A Quiet Place Part II

If nothing else, I'm primarily impressed with how these films seem like a cinematic franchise built out of the raptors in the kitchen sequence from Jurassic Park. This is the very rare sequel that at the very least is equal to what came before and it reminded me how much I missed going to the movies.

I liked how the story begins with how the whole invasion began. They should have spent more time on this. As a matter of fact, this should have been a worldwide view of how humanity failed against the invasion. Instead, you get a story that at times makes you wonder if you missed something (on the pier especially). Also, the son appears to have gotten stupid since the first movie. The ending is rather contrived. With all the periods of silence in the movie and the style of showing two or three parts of the story all intermingled at once, you get very aware of the director "doing something". It weakens the film. The ending is so contrived that you think....."say whattttt". The characters' decisions in this movie make for many plot holes where their actions in the original are not something you question. So is the sequel how they get the daughter's discovery out there, If you can believe no one else figured this out. For that matter, I wondered how this type of creature can create and fly a spaceship. Do they multiply here? Were they kicked off a planet like Alien Nation? These creatures don't seem to have intelligence, organization or government. It's like the dinosaurs figured out how to build a spaceship and fly through space. The movie grossed about $350 million so there will be an unnecessary sequel. Watch a movie called "Earth vs. The Flying Saucers" from the mid-1950s and you will see the same "discovery" on how to kill the monsters.

I always say the opening scene/sequence of a film is crucial, and even more so in a horror movie. When the title card 'Day 1' pops up at the beginning of 'A Quiet Place Part 2' you know you are in for a treat. And it is a truly great sequence. I'm not normally a huge proponent of jump-scares, however the first one in this movie absolutely got me, and I'm rarely gotten. This sequence sets the tone for the film masterfully and then everything else flows from there.

There is a lot I like about this film, but also a bit I didn't. I'll get the negatives out of the way first so I can finish on a positive note. The film missed John Krasinski in an acting role. In the little bit of time we get with him we are reminded of just how charming and charismatic he is. Cillian Murphy just can't replicate it. The film also didn't feel like it added much to the first. The story advances, but we don't get any new information. The film seems to exist purely as a bridge between the first and what I assume will soon be the third entry in the series. There's also a little bit of a hopeless feeling about everything. We aren't exactly sure what the endgame is in all this and that can make it slightly less investing.

The positives though are plentiful. Krasinski proves the original was no fluke, he is indeed a gifted director. The film looks great, in particular the monsters. The characters are again extremely likeable, particularly both of the children. Getting kid actors to make it work is so rare but these films achieve that and the film is so much better for it. Also the pacing is lightning quick. The film is basically non-stop and the credits rolling is going to catch a lot of people off-guard I suspect.

I'm a little torn on this one. I like it, but certainly a little less than the first one. It ramps things up with a lot more action and a lot more of the monsters. But it does miss Krasinski in an acting role big time and doesn't quite have the innovation of the first. It's definitely worth a watch though and I eagerly await the next entry.

Cannot believe the number of people who are claiming this movie is the same as the first. Just ridiculous! I have to wonder whether they saw the same A Quiet Place Part 2 that I saw. It obviously follows similar themes but builds on the story and further develops the characters. You have to give it up to writer/producer/director and actor John Krasinski. He has delivered a sequel which really enhances the story he introduced in Part 1 but this time, is played out on a much broader canvas.

He also cleverly begins with an absolutely gripping prologue, that gives us a little more information about the alien arrival, which is something many of the whiners, moaned for, after seeing Part 1. It also has the dual function of reintroducing his character into the story, which I personally found very satisfying.

It's very clear many of the complainants just haven't really watched the movie closely. I do admit though, you probably do need half a brain, a short term memory capability of more than 10 seconds and also be not constantly looking at your phone, to fully appreciate the subtleties of Krasinski's work.

The sand is there to reduce sound on the Abbot's property when walking between there and town barefoot* (*also to reduce noise). Seriously hard to believe people haven't worked that out yet. Lee, the dad was a clever guy and in the time span from Day 1 up to the events in the first film, you can see from his depicted work area, that he has sussed out a lot of things about the aliens and taken steps around his property to help protect his family. Similarly we should assume from visual hints provided, that wife Evelyn, played by the wonderful Emily Blunt, is likely to have some sort of professional medical background. She knows a lot about specific medicines and equipment to salvage from the town pharmacy and was obviously prepared and wanted to have another child, after the early events we saw in the previous film. This is why she heads back on a dangerous solo effort to the chemist to pick up further treatments for Marcus's injured foot. Those people saying the characters behave unrealistically are I'm afraid, just clueless.

Similarly it's fundamental to recognise that Regan is not an "annoying, naughty teenager". She's extremely clever, determined and yes, quite wilful. But this is consistent with her behaviour across both films. It's not just a convenient contrivance to move the plot along that she heads out by herself. She is convinced, she has the means and know - how to save humanity, as she tries to explain to her mother via the medium of ASl. The real life hearing impaired Millicent Simmonds is perfect in the role.

I loved the way Krasinski expands the story outwards. We see vastly more after effects of the invasion and also again to satisfy the grumblers, get to see the creatures in greater detail. Cillian Murphy hits the right acting notes too, in his portrayal of Emmett, a former apparently close friend of Lee's, who is now a hardened, reclusive survivor, but proves vital in helping the various Abbott family members.

The only concession I'll give to the naysayers is that, yes, for extended periods, the baby is unusually quiet. Marcus has also clearly grown in height over the 2 year gap between the movies being made, but there's not much the producers could do about that. We just have to grin and accept it.

This is a marvel of a sequel that smartly avoids any attempt to recapture the original, instead expanding its world in every way possible. Brisk, crisp, efficient, and full of masterful sequences of suspense, A Quiet Place 2 is an ideal follow - up to the outstanding opening chapter of what is clearly designed to be a trilogy.

A good sequel, which is a rarity!

This one seemed slow at times, but the opening scene of Day 1 of the invasion, and the crazy intensity of everything at about the one-hour mark made for quite the stressful viewing, much like the original! Good ending too! I'm not clamoring for a third, but I'd watch it if they made it!