• Home
  • Longform
    • Defanging the Unthinkable
      more
      View more

      Defanging the Unthinkable

      8 years ago
    • A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye
      more
      View more

      A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye

      8 years ago
    • The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"
      more
      View more

      The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"

      8 years ago
    • The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"
      more
      View more

      The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"

      8 years ago
  • Interviews
    • A New Way of Telling Love Stories
      more
      View more

      A New Way of Telling Love Stories

      8 years ago
    • Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"
      more
      View more

      Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"

      8 years ago
    • Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast
      more
      View more

      Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast

      8 years ago
    • The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"
      more
      View more

      The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"

      9 years ago
  • Critic-At-Large
    • Now Playing: "From Nowhere"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "From Nowhere"

      8 years ago
    • Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"

      8 years ago
    • Now Playing: "War on Everyone"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "War on Everyone"

      8 years ago
    • Now Playing: "The Salesman"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "The Salesman"

      8 years ago
  • Podcast
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"

      8 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"

      8 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"

      8 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"

      8 years ago
Movie Mezzanine
  • Home
  • Longform
    • Defanging the Unthinkable
      more
      View more

      Defanging the Unthinkable

      8 years ago
    • A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye
      more
      View more

      A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye

      8 years ago
    • The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"
      more
      View more

      The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"

      8 years ago
    • The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"
      more
      View more

      The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"

      8 years ago
  • Interviews
    • A New Way of Telling Love Stories
      more
      View more

      A New Way of Telling Love Stories

      8 years ago
    • Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"
      more
      View more

      Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"

      8 years ago
    • Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast
      more
      View more

      Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast

      8 years ago
    • The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"
      more
      View more

      The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"

      9 years ago
  • Critic-At-Large
    • Now Playing: "From Nowhere"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "From Nowhere"

      8 years ago
    • Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"

      8 years ago
    • Now Playing: "War on Everyone"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "War on Everyone"

      8 years ago
    • Now Playing: "The Salesman"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "The Salesman"

      8 years ago
  • Podcast
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"

      8 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"

      8 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"

      8 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"

      8 years ago
  • Home
  • Longform
    • Defanging the Unthinkable
      more
      View more

      Defanging the Unthinkable

      8 years ago
    • A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye
      more
      View more

      A Fitting, Impressive Goodbye

      8 years ago
    • The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"
      more
      View more

      The Ambivalent, Bittersweet "My Life as a Zucchini"

      8 years ago
    • The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"
      more
      View more

      The Complex Morality of "No Country for Old Men"

      8 years ago
  • Interviews
    • A New Way of Telling Love Stories
      more
      View more

      A New Way of Telling Love Stories

      8 years ago
    • Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"
      more
      View more

      Breaking Standards with Julian Rosefeldt of "Manifesto"

      8 years ago
    • Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast
      more
      View more

      Indulging Mightily with Alex Ross Perry and the "Golden Exits" Cast

      8 years ago
    • The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"
      more
      View more

      The Ultimate Meta-Performance: Kate Lyn Sheil on "Kate Plays Christine"

      9 years ago
  • Critic-At-Large
    • Now Playing: "From Nowhere"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "From Nowhere"

      8 years ago
    • Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "Fifty Shades Darker"

      8 years ago
    • Now Playing: "War on Everyone"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "War on Everyone"

      8 years ago
    • Now Playing: "The Salesman"
      more
      View more

      Now Playing: "The Salesman"

      8 years ago
  • Podcast
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 287: "Kundun"

      8 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 286: "Pinocchio"

      8 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 285: "That Darn Cat"

      8 years ago
    • Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"
      more
      View more

      Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 284: "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"

      8 years ago
<b><i>The Last Exorcism: Part II:</i></b> The Fun of a Straight-To-DVD Sequel in Your Multiplex
  • Reviews

The Last Exorcism: Part II: The Fun of a Straight-To-DVD Sequel in Your Multiplex

  • by Christopher Runyon
  • March 1, 2013
  • 0
  • 4757

D-

In the spectrum of laziness, The Last Exorcism: Part II is somewhere at or near the nadir. It’s dispassionately directed, thinly scripted, and just plain unscary. Not one element works in it. Not one scare is executed properly. Not a single aspect of this film suggests that anyone involved in the production cared.

