Kuntilanak 2

My most anticipated movie of this month has arrived, and I caught it in the first show. I expected a lot from "K2", and came out of the theater devilishly satisfied!!! It rocks big time, man! Gives me the creep since fade-in, and thrills to fade-out! Julie Estelle is getting hotter as hell - no pun intended! Dude, this is what people say a breakthrough in film making! The story continues from the closing scene of KUNTILANAK / THE CHANTING, but now Samantha has left the house, and it became a playground for three silly kids who play hide-and-seek after dark. Of course - this is no spoiler - they ended up biting the dust! The final shot of this opening sequence was brilliant!!! The film makers know how to use elements of KUNTILANAK movie to open this sequel in a creepy way, especially the famed mirror! Then, the story goes around the "brothers and sisters" in Mangkoedjiwo Sect who got upset because Samantha killed their leader in the previous movie. They want find her, and take her with them. Meanwhile, Agung - by Evan Sanders - is recovering from his trauma, and then helps Samantha to keep herself sane, and stop killing people using the Kuntilanak which can be summoned by her chanting.

It is a war - as promised by the cool trailer!!! It is a bloody war between good and evil!!! There's a scene showing Samantha battling with her own evil that keeps me screaming for fun! Yeah, yeah, yeah! Unlike the first movie, "K2" has more shocks, more actions, more villains, more blood, and more story. It is not flawless, especially regarding one of the death scenes which is poorly executed. Plus, the music score, regardless how good the composition is, was too noisy!!! Andi Rianto should learn how to tone himself down at creepy points, and let natural atmosphere creeps the audience out.

I feel happy paying the ticket for "K2" again because my eyes get the proper visual treatment, and my ears the good sound editing, and my brain the good story. Can't wait for "K3", guys!!! Can't wait for more of Julie Estelle!!!

Kuntilanak part 2 is one of so many needless sequels out there. The first one was a moderate box office hit and ultimately lambasted by film reviewers. The second one is even worse. Director Mantovani hasn't grown up a bit from his senseless, in-the-name-of-style-only quick cuts and over-stylized camera-work. The story itself, about a girl who can turn into a killer ghost after chanting a Javanese song doesn't contain enough material to be stretched into a feature length, let alone a trilogy, as the filmmakers planned it.

This time, a subplot about a family who practice black magic and killing people on their sugar plantation feels completely detached from the main story of the Kuntilanak girl. Beside the horrendous acting all around, what you got is only nausea from the camera movement which was seemed to be operated under one and only one idea: if it's moving, it's good.

And last, please beware of the blurbs masquerading as user's comments for this movie on IMDb (they were all submitted on the same day, by the way).

I have to say, director Rizal Mantovani has brought Indonesian horror to another level in this sequel to "Kuntilanak" / "The Chanting". I find it impossible to compare "Kuntilanak 2" / "The Chanting 2" with other recent Indonesian horror flicks as it has positioned itself in a different class.

Production value is great. The music score, the production design, and the sound effect have created the true movie magic which is rarely found in any other Indonesian movies of any genre. Never have I seen modern Indonesian movies that can take me far far away from reality, getting lost in another world, yet still able to relate myself to the story. Actually, Mantovani once did the same kind of magic in "Kuldesak", but minus a nice story to follow.

The tag line of the movie has said it all. "Everybody has a dark side." The movie continues the story of Samantha, who is now already possessed with her own dark power. She is struggling to regain her own self control, and stop the evil that she does. What's pulling her to the dark side is an evil sect called Mangkoedjiwo. Then, her ex-boyfriend Agung (Evan Sanders) is helping her to stay true. Of course, the dark power seems to be much more powerful.

This simple story is told in series of captivating scenes - whether to make me jump off my seats, or thrilled with the actions. Some scenes really hit the right note, while some others are sadly flawed. Music score is good, but sometimes overused.

