About.com Rating

Normally, you'd think a movie sequel that comes out a mere nine months after its predecessor would suffer from inferior quality resulting from being rushed into production, but V/H/S 2 is surprisingly every bit the equal of V/H/S, if not a bit better.

The Plot

In the wraparound story, "Tape 49," unscrupulous private investigator Larry (Lawrence Michael Levine) and his assistant/girlfriend Ayesha (Kelsy Abbott) are working the case of a missing college student whose mother is worried about his wellbeing.

They break into his house one night and find a horde of televisions and VHS tapes. As Larry explores the house, Ayesha begins watching the videos. But what's watching her?

In the first story, "Phase I Clinical Trials," Herman (Adam Wingard) receives a state-of-the-art bionic eye that, to his chagrin, also allows him to see ghosts. Then, in "A Ride in the Park," Mike (Jay Saunders) rides his bike through a wooded area, unwittingly landing smack dab in the midst of a zombie outbreak. In "Safe Haven," a news crew in Indonesia investigates a cult leader who has a few tricks up his sleeve. And finally, in "Slumber Party Alien Abduction," a group of adolescents home alone while their parents are away have a close encounter of the worst kind.

The End Result

Because it was filmed so quickly after the first film, V/H/S 2 plays simply like a continuation of V/H/S, both in style (more low-fi "found footage" fare) and quality. Thus, if you love the somewhat divisive original, you're in for a treat, but if not, sorry, because it's more of the same.

The wraparound story is very similar to V/H/S's, but thankfully there's an attempt to explain the existence of the video tapes and their significance. Unfortunately, it turns out to be a bunch of nonsense that, despite a creepy setup, fails to consistently generate scares.

The main entries are generally better, beginning with "Phase I Clinical Trials," which uses the inventive viewpoint of a mechanical eye to tell its story. The result is a POV style similar to the recent Maniac remake, although because it probably cost a fraction of that movie, the execution isn't as smooth. The story in this portion is the best in the film -- not necessarily original (think The Eye), but it has a good arc and is a classic morality tale in the horror anthology tradition.

Hurting its impact -- and something that plagues V/H/S 2 throughout -- is the amateurish acting, although in this instance it's understandable given director Adam Wingard took on the lead role. Another aspect that hinders the film on multiple occasions is the makeup effects on some of the creatures. While the gore effects are strong, the monsters often end up looking like Halloween costumes, betraying the movie's modest budget. Of course, some might find that part of the project's low-tech charm.

"A Ride in the Park" gives the well-worn prospect of a cinematic zombie a fresh coat of paint by adding the first-person viewpoint. It's not scary but is fun and freewheeling. "Safe Haven," meanwhile, is probably the best overall segment, featuring the best performances along with a sprawling adventure that grows bigger and weirder as it goes on, playing a bit like a foreign version of The Last Exorcism. Unfortunately, the worst -- "Slumber Party Alien Abduction," with its annoying, undeveloped characters and plot (Seriously, shouldn't aliens be more adept at abductions than this?) -- is saved for last, leaving us with a bad taste in our mouths.

Still, three out of four ain't bad, and as a whole, V/H/S 2 feels more fast-paced and accessible than the first. If you don't mind the low-fi look and obvious budgetary constraints, there's a lot to like, although I wish the stories themselves were as out-of-the-box as the format.

The Skinny

• Acting: C- (Generally amateurish.)
• Direction: C+ (Uneven scares; some obscured action.)
• Script: C (Some stories are better than others, but none are truly original.)
• Gore/Effects: C+ (The creature makeup is cheap, but the gore is solid.)
• Overall: C+ (Solidly entertaining, but nothing earth-shattering; just a smidge better than its predecessor.)

V/H/S 2 is directed by Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Edúardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Huw Evans and Jason Eisener and is not rated by the MPAA. Release date: July 12, 2013 (on demand June 6).