[Rec]² (2009) User Reviews (183)

Ruined the atmosphere for the 1st film

[flaviofoglia · 5/10 · 23 July 2010]

I watched yesterday Rec 1, a masterpiece. This evening, Rec 2.

This is not an awful film after all, but several points below the first one (I voted the first 8/10).

Rec 1 transmitted to me a sense of confusion, mystery, it really makes you feel like you are one of the people trapped in that apartment, who doesn't really know well what is going on, both inside and outside the building. But the first film is realistic: deals about science, a virus, zombies (although they are faster and more intelligent then the standard), physical infection.

Rec 2 changes this to a demoniac possession which reminds the Exorcist. First film was science, second film is religion. I preferred science. In this second film Satan talks through the infected/possessed people, and like in The Exorcist is able to change the voice of its victim. I found that quite ridiculous, kind of a thing that would be never happened in 1st film, where the villains were infected and not possessed! So now why this stupid change?! It is just a bad mismatch if you pair it with the realistic horror masterpiece that was Rec 1.

Also, the characters were better in the first. They were just common people, their reactions were understandable, but why in the sequel a police team that should be quite prepared acts stupid more than once? They should know when to shoot, and react less hysterically even if the situation was tragic.

Even the camera was better in the first movie. You feel that the camera is really inside the movie, but here seems more "external". The cameraman never does anything except filming, like if in a situation were you are in a high risk of death your first thought is keep the camera in position. Then one of the policemen says, "how could we make the people outside believe what is happening here? Nobody is going to believe us!". Now, think about it, you took a member of your team that does nothing except filming all the time and you have no proof?! Bah.

So my final suggestion: watch Rec 1, that is very well made, realistic, full of suspense, does his horror movie job very well. Rec 2? Not so bad, but more than 1 stupid storyline decision that ruined this sequel, like the introduction of Satan and supernatural elements, and lack of characterization.

Rec ² (2009)

[SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain · 7/10 · 17 January 2012]

Rec 2 picks up just moments after Rec. Now a SWAT Team and a medical officer are being sent in to clear up any mess. It's a simple, but still a powerful premise. It was kind of nice touring the same building again, seeing the remains of the previous film. The SWAT team POV also sets up some fantastic 1st person shooting scenes. This has to become a game at some point. The attacks do become a bit repetitive, but the story is given an extra kick by expanding on the demonic possession themes. This sets it apart from other zombie/virus movies. It had plenty of jumps and did unsettle me. Wouldn't mind watching the two films back to back for an ultimate experience.

i need the anti-do-to...

[kev_silv · 7/10 · 5 January 2011]

watching REC 2 made me realize how bad these directors and screen writers didn't want to make this sequel of REC 2 suck...meaning that it kinda felt like they were trying really hard to make a good sequel. the film turned out okay in the sense that it carried exactly from were REC finished and satisfied me with blood and jumping out of my seat scenes..but i really did't that much, also the demonic creatures, which we end up finding out about, thus creating the background story which wasn't very pleasing but fair. the camera view style was well done however the acting was a little over the top, sometimes i feel like hopping in the TV and telling them to shut up! Overall it did not surpass REC, but then again worth a watch if you want to see the story complete itself.

A highly anticipated sequel that (mostly) delivers.

[lewiskendell · 23 July 2011]

Not as cohesive or frightening, as the first REC (which is one of my favorite modern horror movies), but still a tense and thrilling horror ride, more often than not. This is a direct continuation of the original, and happens in and around the same apartment building on the same night. 

REC 2 takes the supernatural elements of the first movie and further explores them, which sets it apart from some similar zombie-type films. No complaints from me there, I enjoyed the expansion of the overall mythos and the added backstory/explanation for some of the people and events of the first film. On the negative side, I did find the new characters introduced in this one to be almost universally unlikable and annoying. Did that ruin the movie? No, but I definitely cared about the well-being and survival of these people less than those that came before. There's also a slight feeling of repetition that comes with using the same location again, but that's understandable considering the direct plot continuance.  

