More nonsense

Rating: 4/10 (10 June 2014)

I was no fan of the first INSIDIOUS, so there wasn't much chance of me enjoying this inferior sequel. INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 follows straight on from the events of the first film, with the Lambert family once more finding themselves menaced by the spirits from beyond. POLTERGEIST it ain't.
Instead, this is a convoluted and complicated film, but watching it closely isn't really rewarding, it just allows you to follow the storyline somewhat. This time around, there's a back story that takes place in the 1980s and a side story involving some supporting characters, so it's all fairly complex, but unfortunately it's a case of the 'same old' when it comes to the horror.
You know: wardrobe doors opening on their own, figures seen in the background of bedrooms, characters who seem unable to successfully light their own homes. This seems to be part of a new trend in the genre, but I'm finding it frankly tiresome and, unbelievably, it's made me miss the classic stalk-and-slash scares of old.
It doesn't help that the cast is also entirely lacking, particularly Rose Byrne, who has undergone drastic weight loss and seems to have lost her talent alongside. Patrick Wilson gives a cheesy turn and Barbara Hershey, well let's just say THE ENTITY was a long time ago. It doesn't help that the increasingly silly plot elements, such as possession by a serial killer, fail to gel with the storyline overall leaving this a convoluted mess.