![[REC]²](http://predator.cf1.letterboxd.com/assets/resized/film-poster/4/6/0/1/1/46011-rec-2-0-150-0-222-crop.jpg?k=a99abe171b)
review by David Valkenet
[REC]² 2010
Watched Aug 04, 2012
David Valkenet’s review:
[Recorded mini marathon - Part 2]
After the semi-disappointment that was [REC], I was eager to check out the sequel with adjusted expectations.
Sure enough, I enjoyed this much more than the original. It still doesn't do anything new with the genre, but like the first film its adherence to genre conventions really is its strength. Sometimes it's nice to see a genre film without pretentions to be something more, or to subvert the genre - and that's what [REC]² does.
If the first was a "house of horrors" ride, with zombies popping out from behind doors, walls, and coming from the roof and the protagonists running away to save themselves, [REC]² is more like a whack-a-mole. The SWAT team track through the empty hallways, building tension for the first twenty minutes, but then, when the zombies appear it becomes more or less all out assault.
This truly is the "Aliens" to [REC]'s "Alien", and in this case I much prefer "Aliens."
Anyway, now I'm off to [REC]³: Genesis. I'll report back after the screening.
I could not disagree more! But am glad you enjoyed it.
Haha, what do you disagree with?
I wouldn't say it's better than the original but I thought it was very good indeed. It was also good to see a 'zombie' film do something different, too.
Have a glance at my reviews of the two films. Think that explains it best.
My experience was the opposite to yours.
Interesting... I had the opposite experience. I thoroughly enjoyed Rec. I'll give them credit for taking Rec2 in a different direction, but ultimately it was just more of the same and while I enjoyed it, it wasn't as good as the original, I felt.
I'll have a look and get back to you, Dirk.
Keith, I found that neither film really tries to do anything new and they both are a little 'more of the same'. I'd seen everything played out in a bunch of horror movies, but like I said in my [REC] review, that's part of why it works, and part of the charm.
I doubt Balagueró and Plaza ever try to do anything new with the genre in my opinion, they just use the same tools but created three very entertaining film using three different genres.. I do agree 4 stars is good enough.
Totally with you there, Javier. I think in the end these three films are very enjoyable, but not original.
Dirk, I read your reviews and although I don't agree I can see where you are coming from. This film did not come off as trying to be clever, just that it wanted to be different from the first film. I didn't find much different in terms of camera work, though I must say - and I meant to bring this up in my reviews - as far as authentic 'found footage' films go, this series sucks. I did not buy for one minute that this was just 'found footage', I felt the directors hand in every shot. This was closer to something like the TV show Peep Show.
As for the teenagers, initially I found them annoying but after a couple of minutes I was fine with it. Especially when (SPOILERS!!!) the girl shoots that guy through the head. That was awesome. And when they tied that one kid down and tortured him for information.
I thought the found footage lark worked best in the first one. I agree with you that these films didn't try to do anything new, i just felt that the way they did it in the first one was exhilarating. Not so much in this one. The gore was good enough, though.
Am still going to watch part 3 when I get the chance, saw that you enjoyed that one as well.
Even in the first one I had seen all these tricks before. I cannot stress enough how nothing that happened in any of the films even remotely surprised me. I don't think I got that exhilaration you did. I just felt the main girl was kind of annoying and we spent too much time with her at the beginning at the fire station.
Part 3 is fine, the worst of the bunch, but not terrible. They inject some humour which to my surprise worked. However, I did not come at it as a [REC] fan, so you may not like it so much.
David: True, neither film offers anything new. They are both "found footage" films and there have been (and will be) plenty of those as they are fairly cheap to make. Still the first one had more of a surprise element as it is the first one. Kudos to the filmmakers for going in a different direction with the second, but unliike Alien and Aliens, it didn't radically change the way the film was set up. Alien was a horror movie, pure and simple. Aliens was an action movie. Rec 1 & 2 were both horror movies, albeit with slightly different specifics.
Looking forward to Rec 3, btw.