There was at least a strong enough basis to go on. The Last Exorcism Colon Part II bears the distinction of being the only sequel to a found-footage horror film that isn’t found-footage itself; opting instead for a more traditional, straightforward approach. Well, okay, other films have done that before, like [REC]3 and the atrocious Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, but this is the only one I can think of that’s a true sequel, a direct continuation from the last film.

And I was fine with that. The first film was surprisingly solid, Ashley Bell’s performance in it was even more surprising in its creepiness, and while the ending was–to put it bluntly–dreadful, I wouldn’t have minded it if the sequel justified its existence.

Sadly, however, The Last Exorcism II: Now Even Laster is the kind of sequel whose connection to the original is mentioned only in brief, unimportant snippets. The film begins just a few moments directly after the events of its predecessor, but drops any mention of the previous events for the rest of the movie, save for one odd subplot in which the footage from Part I became a big hit on YouTube.

It’s funny though, because while this installment is not found-footage, it manages to look even cheaper and less convincing than the first film. Rife with downright awful CG and some of the most uninspired camerawork imaginable, it was baffling to find a film this aesthetically poor playing on a big screen for movie-going audiences.

Perhaps the one element that could’ve been a saving grace was Ashley Bell as the tormented Nell (Ashley Nell?), who does the best she could with the material, but ends up drowning with the ship. Bell is effective as both a frightened innocent and as a demon-possessed antagonist, but when she has to act “normal”, she’s awkward and unidenitfiable.

Though that’s probably less to do with her than it does the script. Not a single character acts like a convincing, rational human being. It’s the kind of movie where a man sees a woman he saw in a demon possession video on the internet and the first thing he thinks about is taking a picture with her like he’s her biggest fan. The kind of movie where a guy finds a creepy girl splattered with blood and the first thing he says is “What the hell happened to you?” like she had a jelly stain on her hair. The most egregious example is Nell’s “love-interest”, who achieves her affection by being the most boring, cardboard man in horror movie history.

Yet even good characters and dialogue still wouldn’t have fixed the fact that The Last Exorcism II: Electric Boogaloo simply isn’t scary in the slightest regard. Not a single scare in this film hasn’t been done before in another movie. It feels as if the director knew the audience would be bored stiff by how awful the actual movie was, then decided to pepper almost every scene with at least one trite jump-scare, sometimes finding faux-jolts in the most mundane of actions.

And when the movie attempts real scares, they fall completely flat thanks to the aforementioned, yawn-inducing camerawork, the total lack of investment in what’s going on plot-wise, a PG-13 rating that robs all the scares of their gut-punch, and just the all-around poor build-up leading up to everything. And the worst part about it is that it’s hardly even trying.

Films as lazy as this one would usually just be rewarded with a D or D+ grade, but 2 Last 2 Exorcism gets extra points off for having one of the dumbest, most embarrassing final scenes I’ve seen in recent memory; not in terms of content, but in execution. Highlighting the awful CG that wouldn’t even pass off as a YouTube project, the film ends with a series of “explosions” that signify the filmmakers throwing their hands up in the air and saying “We’ve reached the 90 minute mark, let’s just blow shit up.” It’s a moment that jumps the shark even though the rest of the film has already jumped, murdered, and fed off its corpse.

But hey,what do you expect out of a film with a name like The Lastest of Exorcisms: Part II? At least I think that’s what it’s called. Well, at the very least, you’ll have trouble remembering this train wreck long after it’s over, the only scar it leaves behind is your considerably emptier wallet.

Tags
  • 0
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related posts

  • Odienator
1
Looking for Solutions <br>in “Where to Invade Next”

Looking for Solutions
in “Where to Invade Next”

9 years ago
  • KTurner
0
Exploring Past and Present <br> in “45 Years”

Exploring Past and Present
in “45 Years”

9 years ago
  • DanSc
0
“Finders Keepers”: A Cult Classic in the Making

“Finders Keepers”: A Cult Classic in the Making

10 years ago

Comments are closed.

About Us

Movie Mezzanine is an online publication dedicated to covering the medium that connects us all, one film at a time. With writers stationed around the globe, we offer a uniquely diverse perspective on cinema, both old and new. To learn more about us, go here.

Spotlight

Putting the Geek to the Plow

Cleantalk Pixel