I wasn't sure this would work when I started watching it, but I found that the more I watched it, the more enjoyment I got from it

Rating: 7/10 (5 March 2014)

***************WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS****************
Insidious Chapter 2 basically expands on the events following the original Insidious. We basically learn that the ghosts/spirits from the first film are still haunting the Lambert family. Whilst their old house is being investigated, the Lambert family decide to move back to Josh's old house. However, the Lambert family find that simply moving houses doesn't solve the problem and quickly find that the spirits are still among them....
When we think of horror films the first thing we think of is 'scares' and as it's billed as a 'horror film', ironically, this is where Insidious Chapter 2 is actually at its weakest. Sadly, the trademark Wan/Whannell jump scares are apparent throughout. While I admit that Wan's direction is spot on and his camera work is nothing short of incredible. Unfortunately, when you've watched a few of his films you tend to know some of the tricks that he pulls and sadly for me after seeing his first very good film Insidious and after seeing the Conjuring it all becomes a little too familiar. That being said, his direction was still good and when he wasn't focusing on cheap jump scares it was exceptional. In case you weren't aware you were watching a horror film, Wan & Co remind you throughout that you are -the seemingly constant 'tick tocking' of clocks (particularly in the first half - at one point I was wondering if this film was being sponsored by Accurist). The creaking of doors and the loud incidental music are all reminders that we are watching a Horror film. For me, they are clichés which are starting to become tiring. One thing I did enjoy about this film was Whannell's writing and expansion of the story.
It would have been very easy to create a lazy cash in on the first film (think Hangover 2), but Whannell has actually expanded the story from the first film and has also managed to make it an interesting sequel. I'll be honest and admit that I had my doubts at around the 30 minute mark and thought that it would be no different to the first film. How wrong could I be? Essentially, Josh's body and soul have been possessed by an evil spirit which has crossed over into this dimension and has left the real Josh stuck in between this world and the other world. The evil spirit Josh has been given orders to kill all his family by the evil spirit Miriam (who is ultimately manipulating him and the spirit of her son Parker Cane - in a bizarre twist it turns out that she wished that her son was a 'girl' and forces him to dress and act like a 'girl' which explains Parker's reasons for wanting to possess the young Josh as he wants his childhood back now his mother is dead and presumably to try and live as a boy as he had always wanted to).
The film culminates in Josh's young telekinetic son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) choosing to pass between dimensions in order to bring the real Josh (his dad) back into this dimension and also trying to kill the evil spirit of Miriam who is the one that is influencing all of the spirits and causing all this pain. I honestly believe that the writing and thought that have gone into this sequel are the traits that make this a strong sequel. The fact that Wan & Whannell have actually expanded the story rather than giving us a re-hash of the first film make it a very good follow up to the excellent original.
The ending of the film suggests that there will be a third film on the way and, on the face of it, there could be potential for us witnessing the birth of a strong franchise.