REC 2 is basically more of the same, so if you enjoyed the first, there's no real reason why you shouldn't see this. It's not quite up to the same quality, but it's worth checking out to see the interesting direction the story goes in.

Thrilling

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 24 February 2010]

A somewhat nice continuation of the first "Rec" movie.

"Rec 2" picks up right where "Rec" left you when it ended. So that is nice.

The characters in the movie were believable and well portrayed, especially because they have that every-day-man-and-woman feel to them, they are just like you and me. That makes the movie all the more real.

Again, picking up the scenery and sets from the first "Rec" movie makes for a good scenery with a constant underlying sense of dread and claustrophobia.

The make up on the infected were good, and the effects were nice as well.

Again the camera work was amazing, makes you feel like you are right there in the middle of the chaos. The way the movie is shot works so well, it is like participating in a superb horror game.

Now, what I didn't like about "Rec 2" was the whole possession and Christian propaganda approach they had decided to turn the story to. But looking beyond that, the movie in its entirety came together as a good experience. There were no major frights though, but there was a constant thrill and a sense of being stalked and feeling boxed it. That worked so well.

The ending was very predictable and anti-climatic though. And as such the movie experience is just a notch below the first "Rec" movie. And I am sure this will also spawn a crappy Hollywood Americanized version of the movie, like the first "Rec" movie. It is a disgrace to movies worldwide when Hollywood decides to sink their greedy claws into a good product and milk it for what its worth.

A Good Sequel but Inferior to the Original Film

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 2 September 2010]

The medical Dr. Owen (Jonathan Mellor) leads a three-men SWAT team inside the sealed off building to get blood sample from the girl Medeiros to develop an antidote. They are attacked by the zombie-like creatures and Dr. Owen locks a zombie inside a room using a crucifix. He discloses that the patient zero was possessed by the evil and the Vatican sent him to save mankind. Further, they will only leave the building under his voice command. Meanwhile, three teenagers follow a fireman and a man that breaks into the building through the sewage system to rescue his colleague and daughter respectively and they are trapped inside. They are lured and release the evil creature that was locked by Dr. Owen in a room. Out of the blue, the lead team meets the journalist Ângela Vidal (Manuela Velasco) hidden inside the building.

"Rec 2" is a good sequel of the 2007 "Rec" but inferior to the original film. The three teenagers are too stupid and they do not add anything but foolishness to the story. Further, the idea of an evil possession and a priest exorcising evil but needing the blood for an antidote seems to be inconsistent. The good point is the unexpected conclusion. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Rec 2"

LOVE and HATE for REC2

[MichaelMontoya2517 · 6/10 · 9 February 2011]

Getting to the main point of my LOVE and HATE that I have for rec, I think it was said best from a previous review that the main difference between these two movies....and this may be a semi spoiler behind the infection...is that the first one is more of a scientific infection while the second film is more of a religious infection. So with that said, I will write a summary of the film as well as two small reviews. One for die hard zombie fans and one for horror fans.

First, the summary of the movie as a whole. The second film begins exactly where the other one left off. A small SWAT team enters the building with another QUARANTINE type doctor and are asked to document everything. The camera work goes from one camera to numerous cameras such as another video camera and mini cams put on the SWAT member's helmets. I felt this was really cool giving us numerous shots and cuts without taking away from the first person view. In the middle of the film, we're introduced to a trio of teens who find their way into the building with a camera of their own. And then, as the first film, the group must fight to stay alive.

