Like most people, you’re probably wondering why I’m writing a review on Paranormal Activity 2 about seven months after its release. You’re probably wondering even more why it says Tokyo Night after it. Well, I’m here to tell you, in case you don’t follow Japanese news as much as I do, that the Japanese commissioned their own sequel for the original Paranormal Activity and released it the same day the US sequel was released everywhere else, October 22nd.
Your next question might be, are the two movies the same? Absolutely not. The Japanese sequel legitimately follows the same formula as the original unlike its American counterpart. Yes they are both haunted house films but the Japanese version stay true to the minimalist form of the original whereas the US sequel has more cameras, more people, and more explosive scare tactics.
The story of Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night is as follows: Haruka (Noriko Aoyama) has just returned from California where she got into a car accident that broke both of her legs thus ending her trip early. Upon returning to Japan to reunite with her father (who leaves for a business trip that day) and brother, she begins to experience strange things in her room. Her brother is determined to find out what is freaking her out and so he begins to record her room along with everything else in the house, like Mica.
Koichi (Aoi Nakamura), the brother, is a bit obnoxious and funny but also realizes instantly that she is being haunter by spirits. He doesn’t challenge the spirit like an idiot but he does come up with different tests to prove its existence and convince his sister that something weird is going on. If you know anything about either of the US versions you can guess what happens next.
Overall, I thought the movie was decent. I found myself pausing the movie every so often because I just kept sensing that something was going to happen, a tick I picked up after freaking out while watching the first film in theaters. It sticks to the formula of the original, literally, but the powers of the spirit are a little stronger since it is a sequel. The film is predominantly shot with one handheld camera but then, because the brother is an electronics geek, switches to two cameras which then becomes my favorite aspect of the film. A camera is put into each of their bedrooms so that when the witching hour arrives we can experience the terror of both people without the camera having to move.
Although the effects are a bit comical at times, the movie does its job of spooking people and getting the jumps that you’d expect from it. The scare tactics are practically the same; the witching hour (3 am) comes around, the camera speed returns to real time and freaky stuff begins to happen. I will say this, (Minor spoiler ahead), the spirit wastes no time screwing with these people during the day time (end spoiler). Now, I don’t think knowing this is bad because it just means that your anticipation will be at a high for the entire movie, since that is exactly what all of these films are based on.
This is a sequel, so if your last question has to do with continuity you’ll be pleased to know that it is pretty much flawless in connecting the two films together. About 75% into the movie certain details are revealed that literally seam together the original US film with its Japanese sequel, making sure that the story is almost airtight and so as not to disappoint audiences who have seen the first one and have the opportunity to see the Japanese version as well.
Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night, directed by Toshikazu Nagae, doesn’t deviate from the formula of the original, it does it justice while maintaining the necessary continuity to call it a sequel. While it may be an unusual approach, there still is nothing creepier then an Asian woman being possessed by a demon-like force. Check this one out if you’re looking for the same type of thrills but expect it to be a little less terrifying than its American original (a rare thing, I know).
Rating: A jumpy Japanese horror that’s built on American anticipation…go figure 6/10
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