Superb exquisite acting! The rest - great, but not as great as the first film...

Rating: 7/10 (27 April 2015)

I must say that at the time I've heard about this somewhat illogical sequel to the Horror masterpiece that was Insidious - I was very skeptical. The first question that popped into my head was "why?". Why would you take the most creative, most original and innovative and absolutely best Supernatural Horror story of this decade and ruin it by adding unnecessary details and an inferior plot? True, Insidious ended with a lot of loose ends and had a very open ending, but what was so wrong with that? Many Horror films end this way, with the audience not receiving complete closure and therefore being forced to assume the worst. It's part of the Horror effect and experience, we've grown to love it!
Having said all that, being a devout Horror fan and perhaps the biggest Insidious fan in my country - I couldn't ignore this sequel, and so I watched it, once to get acquainted, then a second time some months later for this review. The story and plot, as I've expected from the work of the geniuses who created the first chapter, were quite good, which is a big drop compared to the excellent and profound ones of the first chapter. The time overlaps games and how the events of this film helped to explain those of the first one were an excellent addition, definitely one of the features that made this film great! However, the attempt to "widen" the story and encompass more characters and events (as many sequels from many different genres try to do) simply felt forced and unnecessary.
The music is the same eerie, creepy and scary track from the first film (or some variation of it), the cinematography occasionally switching to a home camera view is just the way it should have been, and the unnatural beings of the "Further" are still absolutely horrifying. Credit for these is all due to the first chapter.
Which brings me to the greatest most impressive feature of this sequel, one in which it has outdone the first chapter: the acting. Acting of these profound levels, which we meet from the very start of the film, is a rare delight in modern Horror. Lindsay Seim played the supporting role of young Elise perfectly! Her body language, her facial expressions, her voice and intonations... It was like she studied Lin Shaye for years! And now, the creme de la creme: Patrick Wilson. At certain times, due to the script and plot, Wilson had to play someone else, and not his character Josh Lambert. He changed his acting, his body language and facial expressions, his voice and intonation, his personality and his character. Not since the film "Face Off" have I seen an actor so professionally and profoundly changing his "game" and creating a new character from scratch. Wilson has proved yet again that he is one of the best and most underrated actors nowadays. Watching him work is a privilege.
All in all, comparing Insidious: Chapter 2 to the original Insidious, shows an inferior film, lacking in comparison in all fields except for the acting. However, objectively speaking - Horror mastermind James Wan (the Wan and only) has done it yet again! I'm not sure I can recommend this film in clear conscience, as the first film on its own is a masterpiece that needs no further additions. Still, if you're a true fan of the original, or of the excellent Director Wan and Leading Actor Wilson - you have got to watch this.