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Special Features
Teaser Trailer HD
Additional Scenes: Found Footage HD
Digital Copy (Expires February 8, 2012)
Additional Scenes: Found Footage HD
Digital Copy (Expires February 8, 2012)
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Undoubtedly, the first and most relevant question to ask about Paranormal Activity 2 is: how scary is it in regard to its predecessor? For horror fans and the legion of viewers terrified by Oren Peli's POV supernatural chiller, the answer is, to echo the quote on the sequel's poster, that your sleepless nights are about to return. Part of the reason for its success is that PA2 hews to the old principle that if it's not broken, don't fix it, so the action here also unfolds via hours of camera footage, stitched together to resemble a documentary. It's also a prequel to the first film, taking place several months before PA1, and focusing on Kristi (Sprague Grayden), the sister of PA1's ill-fated heroine, Katie (Katie Featherston), who also returns here. Seems that the demonic force that pursued Katie also had designs on Kristi, and its relentless assault on her, husband Daniel (Brian Boland), and, most unnervingly, their new son Hunter unfolds in a barrage of quiet-quiet-jump! moments that should have most audience members clutching their seats or movie mates throughout the running time. As a pure scare machine, Paranormal Activity 2 is as well-oiled as the first picture, with director Tod Williams (Door in the Floor) innately grasping the inherent chills of strange things happening in static camera images; if there's any complaint to be had, it's over the family maid, who hews too closely to the stereotype of superstitious ethnic servant. That quibble aside, one can expect to get a serious workout for the nerves from Paranormal Activity. --Paul Gaita
Product Description
"Paranormal Activity 2 is as groundbreaking as the original." Just as Dan and Kristi welcome a newborn baby into their home, a demonic presence begins terrorizing them, tearing apart their perfect world and turning it into an inescapable nightmare. Security cameras capture the torment, making every minute horrifyingly real. Critics warn to "say good-bye to sleep" as Paranormal Activity 2 will haunt you long after it's shocking final scene. --Joseph McCabe, FEARnet.com
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
If you didn't like the first Paranormal Activity I strongly doubt you will enjoy Paranormal Activity 2 so don't even bother, stay far away from it. I was one of those who liked Paranormal Activity and thought it was entertaining and somewhat different from other horror movies as well. The concept of all these paranormal events going on and purposely cheaply-made film was intriguing and best of all, it worked. The thing is there were parts were I was genuinely scared, I couldn't help but be a little freaked out by what the characters were going through. This second PA movie is actually the prequel to the first one and not a traditional sequel like you would imagine, it has elements of both a prequel and a sequel (that's the best way of putting it). It can be a little difficult to imagine a second film that wouldn't ruin what the first one did, be different and still have the effect the first had. I was curious enough and found this one just as enjoyable as the first one. Paranormal Activity 2 doesn't really cover new ground but with careful improvements and changes, works just as well if not better than the original. I respect that they obviously didn't want to ruin what the first movie did which tends to be hard for a sequel, they clearly cared enough and wanted to show viewers something worthy (and I'll say it was).
Paranormal Activity 2 begins two months before the first film and what happens in this prequel leads to the first. This time around the story is focused on Dan, his wife Kristi, Dan's daughter Ali and son Hunter who are-you guessed it-victim of paranormal activity. It's becoming clear to viewers that something is after baby Hunter and will go through anything to get him, even family members. Dan is a skeptic and refuses to talk about these events until it comes to a point he can no longer ignore. His daughter Ali believes and researches the events happening to the family. This leads to a situation. Now, the story is nothing new but it soon all falls into pieces. If you believe or not in these things is not the point, you are likely to be captivated, guessing and wondering what's coming next. What's interesting is that you see Katie and Micah from the first PA and you even see them at their house and Micah with his Camera. I felt this one explained more of what happened in PA which only helps of course. For me, when watching the first film it took some time to really get into it but once you're in, it's quite a ride. PA 2 is no different but there are some elements that made it even more enjoyable for me. It starts out nice and easy, then gradually things begin to happen and it gets progressively worse, it's a formula that worked well for the first and it also applies here. In this one the acting is much better, there are cameras all over the house and the story behind it all was really interesting. The family dog, a German shepherd named Abby who also feels a presence in the house; animals usually feel those types of things before humans do and only contributes to make things more interesting. In the first PA, it seemed things only happened when the characters were asleep, which made sense. This time around things happen both during night and day which adds another dimension to PA.
