[REVIEW] ‘The Conjuring 2’ Will Lightning Strike Twice for the Warrens?

After taking a quick break from horror to direct “Furious 7”, James Wan returns to the genre with a sequel to the hugely successful 2013 film “The Conjuring.”  With the “The Conjuring 2”, Wan has gathered the band back together with the hopes of repeating the critical and financial success the first one enjoyed.  But will lightning strike twice for this potential horror franchise?

“The Conjuring 2” continues to explore the world of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.  This time around the duo find themselves off to England to investigate an incident in Enfield that is dubbed “England’s Amityville” by one character.  The film centers around a single mother and her kids as they’re assaulted by a malevolent spirit that takes the form of a creepy old man.  Amongst his nefarious deeds the spirit takes a special interest in the youngest daughter Janet (Madison Wolfe) and possesses her in a very “Exorcist”-like way.

Of course the only ones that can help the family are the Warrens, but they’re facing a very real crisis of their own.  Lorraine has been experiencing dark visions that lead her to believe their lives are in danger if they keep doing their good work.  But with the situation in Enfield getting more dire by the day, the Warrens have to decide what they’re willing to risk to help a stranger.

Much like the first film, “The Conjuring 2” is a horror film with a lot of heart and warmth.  Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as Ed and Lorraine Warren and, once again, portray them in a very personable and loving way.  The two are so sickeningly sweet together that you almost want to hate how good they are, but Patrick and Vera have such great chemistry that you can’t help but to be charmed by them.  I dare you not to swoon a little when Patrick Wilson starts singing “Can’t Help Falling in Love” while playing guitar.

However, I felt the weakest part of the film was the family at the center of everything.  We get a bit of set-up for this family and their situation, but once the spooky stuff starts happening they might as well be cut out figures.  Unfortunately, they mostly serve as devices for Patrick and Vera to bounce their heartfelt performances off of.

Madison Wolfe has a few bright spots and does an excellent job of invoking the spirit of Linda Blair, but beyond the creepy bits, she feels underutilized.  She also get the unfortunate distinction of delivering the cheesiest line of the film.  You’ll know it when she starts talking about how lucky she is and you start to feel your eyes roll around in your head.

And as a result of the family dynamic being weaker the story drags at a sluggish pace when the Warrens aren’t around.  Which is especially unfortunate with the “Conjuring 2” being as long as it is.  There’s something to be said for allowing a horror movie to breath and for the tension to build at a gradual pace, but the movie had a bit of bloat that could’ve been shaved off in favor of time.

Another element I found a bit distracting was the inclusion of CGI.  The first “Conjuring” had a fairly grounded story and didn’t get too extravagant with its ghosts.  However, in “Conjuring 2” it felt like they got an increased budget and decided to splurge it on creature design.  There’s one character in particular named the “Crooked Man” that feels a bit like Slender Man and, in theory, he’s a rather cool character.  However, the actual execution left something to be desired and it was hard to shake the feeling that he was out of place in a film like “The Conjuring.”  The thing that drew me in about the first “Conjuring” was it’s natural look and feel.  It was a movie that could have been made in the ’70s and captured that classic aesthetic.  “Conjuring 2” retains some of that vision, but loses sight of it when CGI creeps back on to the screen.

That being said, “The Conjuring 2” is a worthy follow up to the original film that delivers on thrills.  It’s the kind of roller coaster scares that you expect from a mainstream horror film.  James Wan continues to show that he has mastered the craft of building tension and making you squirm in your seat.  Music crescendos at the right spot, dead silence draws you in, and then a big scare happens.  You know what you’re getting when it comes to “The Conjuring” and it’s just fun to experience.

The ride isn’t as smooth as the original, but fans of the first film will be pleased by the offerings of “The Conjuring 2.”  However, if you didn’t enjoy the first film as much as me then I’m certain this film won’t turn you on to the series.  If you’re in the mood for light horror fun, though, “The Conjuring 2” will delight and entertain for a few hours while leaving you feeling a little more positive about the world.