Sinister 2: I don't even know what to say

This is a long-belated review because I honestly just had to gather my thoughts.

(Spoilers for "Sinister")


Sinister 2:
Some time after the conclusion of the first film, the young deputy from that film is traveling the United States, trying to destroy the demonic influence of Bughuul. However, after discovering a single mother and her two boys have moved into one of the houses where Bughuul killed a family, he realizes he must protect this family from the evil forces ready to consume them.
    Now, I saw this film opening night, and, being a fan of the first film, was quite excited for it. I was growing more and more skeptical of the trailers as the date approached, but I went with my friend with an open mind. I was absolutely bedazzled by this film's ability to fuck up the mythology of a character and just general common sense in regards to character behavior. I won't go into too much detail, I am planning on making a more elaborate video review one day, because literally to explain the wrong that is this movie would require breaking down almost every single scene.
    James Ransone is a criminally underrated actor, so it was sad to see him trying so hard in this movie, and being dragged down in this mess. Shannyn Sossamon did a fair job with the material, but her and Ransone's romance was highly predictable if you've seen any movie ever. The two boys in the film are pretty bad. One is bland, the other is tongue-in-cheek pure evil, which is odd considering how normal he was at the start of the movie. Tate Ellington and John Beasley have small roles, and Lea Coco has one of the most gloriously over-the-top douchebag dad roles in cinema history. I mean, Jesus Christ, the lack of nuance is kind of an art in itself with this guy. Lucas Jade Zumann is amusing as Milo, one of the evil ghost kids in the movie. He's like a mini-Bond villain, he's so hammy.
    The scares in the movie are all cheap, pandering jump scares, and there's no real build-up or genuine sense of dread like there was in the first film. This movie's soundtrack is even subpar in comparison, using blander tracks or just recycling music from the previous film.
    The biggest problem with the movie is the Super 8 films. The concept of the kids killing their own families was already a slight stretch, but the amount of reality bending in this film is absurd. I know Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill have defended jump scares before, but their overuse in the film borderlines on self-parody.
    Speaking of overuse, Bughuul himself is way overexposed in this one, having no longer a sense of terror surrounding his sporadic appearances. Here, he's everywhere constantly. And the lighting they chose really emphasizes the ridiculousness of his attire, whereas the original kept him shrouded in shadow.
    The deaths are also far too elaborate this time around. Much like a slasher sequel, it suffers from focusing too much on having cool-looking kills, without keeping in mind realism, or actually being scary.
    There was no mystique this time around because we, as an audience, already know Bughuul exists and that the kids are killing their families. There's no longer a sense of a mystery killer. I can't even believe this was written by the same people.
    This is not, in any sense, a scary movie. However, if you enjoy some unintentionally hilarious lines and ridiculously overblown death scenes, as well as some light melodrama, this is a film for you. As bad as it is, and as much as it soils the name of the original film (a film I really enjoyed), it is an extremely entertaining movie, a movie me and my friend have quoted and referenced since it came out. Sinister 2 is a disaster of a horror film, but still can be appreciated for the silly dark comedy it turned out to be. 5/10 stars.

                                                                     (Image: Wikipedia)

Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation: A review so late this movie will probably be on Blu-ray soon

Sorry for the extreme delay on reviews, I'll be pumping out more in the next few days and probably do another "Top 10 Horror" list for Halloween.

Mission: Impossible, Rogue Nation:
Ethan Hunt is on the run from the CIA, after the Impossible Mission Force is shut down completely. Not only that, but he is trying to single-handedly unravel the conspiracy surrounding The Syndicate, a "rogue nation" of sorts that is essentially an evil IMF dedicated to advancing its' own goals and goals of its' investors through strategic terror attacks made to look like they are connected to other groups. Hunt must team with mysterious newcomer Ilsa and his old teammates Benji, Luther, and William Brandt to clear their names, avoid the CIA, and prove to the world that The Syndicate is real.
    Now, this was originally scheduled for a December release, like the previous installment Ghost Protocol, but was pushed forward to avoid box office conflict with Star Wars VII (smart move). This is a film that feels like a rushed release. Released with little publicity for a summer blockbuster in late July, it just felt forced and unnatural. This is also obviously similar to the upcoming Bond film Spectre, in that both focus in on the heroes fighting an evil organization that is a dark reflection of their own agency, and both evil organizations in the films are iconic enemies of their respective franchises.
    Tom Cruise is still a very entertaining and formidable action star and is able to put his absolute all into every scene and stunt, which is very admirable; it's amazing how few of his films use stunt doubles. Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin, and Rebecca Ferguson make up a strong supporting cast with Rhames and Pegg being the best of them, with Rhames having a smaller but still pivotal role. Ferguson makes a decent newcomer to the cast, but there's something so cliched about her whole femme fatale mystique that detracts a bit from the performance.
    Sean Harris plays the film's main mystery villain, whose identity I won't spoil. He is the leader of The Syndicate, and is fairly slimy and creepy, almost reminiscent of Toht from Raiders of the Lost Ark or Le Chiffre from Casino Royale. However, he is nowhere near as strong or memorable as a Bond villain, but is an improvement over the previous installment's slightly underwhelming villain.
    However, this is the only thing that Rogue Nation improves on. Despite some impressive set-pieces such as the opening plane sequence (which was spoiled in the trailer and felt rushed in the film, as well as feeling like too much too early), Ethan's escape early on, the fight with an assassin in a theater, the motorcycle chase, and the final confrontation with the villain, the action feels lackluster when compared to the unpredictably excellent sequences in Ghost Protocol. This film just doesn't feel as grand or investing as Ghost Protocol, and feels closer to a run-of-the-mill Hollywood sequel, unlike the last two films.
    Christopher McQuarrie has done some good work in the past, especially with Bryan Singer, but surprisingly he doesn't feel as prepared for this as Brad Bird did last time, despite Bird never directing an action film, or even a live-action feature.
    Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation is an entertaining and worthwhile spy thriller, though it's not as enthralling or slick as the last two in the franchise, and probably won't be as intriguing or artful as Spectre. 6.5/10 stars.

                                                     (Image: Wikipedia)