I was definitely freaked out after viewing, I kept thinking about what I've just seen on the screen. Paranormal Activity is deeply psychological that's why it's so interesting to some and won't appeal to others. It certainly makes one think about the paranormal and raise questions, but that's probably what the filmmakers want you to do. If you liked the first one chances are you will also like this one, I probably enjoyed this prequel/sequel more than the first. I feared this one might be bad but I must say that the experience is just as valid as in the first movie. Some things about PA 2 are very similar to the first, yet it's also different in its own way, after all no one experiences things in the same way. Just to make things clear, it's not "the scariest film ever!" or "the worst movie ever made" as some reviewers said. You may have seen the first movie but are you sure you're ready this time around? 4/5.
Paranormal Activity 2 begins two months before the first film and what happens in this prequel leads to the first. This time around the story is focused on Dan, his wife Kristi, Dan's daughter Ali and son Hunter who are-you guessed it-victim of paranormal activity. It's becoming clear to viewers that something is after baby Hunter and will go through anything to get him, even family members. Dan is a skeptic and refuses to talk about these events until it comes to a point he can no longer ignore. His daughter Ali believes and researches the events happening to the family. This leads to a situation. Now, the story is nothing new but it soon all falls into pieces. If you believe or not in these things is not the point, you are likely to be captivated, guessing and wondering what's coming next. What's interesting is that you see Katie and Micah from the first PA and you even see them at their house and Micah with his Camera. I felt this one explained more of what happened in PA which only helps of course. For me, when watching the first film it took some time to really get into it but once you're in, it's quite a ride. PA 2 is no different but there are some elements that made it even more enjoyable for me. It starts out nice and easy, then gradually things begin to happen and it gets progressively worse, it's a formula that worked well for the first and it also applies here. In this one the acting is much better, there are cameras all over the house and the story behind it all was really interesting. The family dog, a German shepherd named Abby who also feels a presence in the house; animals usually feel those types of things before humans do and only contributes to make things more interesting. In the first PA, it seemed things only happened when the characters were asleep, which made sense. This time around things happen both during night and day which adds another dimension to PA.
I was definitely freaked out after viewing, I kept thinking about what I've just seen on the screen. Paranormal Activity is deeply psychological that's why it's so interesting to some and won't appeal to others. It certainly makes one think about the paranormal and raise questions, but that's probably what the filmmakers want you to do. If you liked the first one chances are you will also like this one, I probably enjoyed this prequel/sequel more than the first. I feared this one might be bad but I must say that the experience is just as valid as in the first movie. Some things about PA 2 are very similar to the first, yet it's also different in its own way, after all no one experiences things in the same way. Just to make things clear, it's not "the scariest film ever!" or "the worst movie ever made" as some reviewers said. You may have seen the first movie but are you sure you're ready this time around? 4/5.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Allow me to start by saying I'm in the camp of people who loved the first Paranormal Activity. If, however, you *didn't* enjoy the first one, then this one will be an absolute snooze-fest for you, so look elsewhere.
For those of you who don't know, this is a prequel to the first movie -- but only by a margin of weeks, which I think is pretty cool. Katie and Micah are both in this movie -- Katie, much more so -- but neither one gets much screen time (maybe 10-15 minutes total). The format of the movie holds true to the approach in the first: You get a sense of the family and who they are when unaffected by demonic possession, then things happen over the course of the rest of the movie which end in a dramatic cliffhanger of sorts. The main difference in this movie is that you don't have to wait very long to see the family deal with something strange, but they don't start putting things together until later when things happen more frequently. Likewise, instead of one camera, you see things happen via security cameras (which, as you will see in the movie, have a reason for being installed) and a hand-held camera. Lastly, there are many more nights in which the totality of events happen in this movie than in the first, but I rather enjoyed that.
