I'm still laughing while writing this review!

Rating: 4/10 (5 September 2016)

After over 3 decades of watching horrors, I know better than to watch trailers or expect something Oscar-worthy. 3 hours ago, I went into The Conjuring 2, expecting nothing but standard horror fare, and hoping that the movie would not be as ridiculously awful as Insidious III, which was laughable at best. And although it did have a few strong points, I felt that I just had to share my experience with those who have not seen it yet.
First of all, as hinted in the title, I've been laughing like crazy for nearly 2 hours straight now. You see, if you want your horror film to impress and scare the viewer, there are a few mistakes you simply must not make. It does not help, however, when the 'demon' appears in the form of a nun that bears a striking resemblance to Marilyn Manson on a bad make-up day! I was willing to look past that, despite the laughing fits every time the nun was shown, but then came the 'crooked man', who, in addition to being very badly made and looking completely fake, looked rather similar to Jim Carrey in 'The Mask'! So there was no need for any comic relief, as there already were plenty of opportunities to laugh, yet such relief was still deemed necessary. Not to mention a pointless scene with Patrick Wilson imitating Elvis and singing, probably intended to be funny and / or moving, and an awkwardly scripted negotiation sequence between Wilson and the demon...
Another issue is the fact that The Conjuring 2 'lifts' a lot from other, mostly better movies. I mean, what's the deal with the 'tent' inside the house? How many movies have used this idea since The Others? Boring and utterly cliché. Then there are the toy scenes, stolen straight from Poltergeist (pick your part), the possession sequences 'inspired' by The Exorcist, and numerous other 'inspirations'. That was the very first thing I noticed and that bothered me.
Of course, it is never helpful when a horror relies too much on computer generated effects and bland repetitive jump scares. This is always a negative, and most modern horrors look silly as a result.
Are there some positives? Sure. The camera work is skillful enough, and colors are used efficiently to create the right mood and atmosphere. But that's just about it.
On the whole, I am certain that I will never want to see this movie again. There are simply too many better ones out there, especially the cult classics. If, on the other hand, you are willing to look past the major flaws that The Conjuring 2 suffers from, then it might be worth watching, especially if you're a fan of Jim Carrey or Marilyn Manson!