Second, the review for Zombie fans of the first film….If you're a zombie fan, you have to like the mass hysteria of the unknown, and that's something that the first film presents to us. What seems like a routine call at an apartment building turns out to be one of the first responses to an infection outbreak. The first film satisfies these rules of infection, aggressive attacks, and not knowing what exactly is going on to the T. The second film is a slap in the face to us zombie fans because it takes away from a disease that turns us into homicidal maniacs with the hunger for flesh, and changes it into possessed puppets of a demonic force. The infection turns out to be in fact demons traveling through people by way of bites. Possessed people can talk, are scared of the cross, can change voices and walk on walls. But they're not zombies. They're not infected with rage. They're not infected with mutated rabies . And again, this is truly a slap in the face for zombie fans. We don't go and see Vampire part 2, only to find out they're really mummies. And we don't see werewolf part 2 only to find out they're really vampires. This change of infection to possession may ruin the movie for some of us zombie fans and therefore, turn out to be a crappy sequel with a few scares. 4/10

Third, the review for Rec and horror fans…..If you're not a DIE HARD zombie fan, and loved the first one as a good horror movie, this film may be seen as a pretty cool sequel. The character development is no where near as good as the first film, but it's still pretty good. Right away, the scares are there. The power has gone out from the first film, so this time around, our characters are left in the dark, adding an edge to everyone's already big fear. The infection's back story….and again, semi spoiler for it's origins….is not in fact an infection, but possession. It's not often that possession doesn't look cheesy and funny thanks to spoof movies on the exorcists. These possessed people look scary as hell and the way they speak really scared me. On one of the first jump scenes, I screamed. Movies don't usually get me to scream so there you go. The movie is a very good follow up to an instant classic of a film. And I'm sure horror fans of Rec would definitely fall in love with it's sequel. 6/10

Acceptable sequel full of eerie scenes with zombies and exorcisms

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 7 January 2011]

This following packs a sinister and horrifying atmosphere by means of shaky camera and videotape as well as the first part . The scary tale deals with the medical Dr. Owen (Mellor) who leads a GEO team inside the quarantined building located in Barcelona , in which communication means have been cut-off and police agents are not relaying information to those closed inside. They are attacked by the zombie-like creatures and Dr. Owen locks a zombie inside a room utilizing a crucifix. Owen wants to obtain a blood sample from the girl Medeiros to develop an antidote . Owen and his cameraman occupying to spend themselves the night against the zombies . There , they find residents already in the scenario have been possessed by strange demoniac forces . After that , three adolescents go into the building and are brutally attacked by psycho people ; they soon learn that people living in the building has been infected by something unknown. They attempt the getaway but they only encounter that have been sealed off. But Dr Owen is actually a priest who is sent by the Vatican to save the mankind , he discloses a patient possessed by the evil and by means of exorcisms he tries to avoid the bloody attacks . Later on , they meet the TV journalist named Angela Vidal(Manuela Velasco) .

This sequel to one of the highest earning horror movies of the last years titled ¨Rec¨ is realized in similar premise to original that is remade by an American adaptation, titled ¨Quarantine¨ directed by John Erick with Jennifer Carpenter, Jay Hernandez and Steve Harris . It's a solid movie , a terror story plenty of suspense, restless horror, and in documentary style. Film itself takes place from point of sight from cameraman. The flesh-eating zombies appearance deliver the goods plenty of screams, shocks and tension .The horror moments are compactly made and fast moving . It packs tension, shocks, thrills,chills and lots of gore and blood , but the original is far superior . Well worth seeing if you like shaky cameras, such us ¨Blair witch project¨, ¨28 Days/Weeks¨ and ¨Cloverfield¨ . The picture produced by Julio Fernandez (Filmax Productions) is well directed by Jaume Balaguero (Fragiles, Darkness, Nameless) and Paco Plaza (Romasanta, Second name), two magnificent experts on terror genre . Both of whom are directing the third part (in pre-production) titled ¨Rec, Genesis¨ with similar crew , actors(Manuela Velasco) and director of photography(Pablo Rosso). Rating : 6'5 , passable following that appeal to horror fans .

REC 2 Continues The Creepy Atmosphere Of It's Predecessor While Giving Something New

[shanebeacham · 9/10 · 18 June 2010]

I am huge fan of the original horror film "REC," which of course inspired the American remake "Quarantine." So of course, once I heard that they were making the sequel I was up for it completely. The first film still scares me to this day, even though I've watched it several times. While I'm not sure I could have the same experience with REC 2, the movie is still a great horror film.