Now, as for my total enjoyment of the movie... well, let's just say I was ultimately underwhelmed. I was entertained and the moments of normal family time were enjoyable to watch (in other words, the movie didn't drag out for me at all), but the scares came primarily in the form of jump-scares where things happen suddenly and loudly, thus making you jump out of your pants for that split-second. For as much as I was personally affected by the first movie after watching it, I was expecting at least some sort of rehash of that experience after seeing this second movie, but alas, I walked away unaffected from the experience.
I'm glad I watched the movie and I will certainly catch the 3rd installment this year, but I won't be seeing Paranormal Activity 2 again on my own accord -- and not because it scared me that much. In my humble opinion, I say give Oren Peli another ~$15,000 budget and have him (and *only* him) go to town once more, because he alone accomplished what he + Hollywood clearly could not with their deep pockets: A sense of realism and intrigue that grips a person and chills them to the bone with an experience that lasts far outside the boundaries of the span of time of the movie itself. Perhaps that is due to how much Peli left to the viewer's imagination in Paranormal Activity versus everything Hollywood gave visual affirmation to here in Paranormal Activity 2. With that said, I did enjoy the continuation of -- and additional historicity within -- the storyline.
Overall, if you liked the first installment, I recommend you see this installment if you have yet to. The development of the storyline and the way they end this movie all ties into the first movie and sets the stage for the third installment in a manner that I'm looking forward to seeing the continuation/conclusion of. Just don't expect to go to bed the night you watch this movie and feel like something is just waiting to pull you out of bed, drag you down the hall and make a snack out of you before possessing you -- at least, not like you felt after watching it happen in the first movie. =)
-Stephen
For those of you who don't know, this is a prequel to the first movie -- but only by a margin of weeks, which I think is pretty cool. Katie and Micah are both in this movie -- Katie, much more so -- but neither one gets much screen time (maybe 10-15 minutes total). The format of the movie holds true to the approach in the first: You get a sense of the family and who they are when unaffected by demonic possession, then things happen over the course of the rest of the movie which end in a dramatic cliffhanger of sorts. The main difference in this movie is that you don't have to wait very long to see the family deal with something strange, but they don't start putting things together until later when things happen more frequently. Likewise, instead of one camera, you see things happen via security cameras (which, as you will see in the movie, have a reason for being installed) and a hand-held camera. Lastly, there are many more nights in which the totality of events happen in this movie than in the first, but I rather enjoyed that.
Now, as for my total enjoyment of the movie... well, let's just say I was ultimately underwhelmed. I was entertained and the moments of normal family time were enjoyable to watch (in other words, the movie didn't drag out for me at all), but the scares came primarily in the form of jump-scares where things happen suddenly and loudly, thus making you jump out of your pants for that split-second. For as much as I was personally affected by the first movie after watching it, I was expecting at least some sort of rehash of that experience after seeing this second movie, but alas, I walked away unaffected from the experience.
I'm glad I watched the movie and I will certainly catch the 3rd installment this year, but I won't be seeing Paranormal Activity 2 again on my own accord -- and not because it scared me that much. In my humble opinion, I say give Oren Peli another ~$15,000 budget and have him (and *only* him) go to town once more, because he alone accomplished what he + Hollywood clearly could not with their deep pockets: A sense of realism and intrigue that grips a person and chills them to the bone with an experience that lasts far outside the boundaries of the span of time of the movie itself. Perhaps that is due to how much Peli left to the viewer's imagination in Paranormal Activity versus everything Hollywood gave visual affirmation to here in Paranormal Activity 2. With that said, I did enjoy the continuation of -- and additional historicity within -- the storyline.
Overall, if you liked the first installment, I recommend you see this installment if you have yet to. The development of the storyline and the way they end this movie all ties into the first movie and sets the stage for the third installment in a manner that I'm looking forward to seeing the continuation/conclusion of. Just don't expect to go to bed the night you watch this movie and feel like something is just waiting to pull you out of bed, drag you down the hall and make a snack out of you before possessing you -- at least, not like you felt after watching it happen in the first movie. =)
-Stephen
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By MasterAP
Format:DVD
I had such high hopes for this sequel to one of the scariest movie experiences - Paranormal Activity.
Paranormal Activity 2 is a clever sequel. It is more along the lines of a prequel/parallel story. You are introduced to a new family about to be terrorized by a demonic force.
This family is related to Katie from the first movie in that Katie and the wife, Kristi, are sisters.
