Customer Reviews

White Noise 2 (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There has been a great deal of negative press surrounding "White Noise 2", a lot of it unjustly based on opinions of its predecessor "White Noise".

"White Noise 2" (Also known as "White Noise The Light") however, stands alone with little connection to the first movie "White Noise".

Nathan Fillion leads the cast as Abe Dale and accomplishes something rarely seen in a move of this genre, a connection with the characters. You're instantly drawn into Abe's world, and when he suffers a tragic and seemingly pointless loss, you can't help but feel for him. We see a more vulnerable character from Nathan Fillion than we have seen before and he expresses Abe's loss in such a way that is truly believable.

Katee Sackhoff, as Sherry, brings a degree of warmth and joy to what could otherwise be a somewhat dark experience and the dynamic between Nathan and Katee works exceptionally well.

Anyone who is a fan of either Nathan Fillion or Katee Sackhoff is sure to be as impressed with this film as I have been.

Props to Patrick Lussier who brings out the best in a sequel to a movie that was considered by many to be a disappointing experience.

If terrifying images of potential deaths flashed in front of you, would you attempt to alter the natural order of events?

If this premise sounds familiar, it is because it's been done to death by Hollywood, but this film does cover this territory very well. It's a combination of Final Destination and the original White Noise. While not as violent as FD or as clever and jolting as WN1, this film is good and stands on its own two legs rather than just being a sequel that repeats its predecessor or a sequel that literally continues the story. This is a sequel in name only; it does rely on ideas that come from that WN1, but it goes off in its own direction. I guess the "2" to a popular film is liable to get it more noticed, although I think it could have been titled something else.

In any event, after a near-death experience in which a man loses his family he is plagued by horrifying images of potential deaths that he discovers he can prevent if he acts soon enough. The acting is surprisingly good for a small film and the effects can be quite jarring at times. I thought the plot was clever and the direction was competent and appropriately paced.

This is a good chiller for a rainy afternoon and okay for the whole family (if they are into thrillers).

Considering the flood of direct-to-DVD horror movie sequels, this one floats to the top. The original theatrical film with Michael Keaton left something to be desired, however, this new flick gives the titular paranormal theme a boost. You just have to keep your EVP's and NDE's in order as you make sense of the plot and all the religious subtext. My guess-- this could have been an unrelated stand-alone screenplay that was adapted to fit the "White Noise" genre. Katee Sackhoff does a great turn as the love interest, and fans will remember her from her initial foray into horror from Halloween - Resurrection. In all, this could spawn a third sequel if the present filmmakers sign on for another go round. Since it seems horror fans will devour anything that has competent and creative effort behind it (even if it doesn't hit the theaters), we may be seeing more films like this hit the shelves and not the cineplexes.

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who actually liked the original White Noise. While far from a great movie I thought it was enjoyable even if forgettable. Going into White Noise 2 my expectations were quite low. Even though I did enjoy the original I didn't really have high hopes, but like the original being a decent surprise so was the sequel. By no means is this a great movie and like the previous at the end of the day it is forgettable, but overall I thought White Noise was a decent surprise. White Noise 2 is a stand-alone sequel; there is no connection between the 2 movies, this is just a sequel by name only.

White Noise 2 does continue the EVP concept, but now adds near death experience to the mix. I thought White Noise 2 had a pretty decent idea and some elements work and others seem to lack. Writer Matt Venne actually writes a pretty decent script. I sort of see this movie as a White Noise meets The Dead Zone. Instead of a man with psychic visions the lead character sees a white light and that's how he knows who is in danger. Matt Venne doesn't really bring us anything exactly new to this genre, but he does write a script that does have some creative moments. This movie is a little smarter than most people would think. White Noise 2 is very much a character driven movie rather than action and Venne does a good job.

Director Patrick Lussier does a good job at brining everything to life. There are moments where the pacing might be a little on the slow side, but he always manages to keep things from getting too slow. Though there are moments where the pacing was a little too slow. There is little to no scares. If you've seen enough horror movies the scares are quite predictable, but there is some decent tension. For the most part Lussier does keep the movie interesting; this isn't an Iconic directing job, but good enough to make an interesting movie.

Like I said White Noise 2 is very character driven and Nathan Fillion is excellent in the lead role as Abe Dale. The makers got very lucky in landing Fillion who is a very talented actor. He really makes this movie a lot better than maybe it should have been. He's in pretty much every scene and he does a great job at carrying the movie. Katee Sackhoff as Sherry Clarke also delivers an excellent performance. She's a very talented actress and manages to light up the screen in every scene she appears in. Her character is a lot of fun and Katee really seems to be enjoying herself and any character who lists Bride of Frankenstein as their favorite movie is my kinda girl.

When all is said and done White Noise 2 isn't a great movie by any means, but does serve as a decent time killer. Odds are if you liked the original you'll probably like this, even if you didn't like the original you might like this since it's not a continuation. White Noise 2 had the potential to be a lot more than it was, but at the end of the day it might be sort of forgettable, but White Noise 2 is actually a fairly good movie.

