PLOT: One 12 months has handed because the supernatural nightmare at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Former safety guard Mike has stored the reality from his 11-year-old sister, Abby, regarding the destiny of her animatronic pals. When Abby sneaks out to reconnect with Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Cunning, she units into movement a terrifying sequence of occasions that reveal darkish secrets and techniques in regards to the true origin of Freddy’s.
REVIEW: The primary 5 Nights at Freddy’s film could have been slammed by critics, however it nonetheless ended up a serious win for Blumhouse, even with a same-day streaming/theatrical launch. Followers confirmed up in droves. Fandom carried it like a badge of honor, and whether or not critics received it or not, the franchise was formally alive once more.
When 5 Nights at Freddy’s 2 rolled round, expectations have been naturally excessive, particularly for followers like me. I’ve been obsessive about this universe since enjoying the primary recreation one late night time in October 2014. I spent many a late-night watching safety cams, jumpscares which made me throw my controller, countless lore holes on Reddit, and MatPat movies at 2AM. I’ve been there for all of it. I do know the distinction between Toy Chica, Nightmare Chica, and common ol’ Chica. I even 3D-printed a Plushtrap (test it out on the backside of the article). Let’s be trustworthy, this already places me in one among two audiences this film is catering to. That’s actually what these motion pictures do: break up viewers from the superfans who communicate fluent Fazbear, and everybody else who simply desires some strong scares with no need a wiki open.
5 Nights at Freddy’s 2 feels prefer it desires to be constructed for each teams without delay, for higher and worse. If you already know the historical past, you’ll catch references and Easter eggs and set free a bit of cheer when you see it. For those who don’t know the deep cuts, the film makes an attempt to reward that ignorance by simplifying massive chunks of backstory and exposition slightly than diving deeper. It retains newcomers afloat, however at the price of depth.
We choose up after the primary movie with Mike (Josh Hutcherson) quietly holding it collectively. He fixes up the home, takes care of Abby (Piper Rubio), and doing his finest to maneuver ahead. Abby, although, misses the spectral children she befriended. She’s extra tech-savvy now, extra ghost-obsessed, drifting away from everybody in school, even irritating her science trainer performed by Wayne Knight. In the meantime Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail) continues to be drowning in trauma tied to her father, William Afton (Matthew Lillard), who created the animatronics and left a path of useless youngsters behind. She’s arguably essentially the most psychologically attention-grabbing character right here, but the script doesn’t let her breathe, which hurts her efficiency.
And that’s the place the world of Freddy’s will get weirdly greater. The city embraces Fazbear mania like a pop-culture occasion. Enter a crew of ghost hunters led by Lisa (the criminally underused Mckenna Grace), along with her co-hosts tagging alongside. They get invited to the unique Freddy Fazbear’s location by a mysterious determine named Michael (Freddy Carter). You already know the way that goes. They poke round, issues creak, spirits stir, and The Marionette is unleashed, bringing an entire totally different taste of nightmare to the desk.
Now right here’s the unhappy half: on paper, this ought to be superior. The brand new animatronics look incredible. The shiny Toy variations, the Withereds and even the OG’s all are splendidly dropped at life by the magic of Jim Henson’s Creature Store. You are feeling the burden of them once they transfer. The Newton Brothers’ rating slithers by way of scenes like static on a monitor, weaving in acquainted sequence motifs. Josh Hutcherson exhibits actual depth when he’s given house. And even the voices of Toy Chica (Megan Fox), Toy Bonnie (MatPat), and Toy Freddy (Kellen Goff) are impressed. Performances aren’t the problem… to an extent.
The writing is.
Scott Cawthon took on solo screenwriting this time, and whereas I respect the creator wanting full management over his story, the script performs like somebody attempting to cram each recreation, ebook, and principle into one film. It jumps from 1982 flashbacks to modern-day (2002) trauma to ghost children to new animatronics to facet characters with barely any connective tissue. Scenes really feel like puzzle items pressured into form with duct tape. Characters enter with intrigue and exit forgotten. Some selections swing from complicated to unintentionally humorous. There’s a robotics-fair scene with Abby that feels ripped straight from FANT4STIC 4’s awkward opening. It’s irritating realizing how good this might be with tighter focus. Watching abilities like Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich (one of many BEST stunt casting I’ve seen in years) diminished to glorified cameos is borderline legal.
And when the story lastly builds towards one thing significant, as an alternative of payoff, we get setup. Not a closure. A rattling tease. The Marionette plot resolves like somebody saying, “Don’t worry, the real story is in the next movie.” It’s an issue with franchises as of late, by ending a film like a cliffhanger to a TV present. Fan service turns into the primary course as an alternative of the seasoning.
As a journey by way of nostalgia, positive, I had enjoyable. I smiled on the animatronics. I jumped a couple of times. I felt that previous Freddy dread crawl again up the backbone prefer it used to. However when the credit rolled, it didn’t linger. It didn’t hang-out. It didn’t stick. I sat in my seat because the display screen went black, baffled it ended the best way it did.
5 Nights at Freddy’s 2 isn’t as horrible because the beating it’s going to obtain from different critics. It’s merely a messy movie that loves its mythos however struggles to form it into one thing compelling. It wants sharper writing, stronger pacing, and characters with emotional weight. Video video games thrive on thriller and interactivity even when plot is skinny. Motion pictures don’t have that luxurious. They want readability.
If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: Scott Cawthon constructed a incredible world through the years. However subsequent time, the screenplay ought to return to a collaborative author’s room the place concepts can breathe and construction can tighten.
For followers? It’s well worth the watch. Realizing me, I’ll see it once more.
For informal viewers? In all probability not a lot.
It’s irritating as a result of the potential is correct there. And rattling, I hope the following one sticks the touchdown.