REC 2 starts almost immediately after the events that took place in the first film, and follows members of the S.W.A.T. team going to the apartment complex from the first film. Equipped with video cameras, they go in to find any remaining characters, and find the antidote to the virus that is spreading. We also follow a group of teenagers who end up finding their way in too. We see both vantage points, including the horror that both teams face.

The way this film is shot is breathtaking. In the first film, we had only one perspective from a TV camera. In this film, the S.W.A.T. team uses cameras that can link to mini cameras so that when one of the characters is on his own we can see what's going on. Some may feel this doesn't keep the realism, but I feel it does. Law-enforcement men take cameras with them all the time, and if you were a kid going into the apartment to see what's going on, naturally you would have a camera. In terms of a technical achievement, REC 2 definitely brings it up a level.

In the last film, what this virus may be is merely hinted at. In here, the directors move more into the mythology they created and expand it. We learn, without giving too much away, that the virus is much more than what we thought it was, something that leads back to the Vatican and religion in general.

While I wouldn't say the second film is as scary as the first, it still carries the creepy atmosphere set up in the first REC. There are many scenes were you feel trapped and you can't get out, and not knowing what's gonna happen next.

I was very pleased that they brought back Angela Vidal (the main character) for the second film. I felt that the actress did well, and the directors brought her character to the right point, which leads into my next topic: The ending. I was wondering how the film's climax would be and if it would top the first film's ending, which goes down as one of the most frightening things I've ever seen. The answer is yes, it does go in the right direction, shocks you, and sets you up for the third film.

The biggest problem that I can say about REC 2 is that while characters in the first film were well developed and memorable, you don't get that with these new characters. Sure we fear for them, sure they're not bad characters at all. But none of them really made me think about them afterward, and the only character that was memorable was Angela Vidal, who was in the first film.

It felt a little too shaky at times for me. While it does keep the film tense especially in it's more obscure moments, I really wished the camera could stop and calm down at a few points.

While REC 2 may not be as incredible as the first, it still takes things that were done well in the first film and makes them better. So if you liked the first movie and you're hyped for the second, you shouldn't be disappointed.

Less real than Rec but still good

[rock_cool · 7/10 · 27 February 2010]

The movie looks "less real than REC" because of the steady camera movement and video capturing.

The story and sequences are more frightening than REC. In REC 2 the story took a whole new turn and changes the perception that one would get after watching the REC about the origin of the virus infection that affected the residents of the unfortunate building. The encounter / action sequences are more intense and thrilling than REC.

Though i got to accept REC looked more original because of shaky camera movement and the buildup of the story, here in REC 2 it looked more of a normal movie than a real time recording of incidents.

Overall a fine horror flick and i will have to admit that it is a perfect sequence of REC. Its 7 out of 10 from me.

A must see!!

[dashjack · 4/10 · 23 October 2009]

Just saw this today, and I really loved it. Is it better than the first?? I say not, but to make up for that, it is radically different: it differs in its structure, pace, characters, plot and a big twist you may not see coming, actually I really think you won't, it is very unique.

The movie opens with an amazing line from the first film: "Grabalo todo Pablo, por tu puta madre" and then just immediately we revisit (REC)'s finale.

(REC) needed to provide us with interesting and multidimensional characters, some likable some not, but they wanted us to be involved with these people, so that the outcome of their lives could affect us one way or the other. It had a lot of tension and suspense and an amazing set up, who are these people? How did they end up here? Can they get out? What is happening?? Is it a virus?? Possession?? And all these factors made for an amazing and unique experience. But the movie worked because the story worked.

Having said this, (REC)2 lacks any true character development and most of the suspense and mystery from the first one is gone. Instead it has tons of action, gore, terror and a never ending climax, it sounds like any Hollywood sequel right?? Well it isn't simply because behind those deliberate elements lies a truly frightening, horrific and original story.

