Annabelle (2014)

<<

Conjuring Reviews

>>

While the first 'Conjuring' film did a great job of getting into my head, I sincerely cannot say the same for its first spin-off movie. This was always one I found silly, and I'll get to why, but the biggest disappointment about it is that it isn't scary. In fact, I'd say the scariest scene in the movie actually involves living, breathing human beings, and nothing of the supernatural variety. That's just one example of why I think this is silly - it's a supernatural horror movie, and anything supernatural about it is just okay at best.

It all begins in Santa Monica, CA, 1970, when medical student John Form (John Horton) comes home to his pregnant wife, Mia (Annabelle Wallis), with a special gift; one of the creepiest dolls you've ever seen, meant to be a rare collector's item and a gift for the new arrival. It's placed on a shelf in the nursery along with a collection of others, and sticks out like some demonic sore thumb. Honestly, seeing them all together, it's like picking out a moose from a flock of geese or something. There were probably rights issues for using an actual Raggedy Anne doll (as the real Annabelle is), but they could have toned her down nonetheless.

On with the plot, things are looking up, until we reach what I consider to be this chapter's most frightening scene, as Mia is woken out of her sleep from screams of terror coming from next door. Their neighbours are brutally attacked by a couple of cult members (very much reflecting the Manson family). To make a long story short, eventually one of the cult members, Annabelle Higgins (Keira Daniels), dies in the struggle, holding the doll. This, of course, gives us that copy-paste aspect from 'Child's Play' in which her spirit eventually possesses the doll.

It's not long before supernatural basics start occurring around the house, and they decide to make a move to Pasadena as a result. Mia asks John to get rid of the doll, but upon moving, it finds its way back to them, despite John's insistence that he threw it away. Despite everything, however, Mia suddenly decides she wants to keep it around instead of being as terrified of it as she probably should be. To no one's surprise, a paranormal plague of events happens to both Mia and her daughter, while John's just along for the ride.

Beyond all that, the film unfolds as a series of horror clichés, and there's a heavy focus on the Manson Family, whose real-life story is far more interesting and frightening than anything this movie has to offer. There's a fair share of cheap jump scares, doors opening and closing, books falling off shelves and various other creepy things. But despite all of these odd occurrences, there's just nothing scary about a doll who sits there doing nothing. Don't get me wrong, though, I get that dolls are generally creepy to some people. I'm sure it must have worked for a few. The first 'Conjuring' movie, though, eclipses this massively in quality.

While the aforementioned break-in scene is well done as far as scares go, there might be only one other scene that comes close, involving an entity running at Mia. Otherwise, it feels like a lot of general spook house stuff, and it plays with that old, worn-out idea that whatever is inside Annabelle needs a soul, and the big worry is for Mia's baby, Leah. Many movies have done this in the past; even one of my favourites from the past, 'Ghostbusters II.' For me, the idea of a baby being in some supernatural danger has been done, and it almost feels cheap in a way, just to evoke concern for something representing actual innocence.

Movies like this give me my reasons for not caring as much about many paranormal titles as I used to. Sometimes things get a little too cliché, and this was one such example. You'll also notice I haven't mentioned the Warrens (among other unmentioned characters), and that's because they're not really a part of this. Personally, I believe it's a good example of a failed second film in a franchise (in this case, a prequel), and it remains the most disappointing of the batch, based on popular opinion. The good news, however, is that this series arguably doesn't get any worse.

1/5

---