple back stories, gliding smoothly to the forefront while a few confusing layers taper off, leads to an ambitious third act when a few characters enter (and/or reenter) a misty spirit world that, although resembling the exterior of Disney's Haunted Mansion, makes for a satisfyingly unpredictable experience...