Julie Estelle performs out of her skin, especially when she's in "bad" mode. In "good" mode, she's a damsel in distress who's rather tiring to see. Her slow movements make this movie slow-paced. I think being a confused girl doesn't mean being slow-moving.

Mantovani's fatal weakness is in directing his actors and actresses. Evan Sanders acts so so so bad. The three kids in the opening scene also do not deliver proper acting skill. The villains showcase good theatrical act, but Mantovani needs to tone it down, especially when they start to laugh dramatically - which is really annoying! Moreover, Mantovani tries to really tell the story - both verbally and visually - but, at points, forgets that what a horror movie needs are cheap thrills, screamers, chilling sensation from detail shots, real gores, and not just flashes of sightings. Dialogs should be shortened and made effective. All those verbal scenes should be made more fast-paced, so that scary, creepy and jumpy scenes can be executed in a better way. I really find those flashes of sightings are just visually good, but not scary at all.

If only the movie delivers more frights, shock therapies, cheap thrills, detail shots, and tone down the music score, then it's a ten out of ten. I hope that will happen in the third installment.

However, technically speaking, I believe Mantovani has made a big achievement in film making. He maintains his standard by not doing what his fellow Indonesian directors are doing nowadays: shooting instant movie in seven days, thus harassing and abusing the art of film making!

First off I must state I have not seen the first part of Kuntinalak. This really subtracts from the experience, as despite my best intentions I was unable to fully understand this movie and put the pieces together to comprehend the script. It seems too much of the puzzle revolves around events in the first part. This has substantially lowered my score of the movie.

Other than that is even a top notch Indonesian horror flick and an above average Asian ghost story. The cinematography is quite interesting adding suspense, horror and eeriness throughout. The 'monsters' in the movie are very nicely done and sufficiently creepy to make you cringe at least several times during the movie.

Once more I find acting and some of the directing not up to par with the remainder of the movie. Most actors do an OK job, but that still does not change the fact that it is full of awkward moments. Similarly directing is mostly great, but there is a couple of corny or badly done scenes which stick out like a thorn from this movie.

Overall a solid production and despite its fault I must say that I haven't been as freaked out by a movie since... Angkerbatu... Also an Indonesian horror movie.

Call me a big fan of Kuntilanak ... I don't care! I'm so tired of watching stupid Indonesian horrors with no story, no interesting characters, and no quality! But this one, not only surpasses other Indonesian horrors, but also becomes a rare case of being better than the first "Kuntilanak"!

The opening scene is a genius way to remind us of what "Kuntilanak" is all about! Three stupid kids - in a short, quick, but believable dynamic - play hide-and-seek inside the old abandoned haunted house - the main set of "Kuntilanak". By killing these little kids, "Kuntilanak 2" quickly tells the audience in the first five minutes that the roller coaster ride that follows won't give mercy to anybody!

Our girl Samantha - beautiful Julie Estelle! - is now pulled to cross over to her dark side - Anakin Skywalker comes to mind! The Mangkoedjiwo Sect supports this bad idea, while the lame ex-boyfriend Agung - wooden Evan Sanders!!! - tries to fight back. How can a Pinnochio stand against a bunch of crazy maniacs graduated from Slytherin???

Anyway, this is where "Kuntilanak 2" is flawed!!! It wants to tell a love story!!! Stop doing that, please! Haven't you seen "Superman Returns" and "Spider-Man 3"? Let's just forget the love story, and let the battle rolls! This movie is also the first gore flick in today's Indonesian movie scene! Great! It's cool that the story revolves around The Mangkoedjiwo Sect. This kind of evil sect is found everywhere in Indonesia.

Compared to the first one, the movie gives more chills, thrills, and action. The story moves way forward to unpredictable places. As a big fan of the first "Kuntilanak", I have made my own versions of the sequel, and I thought I was well-prepared to watch "Kuntilanak 2". The fact is, my mind was blown-away with the story and the character developments! Rizal Mantovani goes crazy! Good crazy!

I can't wait for the final installment!!! BRING IT ON!