Don’t Let This Sequel Slip By You
It’s always tricky turning a successful original idea into a sequel. This is especially true if the first movie felt like a good standalone. But A Quiet Place Part II manages to be that rare good sequel that will entertain fans of the first.
After an opening scene that shows the mayhem the day the creatures first landed on Earth, as seen through the eyes of the Abbott family, we again join the Abbotts in the immediate aftermath of the first movie. Evelyn (Emily Blunt) has realized that the family is no longer safe on their farm, so they head out, hoping to find shelter elsewhere. It isn’t long before they find family friend Emmett (Cillian Murphy), but he doesn’t seem that interested in helping them. Meanwhile, daughter, Regan (Millicent Simmonds) has an idea of how they might all be safer than they are now. Will her idea work to get them away from the creatures?
I actually had the advantage of watching these two movies a week apart. With the first one fresh in my mind, it was easy to see just how successfully they continued the story. The sets and everything looked like they just continued filming the day after they wrapped on the first film. Okay, so the actors playing the kids are noticeably older, but that’s a minor complaint.
Likewise, the story picks up logically from what happened before. There are some pretty big spoilers if you haven’t seen the first one (which I am doing my best to avoid spoiling in this review), but that’s to be expected in a sequel. Especially a horror sequel.
And never forget that this is a horror movie. Yes, it’s a creature horror movie, so some of those tropes are still in play. There are a few false jumps and some well-done genuinely intense scenes. I’m not sure I’d say it is as intense as the first movie, but it definitely has its moments.
Probably because the first was still fresh in my mind, I did find there was definitely more dialogue in this film, which makes since. The Abbott family is interacting with people who don’t know sign language, so they have to whisper.
Once again, the actors do a fabulous job. They rise to the acting challenge of have to convey so much with their body language, and make us care about the characters.
Well, mostly care. I did find the teens annoying in this film. One had some character growth that came out of nowhere (and I suspect will be erased if a third one gets made), and the other was too stubborn for her own good. Granted, in both cases it drove parts of the plot, but it was still annoying.
Again, the special effects are fabulous. There are a couple of moments of gore, but, in keeping with a PG-13 movie, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been.
One of the horror movie staples I’ve been dancing around is the characters doing a stupid thing just to put them in danger. This movie usually does a good job of at least trying to let us figure out why the characters were doing what they were doing, but the friends I watched it with and I were still critiquing some of those decisions.
Overall, A Quiet Place Part II is a worthy continuation of the story. It is now turning a fairly original idea into a franchise, but fans will be happy to see what happens next.
Nice review, Mark, this looks good, but probably a bit too scary for me. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I think my husband and daughter would like it.
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