The Woman in Black 2

I was a huge fan of the first film, as it was Daniel Radcliffe's dive into new thematic territory. A sequel seemed like a no brainer, until I realized (spoiler alert) Daniel dies in the end. So how do you follow up a terrifying chiller such as Woman in Black and still be just as good.

The Woman in Black 2 has kept the same atmosphere and setting of the first film and does go over again events from the previous film, involving the ghostly woman. What 2 sets itself up differently is that it takes place over a 100 years later in 1941 when London was being bombed. Now, the concept and themes of that time would have made for interesting new material for the sequel. Sadly, one of the sequel's major faults is its excitement factor. There are too many parts in the film that just drag the film down. Seriously, even some of the characters look bored. What was interesting in the first film was trying to figure out how to stop the ghost from killing all the children and watching Daniel slowly unravel at the thought of spirits being real. Angel of Death, as the sequel's second title, makes the Woman in black seem more desperate than terrifying. Now look I am not for killing children but if thats where the scariness factor comes in, you better deliver. Here only 2 children and a grown up die, half of the children of the orphanage survive. I'm going to rant for a sentence or two here and say why is she so fixated on the one boy. If the woman in black is a vengeful spirit she would of taken all the children, but she didn't. This is what led to the film being very dull and uninteresting. The leads are fine, Jeremy Irvine does a good job with what he's got but even then, the backstories are murkier than the water near the house. Speaking of which when did the water become so clear. If I recall it was more like mud in the first film. I guess by film 3 they'll need a boat to get to the island.

But with all due respect to the material, if this is the best they can come up with than I say let the place stay dormant. No need to go back again if next time we'll be retreading again and no kids perish and everybody lives happily ever after. The Woman in Black 2 sadly does not live up to the title. I've seen some badly rated horror films in the past and I loved them (99's The Haunting and 2011's The Thing)  but what did those films have that this one doesn't, the adrenaline rush. The Woman in Black: Angel of Death is a weak entry into this series. While all of it is there, it just seems like we're staring at a black and white photo and nothing is happening. Let's hope this year can bring out some more exciting horror than this.

Rating - C +