(REC)2 works, simply because the story works. And said story demands none of the elements form the original, it doesn't need any involvement with the characters, it doesn't need to establish them, the setting or the situation anymore. All they have to do is tie all those loose ends and give us a frightening movie while they're at it. AND IT WORKS!!! The movie manages to stay fresh (yes, even with the hand held camera and the relatively same setting) because it is told in three acts, each act from three different points of view. They expand the world from the first one so that you can understand what is going on outside, how they will proceed and why it has to happen inside the building again. The pace is frenetic and five minutes into it you already have gore, scares and just pure horror. You have one hour and a half of constant climax and terror. And what really saves it from being disposable entertainment is the amazing plot, which takes everything we knew and throws it away, giving us a brand new and absolutely genius take on the circumstances.

The ending is, of course, a cliffhanger; and a freaking shocking cliffhanger that is (even more so than the first). And, as most of you already know, (REC)3 has been confirmed for 2011 so I say we are looking at one of the best horror franchises ever. 28 days later who??

I give it 9 out of 10. A MUST SEE!!!

MILD SPOLERS AHEAD.... Angela comes back for the last 10 minutes or so, in a PIVOTAL role. Let's just say if they decide to make a sequel to Quarantine, it will be extremely different because of what said remake left out.... The final shot is the continuation of the first shot, I already said what the first shot is. We meet Jennifer's father We still don't know what happened to the dog, or how it got infected, no that it matters anymore...

They did it again!

[banbogdan · 10/10 · 24 February 2010]

First of all someone wrote : "Worst movie ever?" I'm wondering if he really watched this movie. Anyway REC2 really did it for me,I was so looking forward to seeing this sequel and after reading some IMDb reviews I was thinking...boy I hope this wont be major let down.

And it wasn't! From the first minute to the last it was a thrill ride.I saw some excellent camera work, some really impressive effects and some top acting.

After i watched the first one,i was asking myself :"How did it start? What really happened?" Well in REC2 you get all the answers.

Once again BRAVO Jaume Balagueró&Paco Plaza BRAVO Spain

How the .Rec series was practically wrecked

[Quebec_Dragon · 4/10 · 20 March 2012]

There is unfortunately one thing in this sequel that really killed it for me: the behaviour of the Spanish special forces team (think SWAT) who enter the quarantined building. They basically acted totally out of character, panicking right away, and acting like frightened school girls instead of trained professionals. I could have bought it if it was gradual unease building up slowly to panic, but nooo, it's instant overboard hysterical reactions, shouting at each other and acting stupidly.

Other than that, I didn't mind too much that they changed the nature of the threat to something more supernatural, kept things "fresh" I suppose, although some things only being there in the dark (ex.: the basin) bugged me. I thought that for an over-the-shoulder camera filming, it was very well done and stress-inducing without being too jittery and cheap-looking. The "creatures" were basically bloodied up humans with scary contact lenses, but they were suitably menacing to me, mostly because of their speed and the way it was filmed. The last female creature, looking different from the others, was quite creepy. I even wondered how they did "her".

I also liked the structure where basically half-way through, the main protagonists changed. As I implied, the acting by the Spanish SWAT team members was totally over the top and unbelievable really hurting my suspension of disbelief, and making me actively dislike them. I enjoyed the character of the "doctor" though who had the calm intensity down. This is something I won't say often, but I wish the Americans remade this flawed sequel as Quarantine 2, but it seems the story will be totally different (in an airport...).

Rating: 4 out of 10 (Poor)

More like a car rec

[valleyjohn · 1 November 2011]

The first Rec was one of the better horror films i had seen in recent years and because of that success it's no surprise that it spurned a sequel so soon. And like most sequels , this turned out to be a bitter disappointment.

This film carries on straight after the first. The virus ( or so it seams) is still in the building and this time a special ops team and a specialist go in to stop it in it's tracks. Obviously then things then turn really ugly.

