A Haunted House 2 (2014) [Movie Review]

I did not take the time to re-watch A Haunted House prior to me viewing the newest iteration in the series - and I think many of you know why. So while the story of it's predecessor isn't fresh in my head, I don't think it will make a difference in my review.

Malcolm has overcome the obstacles he faced with his possessed girlfriend in A Haunted House. A year has passed, and Malcolm has found himself a new family, in a new house, but unfortunately with the same crazy ass shit.

While many are quick to bash parody movies on the spot, I always have to give them a shot. Some are great (Spaceballs, Airplane!, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil), and some are bad (I'm not going to list all of the bad parody movies. You know what I'm talking about). I'm always hopeful that the movies will turn to out to be great.

Sure, this movie's writing focuses heavily on the 'easy' laughs. There is nothing sophisticated about this film. And that is exactly what the director was going for. There was an exorbitant amount of inappropriate jokes, but none of them are just randomly placed. The movie is very well-written, for what it is.

Being the writer, producer, and star of the film, Marlon Wayans is really strong in his role. It's clear he is passionate about this series, and I'm actually excited for more. But what I really missed in this movie was Nick Swardson's character. He is the cause of almost every laugh I had in the first film, and he is nowhere to be found in this one. I wasn't expecting him to be present, merely hoping. But the other stars that were cast instead of him really improved the film. Especially the couple parodying Ed and Lorraine Warren, everything they said had me laughing.

The only other negative thing I have for the movie is it's poor special effects. These parody movies rarely have a big enough budget to make things look nice, and that disappoints me.

If you liked the first movie in the series, you'll probably like this movie. But the comedy is quite similar, so if you did not like the first, chances are high that you will not like this movie either.

Rating: 6/10

IMDb Page
Wiki Page