Going back into the further

Rating: 6/10 (12 September 2013)

Insidious was one of my favourite horror films in the past couple years. It was scary, thrilling and it stuck with me long after. Most horror films can no longer due this to an audience anymore. However horror master James Wan was up for the challenge and made two horror films this year 'The Conjuring' and 'Insidious chapter 2'. Many folks will compare these two films and debate which one is scarier. The Conjuring in my opinion was a well made horror film however it lacked the scares. The story was well done and the film did a great job of building tension however it was short on scares. Insidious chapter 2 has the opposite problem, it has the scares and tension however the story just gets ridiculous and weird as it moves fourth.
Chapter 2 is a film that does not need to be made however James Wan felt he needed to continue the story and show us more of this horrible world. The film picks up exactly where Insidious left off. This will not be a friendly film for viewers that have not seen the first one. Chapter 2 flashes back and fourth from the first film and really much like the title this is chapter 2 in the story. Insidious chapter 2 starts off well enough and has many decent scares in the film, however the longer the film goes on the weirder and stranger it gets. James Wan is great with the camera work and scares once again however story telling this time around not so much.
Many people complained about the 3 rd act in the original insidious because of the 'further' and so it should be known that this film centres around the 'further' for the majority of the film. Chapter 2 does a great job of making some connections to the previous film and offers some nice new surprises. However it's a shame the film falters under it's own weight.
While not a great film by any means, it's not awful like some people would have you believe. Basically in my opinion if you liked the first film you will find something to enjoy here possibly. If you didn't like the first chapter then stay the hell away from this one. James Wan said he will not be returning to horror after this film, which is a shame as he is so great at it, so lets hope he is only taking a short break. Insidious does deserve better but honestly as far as sequels go you could do a lot worse. I had fun and even jumped quite a few times, so chapter 2 did it's purpose, however most viewers i feel will poke more fun at it then it deserves.
Rating: 6 out of 10