This sequel to the 2007 Spanish horror flick [REC] begins where the first one left off, with TV reporter Ángela (Manuela Velasco) being dragged into the darkness by zombies that have taken over a quarantined apartment building. Enter the SWAT team, led by Dr. Owen (Jonathan Mellor), who is tasked with finding the source of the mysterious virus that has turned the residents into monsters. As the group (later joined by three teens who sneak past the police) wanders through the halls, its members are periodically picked off by the creatures while cameras attached to the SWAT helmets record the assaults. Eventually we learn that Owen is actually a priest searching for a vial of blood that is key to a Vatican-approved experiment involving the spread of demonic possession. The scares follow a single pattern: namely, one of the undead springs from the shadows to attack one of the interlopers, followed by a brief scuffle. Rinse and repeat. Not surprisingly, this repetitiveness becomes tedious, until a splashy finale that is ultimately more chaotic than exciting. Directors Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza's [REC] 2 plays like a mediocre third-generation copy of a dated concept. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include three behind-the-scenes featurettes (54 min.), deleted/extended scenes (7 min.), a press conference at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain with cast and crew including filmmakers Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza (11 min.), “A Walkthrough of the Set” (9 min.), a “[REC] 2 On Tour” premiere featurette (9 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)
[REC] 2
Sony, 84 min., in Spanish w/English subtitles, R, DVD: $26.99, July 12 Volume 26, Issue 4
[REC] 2
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: