I was surprised by how much I enjoyed GRAVE ENCOUNTERS 2, mainly because I thought the first one wasn't all that great and how often are sequels superior? However, this turns out to be just that, a funny, realistic and above all entertaining little found footage movie that tackles its genre with gusto and aplomb.
The first half of the film is all set up as the writers work really, really hard to convince us that this is all real. There's more self-referencing here than in SCREAM and I think the guys portray the Youtube generation pretty well; certainly I was entertained by it. Sure, the characters are lousy and one-dimensional, but watch it through half-closed eyes and you can almost believe it. It's like the CATFISH of found footage films in a way.
Once things return to that old abandoned hospital, it once again becomes more predictable, with cast members offed by CGI ghosties. Still, the scare scenes are effective if over the top, and I really liked that whole sequence with the creature coming in through the window. Yeah, the ending is pretty bad, what with the whole riff on EVIL DEAD 2 and everything, but up to that point I was engrossed and above all enjoying myself. It's everything you need from a good B-movie, really.
The first half of the film is all set up as the writers work really, really hard to convince us that this is all real. There's more self-referencing here than in SCREAM and I think the guys portray the Youtube generation pretty well; certainly I was entertained by it. Sure, the characters are lousy and one-dimensional, but watch it through half-closed eyes and you can almost believe it. It's like the CATFISH of found footage films in a way.
Once things return to that old abandoned hospital, it once again becomes more predictable, with cast members offed by CGI ghosties. Still, the scare scenes are effective if over the top, and I really liked that whole sequence with the creature coming in through the window. Yeah, the ending is pretty bad, what with the whole riff on EVIL DEAD 2 and everything, but up to that point I was engrossed and above all enjoying myself. It's everything you need from a good B-movie, really.