"Be very careful.""Don't worry!"
[REC]2 could have been one of those completely unnecessary sequels, but it turns out to be great fun - at turns hilarious, brutal and revolting, staying true to the original but giving the story an unexpected new direction which actually works. The story picks up literally from the ending of the first film and wastes no time throwing a SWAT-style team into the 'infected' apartment block. As a sequel, it is fun to revisit locations from the first film and also to discover new locations within the confined space of the building, rather like the thrill of unlocking new levels in a videogame. This time the 'real' footage comes not only from cameras but also the troopers' helmet-cams, giving the added bonus of PIP and also using the helmet-mics, making the dialogue mostly very upfront and immediately intimate. Indeed, the well-developed soundscape demonstrates the potential missed in this area in Paranormal Activity. Riffs from other horror classics are blatant and often used very cleverly (to name any specifically here would be too much of a spoiler for the film's overall theme), and any concerns that Idiot Plot kicks in very early are dispelled by the fact that the characters acknowledge and react to these situations and choices. The cast throw themselves into the insanity wholeheartedly, and the convergent narrative strands are controlled very effectively. [REC]2 cannot quite match the shock value of the original film, but the attacks are ferocious and the surprises often inventive - this is a much better and far more enjoyable film than could have been expected.
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