More ‘Activity’ than the original

Everybody has demons, but the characters in “Paranormal Activity 2” have a truly horrifying one.

At its heart, the formula of “Paranormal Activity 2” is extremely similar to its predecessor.
The creators appear to be operating under the “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” philosophy, and it’s not unwise considering the incredible success of the first film.

However, while the movie is similar to its predecessor, it is still very different from the rest of the horror canon.

Instead of being filmed from just one camera, much of the movie is shown through a home security system the family has installed early in the movie. This larger number of cameras lets “Paranormal Activity 2” deliver more of the startling, jump-inducing moments that helped make the original so unnerving.

This allows for the truly terrifying scenes to be extended, with more of the action visible when it takes place in multiple rooms.

With a more compelling story and more frequent scares than the first movie, “Paranormal Activity 2” should be right up there with eating huge quantities of candy on your Halloween to-do list.