Conjuring 2, The (2016) [Blu-ray]
Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline: The next true story from the case files of Ed and Lorraine Warren

The supernatural thriller brings to the screen another real case from the files of renowned demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. Reprising their roles, Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson star as Lorraine and Ed Warren, who, in one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits.

Storyline: In 1977, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to London, England, where single mother Peggy Hodgson believes that something evil is in her home. When Peggy's youngest daughter starts showing signs of demonic possession, Ed and Lorraine attempt to help the besieged girl, only to find themselves targeted by the malicious spirits.

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Michael Reuben, September 11, 2016 The surprise success of director James Wan's 2013 The Conjuring virtually guaranteed a sequel. A self-conscious return to the Seventies style of expertly paced spiritual horror epitomized by The Exorcist, Wan's thriller provided a welcome change from the CG-laden gore and grossout style that has dominated the genre for the past decade. The Conjuring 2 dutifully treads in its predecessor's footsteps, unveiling what is purported to be an even more terrifying case from the files of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren than the one explored in the original film. The sequel's flaws are already ingrained in the concept, since the first Conjuring claimed to be the Warrens' most frightening case, the one they allegedly kept hidden and locked away, fearful that the world wasn't ready—except it now turns out they were supposedly hiding an even darker secret. (Given the box office success of Conjuring 2, you can be sure that, as with Jedi offspring, "there is another!") Building on that dubious premise, The Conjuring 2 attempts to top its predecessor at every turn, and the result is a bloated running time and an overly busy plot that ultimately saps the tale of any real tension. Wan is a good enough craftsman to provide several effective set pieces, and stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson remain engaging as the Warrens, but overall The Conjuring 2 is a letdown.

The Conjuring 2 opens with a prologue concerning the Warrens' investigation of the house that inspired The Amityville Horror. During a seance, the clairvoyant Lorraine (Farmiga) experiences a terrifying vision of an evil spirit in a nun's habit and a premonition of Ed (Wilson) being killed, which prompts her to insist that they cease their paranormal investigations. Later in the film, Ed will paint a portrait of the same evil spirit, which he glimpses in a dream, thereby intensifying Lorraine's fears.

Across the Atlantic, strange events are occurring in the Enfield Borough of London, where the crumbling council house occupied by Peggy Hodgson (Frances O'Connor) and her four children appears to be haunted by the spirit of a deceased former occupant. Alternately manifesting as a poltergeist, a disembodied voice, a corporeal spirit (Bill Wilkins) and a force possessing Peggy's younger daughter, Janet (Madison Wolfe), the invading presence is documented by both the local police and a British paranormal investigator, Maurice Grosse (Simon McBurney). A second paranormal investigator, German-born Anita Gregory (Franka Potente), doubts the authenticity of the Enfield ghost, but local church authorities are sufficiently concerned to contact the Warrens through their U.S. Catholic liaison. With Ed faithfully promising Lorraine that they will do no more than observe and report (yeah, right!), the Warrens depart for England.

Conjuring 2 takes its time, both before and after the Warrens' arrival, so that Wan can stage one episode after another of preternatural turbulence, routinely terrifying the entire Hodgson family, especially young Janet. Wan and his crew handle these sequences with care and craftsmanship, but they are so numerous that the effect is dulled by repetition, not to mention the repeated sensation that Wan and screenwriters Carey and Chad Hayes (returning from the first film) and David Leslie Johnson (Orphan) are recycling scares from Poltergeist, The Exorcist and even The Shining (e.g., the toy fire engine that is pushed away and inexplicably returns). Indeed, the film's most inventive sequence occurs early on, before the Warrens have left America, when Lorraine experiences a waking dream of the same spirit she glimpsed in the Amityville house. (As with many of the best scares, it's a relatively simple effect involving a shadow that advances slowly and ominously around the room.)

As in the first film, Ed Warren is called upon to perform an exorcism, and it's no spoiler to reveal that he saves the day and also that, contrary to Lorraine's vision, he survives (as did the real Ed Warren). This time around, however, Wan isn't as successful at concealing the Conjuring series' ambivalent embrace of Christianity. One of the strengths that has made The Exorcist an enduring classic is the unapologetic authenticity of its Catholic faith, which lends credibility to the film's drama of demonic possession even for viewers of a different persuasion. But Wan and his team remain coy about their film's cosmology, substituting the Warrens' personal conviction for the authority of the Gospels and leaving the Hodgson family's religion a complete question mark. It's this kind of purposeful ambiguity that allows Ed Warren to brandish a cross as if he were a vampire hunter, while Lorraine succeeds in banishing a demon with a tactic derived from the Brothers Grimm. Fathers Merrin and Karras had to work a lot harder, and sacrifice much more, when hell unleashed its fury.

The Conjuring 2 will probably seem less derivative (and therefore more enjoyable) to viewers who are not intimately familiar with its sources. Even so, the film is about 15 minutes too long and would have benefited from sacrificing a few of its scares, the better to concentrate on its bigger moments. Filmmakers afflicted with "sequelitis" routinely go overboard in their attempt to top themselves, and Wan and his team have succumbed. However, for those who don't mind The Conjuring 2's flaws, the Blu-ray is a quality presentation and, accordingly, recommended.

[CSW] -3.8- James Wan, perhaps the premiere modern horror director (Saw, Insidious), makes graphically regal films that often exceed the genre's visual conventions. His popular "Conjuring" films give him the opportunity to show that skill. With gorgeous period-piece settings, the general warmness to the coloring works as a nice counterpoint to the scares. While this newest entry doesn't quite sidestep all of the clichés in modern horror (giggling children, creepy toys, red herring scares), it does askew some. The just-brainy-enough storytelling mixed with the super strong direction make it a distinctly solid studio horror trip. Based on "true events," we find paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren traveling to the UK to study a peculiar and sinister haunting of a young, single-parent family. Along the way, some plot conveniences and illogical creature rules haunt the proceedings. Luckily, these are overshadowed by some fantastically creepy monster designs, including a boldly sadistic nun-figure and a terrifying rendition of the "Crooked Man" nursery rhyme, all underscored by effectively cool music and sound design. By now, Wan has proven he knows what he's doing in the scare department. However, some surprisingly adept humor cuts through the horrific drama, allowing the themes of family and dangerous commitment to shine through. But what really makes the whole thing work are the people. In spite of the few plotting flaws, in the center of the story are characters you wanna root for. They are funny, loving, sympathetic and real; they are human-feeling people who make human-feeling decisions. With this beautiful control over tone and character, Wan feels only a step away from making a true masterpiece. Until then, this will more than do.
[V4.5-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - D-Box - was not overdone and made a sizable difference in the film's enjoyment (it added a half a point to my score).

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