I found Rec 2 a bit of a mess. It's extremely loud and at times disorientating with the speed camera work. The members of the Swat team shout constantly and they make some stupid decisions and it's as if they have left their brains at the door and if you are thinking of watching this i suggest you do to.

It does have a couple of scary moments but not nearly enough for my liking.

[.REC] 2 (Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza, 2009) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 11 June 2010]

This is much more of a hybrid genre film than the original, as the surprising diabolic possession angle inserted at the end of [.REC] is elaborated on here, pretty much swamping the traditional zombie action to take center-stage.

Personally, I was not overly bothered by this change in direction – after all, demons are far more interesting than mere zombies! Besides, even if this introduces several logistic flaws (how can possession be transmitted, or why was rabies even considered as the official threat in the first film?), one is immediately thrust into the proceedings this time around, as a SWAT team infiltrates the infected building to ostensibly control (and film for purposes of study) the zombie plague…until the Health Official accompanying them is revealed to be a priest – and a fairly unhinged one at that – assigned the task of elevating a blood sample from the original possessed girl! This, of course, sends the men off the deep end, especially as they start falling prey to it all, where the most vociferous of the lot is the quickest to crack under the strain (preferring to blow his own head off rather than succumb to the evil he is fighting); by the way, for inexplicable reasons, the 'takeover' seems to occur at an even faster rate in this case.

The action-oriented stance taken by the film likens it to ALIENS (1986); however, this results in the audience not having anyone in particular to root for unlike Manuela Velasco from the first film. Incidentally, her character turns up here towards the end – a fact which, though procuring its own set of narrative flaws, elevates the film considerably (especially since she is involved in the delightfully nihilistic, if predictable, conclusion). I say elevates because the mid-section is bogged down by a subplot revolving around a trio of annoying camcorder-carrying kids (the sheer amount of cameras on display, to give us as complete a view of the proceedings as possible, is contrived to say the least!), one of whom is even possessed. Even so, one of the film's creepiest moments depicts an infected man locked inside a room protected by a rosary bead who assumes the voice of a frightened little girl to induce the oblivious kids to release him!

A final word goes to the proposed prequel and second sequel in the [.REC] franchise, in that I hope they can duplicate the standard of quality shown in the original and sustained here.

Solid sequel to Spain's very own 28 Days Later

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 20 June 2014]

Ignoring the – rather pointless – Hollywood remake, Quarantine, REC was a cult classic in the horror genre. However, naturally – being a Spanish movie – it was cursed with subtitles, therefore it never reached a mainstream audience. However, that didn't stop it spawning a sequel, which takes place immediately after the events in the first film.

If you haven't seen REC then stop reading and watch it now. It is the better of the two movies, but, as far as sequels go, REC2 is actually pretty good. Here, a team of armed police officers enter a quarantined building to see what happened to the original occupants. And here's a clue… zombies.

Of course naturally things don't go too well for our boys in blue and, if you can ignore the fact that armed, well-trained men get easily overpowered and forced onto the back foot by unarmed (albeit zombified) civilians, then you can enjoy this one, too. There's more gunplay as the budget is bigger than the original, so they can afford to add a few shoot-outs into the mix. However, if you've seen the original, you'll have already seen the best scares. REC2 certainly isn't as intense as its predecessor, but it's still a decent enough follow-on.

Plus you probably won't care about the central team as much as they're all just 'men in armour' and it's hard to make out who's who. There are some other characters added a little way into the film, but that feels like an interruption as you've done your best to follow (and care about) the initial team before this new lot are thrown into the frying pan.

It's not as good as REC, but in a world of terrible cash-in sequels, it certainly stands out as one of the better ones (which is more than I can say for 'REC3').

Good sequel

[grantss · 7/10 · 20 April 2020]

Good sequel, about as good as the original. I thought the camcorder-perspective might be a worn medium, but it is well and originally done here. Suspense is great, effects are good, plot is fairly original. Maybe too many twists, too many contrivances and other horror clichés, but it all works out OK in the end.

