White Noise 2: The Good News
| The good news is that “White Noise 2″ has very little in common with the dreadful 2005 original that starred a slightly perplexed Michael Keaton. Since “Noise” was a sleeper hit due to crafty, three-card-monte marketing, the makers of “Noise 2″ have their work cut out for them trying to dream up new scares to slap around chiller fans. In a case of divine intervention, this sequel is miles ahead of its forefather, turning a goofy premise of spiritual communication into a playful thriller boosted by a pleasingly game cast….Writer Matt Venne and director Patrick “DTV De Palma” Lussier create a cleaner objective for their modest picture, shaping Abe in the early going of the story as a superhero of sorts, employing his premonition for heroic means. It’s a terrific approach to the sequel, getting the energy up and moving fast with stylized suspense set-pieces sharply executed by Lussier, who cleaves away character development to spin the wheels faster.
Frankly I was tickled with the first two acts of the feature, finding Abe’s battle of bewilderment and N.D.E. (”Near Death Experience”) foresight to be a delightful cocktail of entertainment, assisted considerably by Fillion’s easy way with the character’s near-constant expression of amazement. Appreciating Fillion more when he’s at arm’s length from the “Browncoat” gibberish, it’s wonderful to see this talented actor finding more diverse roles. “White Noise 2″ is pretty much everything the original film wasn’t: genuinely exciting, well made, competently acted, and contains a payoff that remains in the realm of easy digestion. It’s not some barnstorming, brainless construct like many genre sequels; it’s more astute and gripping, making it one of the more unlikely newborn franchise success stories I’ve come across in recent years. |
- Full Review: [Warning: may contain spoilers]
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