You learn more of the back-story of these sisters in that they conducted seances and dabbled in the occult when they were younger. You also learn, by way of step-daughter Ali, that their grandmother probably made some kind of deal with the demon and it is after Kristi's son, Hunter.
After the home is ransacked, they install security cameras all over the house. Every single time "something" happens you are witness to the same progression over-and-over. Outside, pool, inside kitchen, inside living room, front door, Hunter's room.
Every. Single. Time.
This is part of what makes this sequel intolerable and boring.
The beauty of the first film was that each night, you knew something was going to happen and it kept getting worse. It built a level of tension that you could cut with a butter knife. In this one, there is too much boring video of people walking around and that stupid pool cleaner.
There is only one redeemable moment in the film: when Ali is sleeping on the couch and you see a shadow creep closer to her and when it nears, she jerks awake. That was intense.
Everything else was boring. Instead of calling this DVD the uncut, director's edition, they should have called it: Paranormal Activity 2: The Extreme Bore edition.
They have left it open for another movie but I hope they leave well enough alone. Let's forget this sequel happened.
Paranormal Activity 2 is a clever sequel. It is more along the lines of a prequel/parallel story. You are introduced to a new family about to be terrorized by a demonic force.
This family is related to Katie from the first movie in that Katie and the wife, Kristi, are sisters.
You learn more of the back-story of these sisters in that they conducted seances and dabbled in the occult when they were younger. You also learn, by way of step-daughter Ali, that their grandmother probably made some kind of deal with the demon and it is after Kristi's son, Hunter.
After the home is ransacked, they install security cameras all over the house. Every single time "something" happens you are witness to the same progression over-and-over. Outside, pool, inside kitchen, inside living room, front door, Hunter's room.
Every. Single. Time.
This is part of what makes this sequel intolerable and boring.
The beauty of the first film was that each night, you knew something was going to happen and it kept getting worse. It built a level of tension that you could cut with a butter knife. In this one, there is too much boring video of people walking around and that stupid pool cleaner.
There is only one redeemable moment in the film: when Ali is sleeping on the couch and you see a shadow creep closer to her and when it nears, she jerks awake. That was intense.
Everything else was boring. Instead of calling this DVD the uncut, director's edition, they should have called it: Paranormal Activity 2: The Extreme Bore edition.
They have left it open for another movie but I hope they leave well enough alone. Let's forget this sequel happened.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Slow at times, but often very gripping!
This was by no means a bad film. It's pretty much what you'd expect. No real surprises here. It's better than the original in some ways, and in others- not as good. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Natja Kristy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good
Skipped 2 & watched 3 & 4 before it, it put the story together for me and it's got a pretty good jump factor
Published 23 days ago by Martin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some parts scarier than the original
A must see in the theaters if you are a fan of this franchise. Unless you have good surround sound the scares won't be as good at home, but turned up loud can give a nice scare. Read more
Published 26 days ago by SteelersD3
5.0 out of 5 stars
scary
I liked that it was really scary n it was not childish n it was cool and I liked that it made me feel scared
Published 1 month ago by timia
3.0 out of 5 stars
Paranormal 2
too predictable...the best parts were shown in the commercials...and it dragged just like the first one did...getting better just at the last 20 minutes at the end
Published 1 month ago by nancy
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great follow up to the first.
It is interesting how the story is being told and the direction it goes. If you've seen the first one, you definitely need to see this one!
Published 1 month ago by Tristan
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not a surprise in the bunch
I think really scary movies are as hard to make as really good comedies. This was so predictable that it seemed difficult to watch.
Published 2 months ago by david
2.0 out of 5 stars
Well...
Funny scene where they are supposingly looking on a laptop for information, yet it's not even on.
I think the reason why many people don't find this one as scary is... Read more
I think the reason why many people don't find this one as scary is... Read more
Published 2 months ago by D. Santos
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scariest movie I have ever seen
I seriously loved this movie because it was so scary. I am a grown-a** man and didn't want to be alone afterward! Totally worth the cost (free with Prime).
Published 2 months ago by T. Love
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not as good as #1
Didnt really get scared at all. first one had me jumping out of my seat.. this one lacked something. wasnt bad, just not as scary
Published 2 months ago by Sheila C
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