If you saw, and somewhat enjoyed, the first Paranormal Activity, you’ll like this one too.  If you didn’t like it, there’s no point it seeing PA2; in many ways it is the same movie.  If you never saw PA1, see it on DVD first and then decide.  But I thought PA1 was decent, and I feel the same about PA2.  If nothing else, it’s tense, a bit scary, and goes by fast (smartly keeping a 91 minute running time).

The plot runs along similar lines to the first.  A family (husband and wife, but a bit older this time), the husband’s teenage daughter from his first marriage, their newborn baby boy, and their dog live in a modern suburban home.  After a strange break-in where the house is ransacked but nothing is taken (except one necklace with sentimental value), the husband has an alarm system and cameras installed throughout the house, recording to a DVR system.  Then, as strange occurrences begin to happen each evening, the family is able to validate them through the use of the DVR.

Perhaps because the family is larger, there is a bit more tension this time around.  The father refuses to entertain the idea of ghosts or the supernatural as a cause for any of the disturbances, and goes so far as to fire their nanny when she tries to cleanse the house through sage burning.  The wife does believe, especially as she and her sister had some sort of frightening experiences as children.  The teenage daughter thinks it would “cool” if the house was haunted…she holds out a bit of hope when the disturbances are mild that it might be her mother (who we now learn has passed away).  The infant, who grows into a toddler, appears to see the forces at work, sometimes laughing at them, and other times crying in fear.  The dog also reacts, barking and growling at any presence.

As you expect, the events escalate.  I can’t go into the plot line in any detail, except to say that the couple from the original Paranormal Activity make an appearance in this film too, and I found it rather creative the way the films were tied together.  The suspense is all the same as the first film: you are shown the scene, and you know something is going to happen…you just don’t know what.  

In all, Paranormal Activity 2 is a dopey and fun movie.  It doesn’t need a ton of blood and chainsaws to make the audience jump (and if you’re with a date, be prepared to have your hand squeezed every now and then).  If nothing else, it is a good start to the Halloween horror films which are making their way to a theater near you.  Give it a shot.