I watched the much-hyped sort of prequel to the excellent 2012 horror film, "The Conjuring" last night, "Annabelle." Here's my review.
I don't believe in spoilers, so no worries.
What Worked For Me
Scares: "Annabelle" has a few truly effective scares, most of which are not terribly new or unique. Though the movie is named for the creepy doll Annabelle, there are a surprising number of non doll-related frights. This is a good thing, as Annabelle is not Chucky or some other schlocky possessed doll. Think of her more as a vehicle for the entity that does the terrorizing. There is one truly unique scare that I can't recall having ever seen in a movie, and the way it's done is so distracting, creepy, and then downright startling that I almost looked away. My two favorite frights involve an open window and the nursery and the basement. If you're the type to close your eyes during horror films, get ready when these scenes begin; you'll recognize them.
Special effects: "Annabelle" uses more CGI than "The Conjuring" did, but it's not easily recognized or distracting. Effective lighting, make-up, and sound design work together to create excellent effects that are truly scary and unsettling.
Score: the music here is again composed by Joseph Bishara, who was responsible for the chilling scores for "Insidious" and "The Conjuring," both of which were directed by James Wan, whose cinematographer for those films directs "Annabelle." The music isn't as noticeable as it was in those films, but it profoundly affects the experience of watching the film and enhances scenes that might not work otherwise.
The baby: I honestly wasn't impressed by the acting in this film all that much, but the baby in the movie is not only adorable, but also, very expressive with her reactions and interactions with her co-stars. The surprised, frightened, and joyful faces she makes are worth the price of admission alone.
Message/ending: There's a message about things I feel very strongly about, like self-sacrifice and love, at the heart of this movie. I was really surprised to find that message there at all and it made up for some of the flaws with the movie I discuss below. If you're a person of faith, I think you'll appreciate this movie in ways others might not.
What Didn't Work For Me
Characterization: for some reason, we don't quite feel for the characters in "Annabelle" as much as we did for those in "The Conjuring." I'm still not sure why that it is, but I think it's partially due to the script and also due to the smaller number of characters. The actors involved are effective at conveying the necessary emotions, but it seems there's something missing, almost as if they're numbed in some way to the extraordinary events they're experiencing.
Telegraphing: I hate when a movie or TV show telegraphs something that's going to happen later in an obvious way. This happens in "Annabelle" a few times, and I just felt it was unnecessary and kind of insulting. I can't say more without getting into spoiler territory.
Length: we don't spend enough time with a certain character who is extremely important to the ending of the film, which may be more of a script problem than a run time problem. Nevertheless, another twenty minutes would go a long way to achieve greater empathy and narrative build-up.
Overall: I think "Annabelle" is worth a matinee viewing, but I wouldn't drop a full ten bucks on it. It's an enjoyable flick for the Halloween season with some effective scares, but don't expect the quality of "The Conjuring" or even the first "Insidious" film. The climax and message of the film are pleasant surprises that are worth getting through the scares to see.
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