Though it's never quite as chilling as its predecessor, "The Conjuring 2" excels nonetheless thanks to James Wan's grand visuals and a surprisingly heartwarming story.

Rating: 8/10 (2 October 2016)

Whodathunk that one of the biggest highlights of director James Wan's stellar sequel "The Conjuring 2" was not one of the dreaded jumps that the movie relishes in... nor the creaking of a doorway in the distance... nor the eerie music that chills you to the bone... but rather, a pleasant little scene where a man tries to bring a little happiness and joy to a family by plucking the strings of a guitar and singing "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" with a smirking Elvis impression?
Yes, it may almost seem counter-intuitive, but the thing that's so admirable about "The Conjuring 2" is that it sees past the clichés and tropes of the standard horror sequel, and instead places its main focus first and foremost on creating a grounded scenario that audiences can identify with and populating its story with loving and thoughtful characters that you can't help but root for, while the horror elements frequently take a back seat.
Based on yet another of the Warren's case files (though obviously heavily exaggerated and embellished for the sake of drama... this ain't a documentary), the film moves the focus to London, taking inspiration from the famous and infamous Enfield Poltergiest case. Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren must help a distraught mother (Frances O'Connor) who is struggling with a deranged, seemingly supernatural force that threatens to tear her and her children apart- in particular young daughter Janet (Madison Wolfe), who seems to be this dark force's main target... However, the growing media firestorm surrounding the case, questions of whether or not Janet is faking the haunting, and a recurring premonition of Ed's death may prove that this case could be too much for the famed supernatural investigators...
A huge part of the appeal of the original film was the absolutely magical chemistry between stars Wilson and Farmiga, and this is only improved upon in the sequel. The duo really do light up the screen together, creating a wonderful set of leads for the audience to follow. Wolfe is a revelation of a child actress, and is both adorable and highly convincing in her role. O'Connor gives a satisfying and compelling turn as a mother in desperate need. And supporting roles by the likes of Simon McBurney and Franka Potente are well cast and deliver good, memorable performances.
Director James Wan excels here. Quickly becoming one of the finest filmmakers working in the world of horror today, Wan is an expert at delivering the goods. His expert sense of atmosphere and complex camera-work work wonders at building a sense of all encompassing dread that helps the horror to really hit home. But he's also grown quite a bit with the other material, having learned and honed his skills at telling thoughtful and sensitive scenes that help to develop the characters and story in such a delightful way. I've been a fan of his since way back when the original "Saw" hit theaters, and I'm glad I've stuck with his work. It's been a pleasure to see him grow and mature as a storyteller over the past twelve years and I look forward to his next projects.
The script by Wan, Chad Hayes, Carey W. Hayes and David Leslie Johnson is just a blast of pure fun. The four writers really have a good grasp on structure, pacing and balance. It's carefully crafted to not only give many strong punctuation's of scares and thrills, but to expertly develop the characters. As I mentioned above, even to points where the horror elements often take a backseat. But I didn't mind. In creating such a delightful setting and characters, it makes the horror hit harder. The group also really knows how to create memorable foes, with the new demonic forces at play being absolutely bone-chilling in their execution.
However, despite the gushing, I must also address a few of the film's minor faults. To start, even though the horror elements at play do generally work... it never quite comes off as chilling or as frightening as the original. It's almost more intriguing and interesting than it is scary. I also think that there were a few scares early on that do fall flat, feeling like wasted screen time that could have been spent elsewhere. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice the film's overlong runtime a bit. It could have used a bit more refining.
But those faults being said, "The Conjuring 2" is still a completely enthralling and engrossing thriller. Not only a solid sequel, but just a darned fine movie in its own right. Another win for director James Wan. Here's to hoping we get a "Conjuring 3" that continues to maintain the high quality of the previous installments!
I give it a very good 8 out of 10.