Annabelle

MPAA Rating: R for intense sequences of disturbing violence and terror.
Run Time: 98 minutes
My Rating: 4/5
So tonight I had decided to go and see New Line Cinema's Annabelle, a spin-off of last years box-office hit The Conjuring (for more information see My Top 10 Movies to Watch This October post).  The film details the story of the doll Annabelle, originally seen at the beginning of The Conjuring, and how she became the demonized doll that made the real life ghost hunter Ed and Lorraine Warren scared for their lives.  The film begins with Jeff and his wife Mia who are expecting their first child.  Jeff decides to give Mia a vintage porcelain doll as a present.  That same night they are attacked by their neighbor's daughter who belongs to a Satanic cult.  The police arrive killing the cultist.  Little do they know is that the cultist transfers her demonized soul into the new porcelain doll.  Shortly after the attacks many strange things begin to happen around the house that makes Mia worried.  The supernatural happenings begin to get worse and it is up to Mia to find out what Annabelle wants or her family may be in danger of something much worse than just a few slammed doors.
Personally I thought the film was really good.  It definitely wasn't what I expected from the movie, but I was pleasantly surprised at the finished product.  Before the film was released many people thought that it was going to be a girl version of Chucky, but that is definitely not the case.  The film is way more supernatural than gore, which for me is something I really like.  One thing that people should be aware of is that even though the title is Annabelle, the actual doll Annabelle isn't really the complete story.  There is so many other supernatural forces at play in this film that it completely gives you a new perspective on the Annabelle from The Conjuring.  Now don't get me wrong even though Annabelle isn't in many scenes, the scenes that she is in are absolutely terrifying.  She has a presence in every scene that she is in that make the movie memorable.  Annabelle absolutely makes the movie.  One thing that I have to commend is the amazing cinematography in the film.  Each scene is created with such powerful camera angles of the tormented victims that the audience doesn't even know what will happen next.
So the entire time that I was watching the film I was expecting to be smitten like I was during The Conjuring, but unfortunately that was not the case.  Annabelle brings a lot of the same scares that other horror movies bring and really didn't bring anything new to the genre.  I was also expecting more out of the story, but unfortunately the story wasn't as amazing as I hoped it would be.  It might be the fact that this wasn't based on a true story so they were trying to create how a real life doll became actually possessed with no real back story given to them.
Overall I thought that Annabelle was a completely effective follow-up to The Conjuring.  It may not be making leaps and bounds like its predecessor, but it definitely is worth the trip to the theaters this Halloween.
Thanks again for reading.  If you have any suggestions or comments, just let me know.
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