Sans un bruit 2

If nothing else, I'm primarily impressed with how these films seem like a cinematic franchise built out of the raptors in the kitchen sequence from Jurassic Park. This is the very rare sequel that at the very least is equal to what came before and it reminded me how much I missed going to the movies.

Cannot believe the number of people who are claiming this movie is the same as the first. Just ridiculous! I have to wonder whether they saw the same A Quiet Place Part 2 that I saw. It obviously follows similar themes but builds on the story and further develops the characters. You have to give it up to writer/producer/director and actor John Krasinski. He has delivered a sequel which really enhances the story he introduced in Part 1 but this time, is played out on a much broader canvas.

He also cleverly begins with an absolutely gripping prologue, that gives us a little more information about the alien arrival, which is something many of the whiners, moaned for, after seeing Part 1. It also has the dual function of reintroducing his character into the story, which I personally found very satisfying.

It's very clear many of the complainants just haven't really watched the movie closely. I do admit though, you probably do need half a brain, a short term memory capability of more than 10 seconds and also be not constantly looking at your phone, to fully appreciate the subtleties of Krasinski's work.

The sand is there to reduce sound on the Abbot's property when walking between there and town barefoot* (*also to reduce noise). Seriously hard to believe people haven't worked that out yet. Lee, the dad was a clever guy and in the time span from Day 1 up to the events in the first film, you can see from his depicted work area, that he has sussed out a lot of things about the aliens and taken steps around his property to help protect his family. Similarly we should assume from visual hints provided, that wife Evelyn, played by the wonderful Emily Blunt, is likely to have some sort of professional medical background. She knows a lot about specific medicines and equipment to salvage from the town pharmacy and was obviously prepared and wanted to have another child, after the early events we saw in the previous film. This is why she heads back on a dangerous solo effort to the chemist to pick up further treatments for Marcus's injured foot. Those people saying the characters behave unrealistically are I'm afraid, just clueless.

Similarly it's fundamental to recognise that Regan is not an "annoying, naughty teenager". She's extremely clever, determined and yes, quite wilful. But this is consistent with her behaviour across both films. It's not just a convenient contrivance to move the plot along that she heads out by herself. She is convinced, she has the means and know - how to save humanity, as she tries to explain to her mother via the medium of ASl. The real life hearing impaired Millicent Simmonds is perfect in the role.

I loved the way Krasinski expands the story outwards. We see vastly more after effects of the invasion and also again to satisfy the grumblers, get to see the creatures in greater detail. Cillian Murphy hits the right acting notes too, in his portrayal of Emmett, a former apparently close friend of Lee's, who is now a hardened, reclusive survivor, but proves vital in helping the various Abbott family members.

The only concession I'll give to the naysayers is that, yes, for extended periods, the baby is unusually quiet. Marcus has also clearly grown in height over the 2 year gap between the movies being made, but there's not much the producers could do about that. We just have to grin and accept it.

This is a marvel of a sequel that smartly avoids any attempt to recapture the original, instead expanding its world in every way possible. Brisk, crisp, efficient, and full of masterful sequences of suspense, A Quiet Place 2 is an ideal follow - up to the outstanding opening chapter of what is clearly designed to be a trilogy.

The good: The film in of itself, is well made - everything from cinematography to lighting, sound, action, pacing etc. Big props for that. And of course the acting from the leads (including the younger actors) is excellent. I also like the way the 'passing of the torch' is shot - clearly defined parallels are drawn that make it easy to see the directors vision.

The bad: Probably it's biggest criticism is just how close it is to the 1st part. Whilst containing less of what made the first one special. This film is definitely more action - so it's not a complete replica, but the story beats and plotting are basically the same - hide from aliens, get supplies, escape from or stop aliens, : rinse and repeat.

Should you watch it: If you like the first one, absolutely. It's a well constructed film that moves at a quick pace (almost over too quickly). A solid horror action flick. Recommended.

I do not understand all the bad reviews.. I see a lot of reviews saying this one was the same as the first one, I don't see it that way. It was an extension of the first one. I also see people saying that the first one was bad and that this one is even worse. Why did you want to see this one if you didn't even like the first one? Than you probably didn't even give it a chance. I thought the movie was very thrilling. The first movie was different, this one had far more action in it. But I liked both of them equally. I saw it in theaters and was on the edge of my seat the whole movie. The acting was good, there were some nice details and it was very exciting. And yes, some characters did some stupid things, but those were things that fit the characters. If you have any empathy, you can imagine how the characters would feel and why they acted the way they did. I also really liked it that they gave an insight on how it had all begun.

.......and if you enjoyed the first one then you'll certainly enjoy this one too.

Most sequels that flop tend to do so because the powers that be think the audience simply want exponentially more of the same thing that was in the original. More bad guys, more explosions, much, much more of everything. Except story and depth and character development.

A Quiet Place II, thankfully, doesn't fall into that trap. It starts almost exactly where it left off. Right at the point in fact, where we were left wanting to see more in the first film. Then it simply and effectively expands on the original.

Overall I rate it as good as the first instalment, if not marginally better in places. If it has any fault at all, it's in the runtime which, IMHO, is a tad short. We definitely wanted to see more though and who knows, maybe there'll be a third one? Let's hope so.