I don't usually write reviews, but I couldn't let this movie stand with only one review saying it was horrible.
I enjoyed the first movie, but I can completely understand why some people didn't. A lot of the fear that the audience was supposed to feel is only accessible to those who had ever dealt with EVP.
But, I digress.
White Noise 2, was wonderful. The trailer had me hooked and the movie did not disappoint.
I will admit that the fact Nathan Fillion was in the movie was a major boon, and as can be expected, he did a wonderful job. He is fun to watch and easy to sympathize with.

All in all, I recommend this movie.

I'm not sure what made me decide to rent this movie because I didn't really like the first one, but I figured I'd give this one a shot because I happen to really like Nathan Fillion. I was kind of expecting it to suck as bad as the first one, but I was very surprised, this one is actually pretty good. Nathan Fillion's character has a near-death experience and from then on he has the power to "see" people who are going to die within the next few minutes. This movie definately has more scary parts than the first one, which I thought wasn't at all scary. It's not an excellent movie, but it is pretty good.

I loved the first White Noise movie. The whole concept of EVP just fascinates me. When I heard that there was going to be a White Noise 2, I just had to have it.

This movie certainly does not pickup where the original left off. It is a clean slate from the beginning. There is no slow, boring lead in. The whole story line was laid out in a clever and relatively quick fashion. It is a little confusing at first but this adds to the suspense. The special effects are good, at times, but nothing overly exciting. The jump factor of this film was a bit weak. Sure, there are some scenes that have the typical sudden flashes that make you jump a bit, but with a movie like this you would expect a bit more. My wife hates horror films that make you jump, so she was quite happy with the overall mild fear factor of this film. =o)

Overall I was quite pleased with this film and glad that I purchased the DVD for my collection. It is nearly as good as the original White Noise, but just lacks a little punch. The ending was somewhat confusing and leaves a bit to each viewers imagination. This is not necessarily a bad thing. The story keeps your attention, the directing seems good, the choice of actors and their associated performances are very good. As a comparison I think I would rate the first White Noise a 5, while I consider White Noise 2 a 4 and 1/2. It is a great film that I recommend to everyone. I guess I just didn't get the same thrill from this film as I did the original. Maybe the whole "Near Death Experience" concept just isn't quite as mysterious to me as it might be for others. I suggest you see the movie and judge for yourself. If you enjoyed the first White Noise movie, I'm sure you will not be dissapointed with this one.

Abe Dale (Nathan Fillion) watches as a total stranger walks up and shoots his son, his wife and then himself. Shocked, he mourns the loss of his family uncontrollably until he can take it no more and attempts suicide. But as he makes his way into that ever spoken of white light, doctors resuscitate him and he returns to the land of the living.

Thus begins a tale that seems to be headed one direction before it takes a disastrous turn. Now returned to life, Nathan begins to see auras around various people he encounters, including a doctor attempting to help him. The doctor describes the things Nathan sees and hears as a form of EVP or electronic voice phenomena (a phenomena paranormal researchers actually use).

But things go bad as the people he sees begin to die. Nathan realizes that he has the ability to save their lives and begins doing so, including a young nurse who consoled him in the hospital.

That nasty twist? It seems that once you save someone's life you become responsible for all actions taken thereafter. And since they were taken away from their time to die, they turn around and kill others. As Nathan digs deeper into the man who killed his family's past, he discovers him alive. He also finds out that the man was doing so only because he had saved them earlier. And they would have become killers just like the others he had saved.

Faced with this knowledge, Nathan must now go out and find those that he helped and stop them from killing. Caught in the conundrum of realizing he must take life when his whole goal was to save them, the moral questions Nathan deals with make this movie a complex thriller that keeps you in suspense.

Fillion turns in a wonderful performance, as he always does. The goal of an actor is to not seem to be acting and in all I've had the fortune of seeing him do, I've felt that in each role even when he faces the afterlife or squishy monsters (as in SLITHER). The rest of the cast performs just as well in a story that seems incredible but at the same time somehow believable.

Your views on the afterlife may not change after watching this film. But for the time you spend watching it, you will wonder what you would do in the same situation. And you will wait to find out just what happens to Nathan Dale and those whose lives he touched.

Well acted, but very situation contrived. That took away from the whole concept for me. The plot involves the grand concept of that when people are to die, they should die when they are supposed to. And if you try to change the course of things, there will be a price. So being that said, you know everyone is going to die. Every scene is predictably manipulated for the obvious out come. No surprises.

It does have some well crafted scenes. The balcony piano scene is VERY well done.....reminds me of In Dreamswhen Annette Benning falls from the bridge.

For a rental, it's cool. Actors are wonderful...but a weak, contived plot ruins it.

Another dip into the Supernatural pool of EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon). This time there is softer plot line with less gross-out shocks and no evil demons but still has a understandable air of truth about the effects of near-death experiences. Nathan Fillion (of Serenity fame) plays the central character convincingly as a man with a burden of knowledge that can save people but for how long before the natural order of things defeats his successful efforts. The growing love of a nurse he has saved puts him in a terrible dilemma. As the realization of his commitment to set things right leads to a very sad and moving ending. The HD sound was very effective in adding to the shocking effects and eery music.