NOT AS GOOD AS THE FIRST.

[andrewchristianjr · 7/10 · 7 November 2021]

Nowhere near as good as the first one, but still a very good movie overall. They wisely changed things up from the first one by not using the anchor to start, and by using a SWAT team instead of firefighters. That gave it a bit of originality even though it takes place immediately after part one. Its not as scary, but the zombies are still fun to see. Theres a few moments that get you to shriek but not as many as part 1.

Move Thee Reviews: A Creative Roller Coaster Ride

[ken1848 · 10/10 · 8 January 2010]

REC 2 creatively transforms a zombie movie into a different genre and challenges our preconceptions about zombies. Besides, it is more exciting and frightening than REC because there are more actions and more points of view. In addition, the teenage boy plays his role convincingly and the ending is unpredictable.

Another movie, Paranormal Activity, was also shot with a shaky camera from the first person's point of view. I personally find it less impressive than both REC and REC 2, which require the audience to think after viewing.

Before watching REC 2, everyone SHOULD watch REC first. May I also kindly remind you to beware of spoilers in discussion forums before you watch it? Enjoy this compelling roller coaster ride! 4 / 5

The continuation of the tragedy

[marccuenca42 · 6/10 · 12 March 2024]

"REC 2" continues the story shortly after where they left off in the first installment. It maintains the same intensity, more action, more terror, but it forgets something very important: innovation. It can't be that a movie is set in the same building all the time because it becomes too overwhelming.

The characters are still wonderful, and the atmosphere remains the same, which might be the problem. There's a need to explore new connections and spaces to make it dynamic. Otherwise, it becomes monotonous, which is what has happened here. People go in with high expectations from the first installment, and now the level drops due to this key aspect.

In conclusion, it's a good movie but a poor continuation because it lacks a spark of innovation.

Rec'kon I'll stick with #1

[thesar-2 · 5/10 · 10 July 2010]

(DISCLAIMER: I do put spoilers in my reviews, I'll admit, but hardly none as revealing than the following. It was simply too hard (or I'm paid far too little) to work around the big "secret" of the virus of the original movie: Rec. It's stated almost immediately after this film, Rec 2, starts and is the central core of the movie. So, you've been advised: this review will contain a major spoiler.) It's getting more than clichéd to state: Be careful for what you wish for…as I got what I wanted in Rec 2: the explanation of the previous films outbreak. And I was NOT pleased.

Oh, is it a spoiler to say what it is since that's 98% of the plot? Fine, be warned, I'll continue. A faux-pas Armageddon of sorts. A demon possesses a girl; the Catholics are frightened and assign a priest to run experiments to get a cure before Satan's minion infects others. When does the phrase "Nothing could possibly go wrong" ever be accurate?

Taking place not seconds, but the moment the first Rec ended, the disease control and military break into the apartment complex of a viral outbreak to gather evidence and contain the situation. Hell (literally, I suppose) is still breaking lose inside as they attempt to stop this from getting out.

What's clever as this part, and the first third or so, is done in the same hand-held shaky camera fashion by the same types of people from the original, but then they mix it up a bit. Now, we get a new POV from more hand-held camera kids/punks who make their stupid/curiosity-killed-the-cat way into the building. In addition, we get the Aliens treatment of picture-in-picture military POVs. I'm guessing they're attempt is to up the ante for style and originality was noted and worked. What failed was The Exorcist decision.

Granted, when you watch this, and I had to rewatch the final moments of the original again to see if I wasn't mistaken, it states this revelation was "clearly" foretold in the original's climax. Perhaps being a foreigner I am (to this movie's origin country, styles/techniques, language and genres) I didn't quite catch it. That, I will take responsibility for. But, in my defense, they didn't give you all that was written on the wall – it's in Spanish and so much is happening and they won't shut up (i.e. hundreds of subtitles) long enough for the average viewer/reader to comprehend anything but "this is a frightening finale; who cares what was revealed."

