Fear Revisited.
Rating: 4/10
Running Time: 85 minutes
UK Certificate: 18
In 2007 Spanish horror [Rec] scared the pants off audiences around the world, in 2008 shot-for-shot American remake Quarantine slightly shocked the people who didn’t watch [Rec] because it was in foreign, and in 2009 [Rec]2 is just plain not very good.
The action in [Rec]2 continues a few minutes after the end of the original where a house was taken over by a mysterious virus that turned everyone into raging zombies. The authorities send in a SWAT team and supposed virus specialist from the Ministry of Health Dr Owen (Mellor) to re-con the situation. Turned out at end of [Rec] that the virus was that of a demonic possession. This time we find out more and that a Priest was conducting experiments on the blood of a young possessed girl and somehow this devil-blood got out into the building. Over-explanation alert as any mystery is lost and replaced with incredulity. The very worst aspect of the storyline is that it completely ruins the first film – the majority of it was not about the mystical and otherworldly, it’s scares were grounded in the real world and therefore far more pant-wetting.
Jonathan Mellor plays the Priest like he’s had a stroke but I suppose the sunken frown is there to stop him from laughing as he spouts arguably all the worst lines in the film. There’s also the most incompetent of SWAT teams who act as cameramen as “everything must be recorded” (why?) but this just leads to lots of shaky camera work and shots of the ceiling and people’s feet to bypass any credible visible action. The youngsters are good though as they do look truly terrified, like the Director had their pet rabbit Fifi perilously tied over a blender. I bet he did, the monster.
Overall, don’t waste your money on this regurgitated tripe. Re-rent the original or even, God forbid, Quarantine, as there’s nothing new to see here.
It's Got: Religious rubbish, best zombie killing - firework in the head
It Needs: A camera tripod, new ideas
Summary
A vastly inferior sequel that just doesn’t grab the viewer’s attention like the original. Explanation over-load removes any hint of mystery and proves to be [Rec]2’s major downfall.