The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death

I wasn't overly impressed with the first WOMAN IN BLACK film, starring Daniel Radcliffe, which I thought was okay but a bit lacklustre in comparison to the excellent but little-known 1980s adaptation. However, the first film looks like a masterwork in comparison to this cheap sequel.

The first thing that becomes apparent about THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2: ANGEL OF DEATH is that it's so blooming dark. Every scene seemingly takes place in near pitch blackness, which makes 90% of what's going on really difficult to make out. I suspect that the poor lighting was due to hide deficiencies of budget and the like - poor sets for example - but it makes for a frustrating viewing experience.

Otherwise, the plot is a rehash of the first film's, except with different characters and a larger cast. The backdrop is WW2 but doesn't really play an important role in the proceedings, and the lead, Phoebe Fox, is saddled with a very dull character. Helen McCrory is a little better, but the 'horror' content is limited to repetitive jump scares and there's little to nothing in the way of genuine atmosphere or real plotting. Instead, this WOMAN IN BLACK feels like stumbling down a flight of stairs in the dark; there's the odd jolt or two, but you'll regret it afterwards.

It's 1941. Eve Parkins is escorting some children to the Eel Marsh House escaping from the blitz in London. She meets RAF pilot Harry Burnstow on the train who is stationed nearby. Jean Hogg is the mistress at the home for kids. Strange things occur and a child is found dead outside.

This is a horror without much scares or tension. It has the moodiness but there is too much dark in the scenes. The adults aren't that compelling. The reveal of Burnstow's job is interesting. This movie may be better off if the kids are the protagonists. This could be scary from the children's point of view.

If I could have one wish for all horror movies. Please oh please stop with the unresponsive person (usually a woman or a child) with her back turned only to have her turn around to reveal a grotesque face for the cheap jump scare. I don't know who started that but it's become so cliché. It is this generation's cat-jumping-from-hidden-location. I don't think there is a scary movie today that can do without the back turned person. One of these days I want the approaching person to just turn around and leave.

As for the movie: it was alright. What could I expect? The premise was already known and established as well as the woman in black, so what much could they do with that besides give her more kids to kill. Insert new adults and new kids and there's your sequel.

I wanted to like this movie. I loved the 2012 movie with Daniel Radcliffe. I like the premise, using Eel Marsh House as a refuge during the WWII Blitz. However, it was not to be.

Everything in this movie felt cheap and artificial, from the way too loud sound track, the too dark scenery and the multiple "boo" scares that were used instead of actual creepiness and tension building.

The actors were flat and stale, delivering lines that felt like they came from the tablet of an eighth grader. I never once felt anything or cared for any of them.

TWiB herself was much less menacing than in the first movie, when she was even seen at all.

Changing the venue from Eel Marsh to an airstrip midway didn't help things either. The atmosphere of the house is what makes TWiB so creepy. An airstrip with lots of explosions isn't creepy at all.

The ending scene of the movie was so cheap and anticlimactic compared to the end of the 2012 movie, where we're treated to TWiB breaking the fourth wall and glaring directly at the viewers.

This movie could have been good, should have been good. They rushed through it and did it in the cheapest way possible and it shows.

First off; I enjoyed the first movie even though most people found it to be pretty terrible. And to be fair a lot of the criticisms were valid for it, but there was still something there.

But this sequel is sadly just an utter mess. There's just nothing there, the acting is beyond subpar, there is nothing scary in this because every jump scare is so obvious it's not even funny. To the actors defense, the plot is not only corny to the max it's told in such a way it's just laughable! This director had no idea what he was doing, I would not be surprised if he literally phoned it in.

This is not a film you should watch.