Finally, I got past what the movie's about: demon possession and not an actual virus, as I can't change its intentions, and did somewhat enjoy the ride. It's longer than the first one and not as good. Is it worth going beyond Rec? No. But, if you truly must see the continuation, see it. But, you were warned.

A gloriously nasty Spanish roller-coaster ride

[thisissubtitledmovies · 8/10 · 14 January 2011]

excerpt, full review at my location - REC splattered its way onto our screens three years ago, and part of its power was the fact this small- budget Spanish horror tale seemed to come out of nowhere. The sequel will struggle to match it simply because it lacks the surprise element which made the first one so great, right?

Apparently there are to be two more films, one a straight sequel and a prequel. The sequel will, like this one, carry on pretty much straight after the ending, but it will be hard matched to equal this one. REC2 introduces some humour which the first one lacked, but to go down that road too much will spoil all the hard work that the first two. We'll see…

A gloriously nasty Spanish roller-coaster ride up and down the stairs of that Barcelona apartment block – just don't eat too close to the film. Seriously, it's that gory.

Bizzarre

[ITALUKE · 6/10 · 1 November 2022]

Let me start by saying I enjoyed the first Rec movie, but this one? Not that much. The movie continues a story that should be over, there was no need for this, instead the third Rec movie decided to do something different and it needs to be recognized for it. The initial characters are all professionals so you don't get the same anxiety about their fate like you did for the characters in the first movie. The additional characters instead were added to the plot in a way that made me hate them, to the point that I was rooting for them to die. You can't make those stupid decisions and expect me to hope you survive.

A Huge Disappointment

[charliemanson999 · 3/10 · 3 March 2010]

First of all I really enjoyed the first REC film. It had an original, realistic and creepy feel to it. The characters were well built and developed, funny at times, and interesting story lines were built around the main frame of the film. The sequence of events was intriguing from the very start, as to see the gradual escalation of events in a zombie film was untouched ground, as "zombie"-esque movies tend to start straight in with survivors trying to stay alive in a fully-fledged infection. Everything was well done, the ending particularly ambiguous and creepy, and I found the unfinished story lines, the unnerving "is this actually religious or just crazy experimentation gone wrong?" ending, the way everything built on a gradual crescendo to the nail-biting finale kept me thinking about the film for days.

REC2 takes away all of the impact of the first film. They feel the need to explain. everything. There is no nail-biting crescendo which puts you firmly in the shoes of the actual victims, there is no development of characters or interesting sub-story lines. There is just one bad bad movie spin-off from the game Doom.

The dull predictable attack-scenes, which seemed to follow exactly the same formula (some shadowy figures appears, charges the camera) each time, the slightly ridiculous decision to go down the purely "exorcist"-esque route, the lack of a more-detailed plot just kills everything that could and should have been good about this film.

The ending "shock" is horrifically predictable (yeah it's really believable that the former lead just got away from the infected girl who so easily dragged her into darkness at the end of REC), and with the ending meaning the "demon" successfully got out of the building it's difficult to see what direction the film can go in without it being completely different from the first two. Presumably something to do with the two kids who appeared to survive having been locked in the room by SWAT.

A sorry excuse for what could have been an excellent franchise. DO NOT WATCH.

You may not give a rating of 2 to this movie... this is real horror

[alain-stas · 30 December 2009]

please , buddy, think of the "paranormal activity " hype : this last is a big zero, I'm sure it will become a standard of reference for the bad movies, in a near future. But Rec 2, even if it's a relative deception and if it does not reach the same level as its predecessor, is a real independent original sophisticated researched sincere interesting funny scaring movie....with a storyline,it's a honest movie made by horror fanatics for horror fans. It does not intend only to bring back money. Give rec2 a chance....the first hour contains a master camera work and plays very well on the nerves.If such a project does not receive your full help, the future will only be made of sequels of "paranormal activity" and "saw".