ANNABELLE (R)
Review by Adam Mast
Given the success of James Wan’s THE CONJURING, you had to know there was going to be a follow-up of some kind. Rather than a traditional sequel, however, director John R. Leonetti and crew have opted to go the spin-off route. Instead of following Lorraine and Ed Warren (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) on another supernatural adventure, ANNABELLE traces the origins of that creepy doll responsible for all the havoc in THE CONJURING.
As ANNABELLE opens, we’re introduced to married couple John (Ward Horton) and Mia (played, ironically, by an actress named Annabelle Wallis), a giddy pair who are about to embark on that crazy adventure called parenthood. Upon moving into a new home, John offers up a creepy-looking antique doll as a housewarming gift to his lovely bride/mom-to-be. Beyond its unsettling appearance, the doll is completely harmless… until it becomes possessed by the spirit of deceased occult member with a hunger for the souls of small children. And given that Mia is about to give birth, well, I suppose it doesn’t take much to explain where things go from there.
I dug THE CONJURING It traded in gore and violence for a more atmospheric, spook alley approach to the genre, and that in of itself was somewhat refreshing. It was derivative of POLTERGEIST, THE SHINING, and THE EXORCIST to be sure, but Wan’s execution was solid, and the film definitely delivered spine-tingling chills. Having said that, the final act was a letdown, and as fun as the overall experience was, recent movies like OCULUS and the upcoming THE BABADOOK are far more consistent.
ANNABELLE not only makes THE CONJURING look like the greatest horror film of the century, but it feels like a movie that was shot over a weekend. This isn’t to say ANNABELLE is devoid of strong moments, though. There are around four or five effective shots in this movie, one involving a levitating doll and the other involving books flying from a bookcase, but these moments of effectiveness only make the rest of this meandering horror film all the more frustrating. ANNABELLE is a 20-minute premise stretched out to an overly long 95-minute running time. Furthermore, the lead performances are incredibly lackluster. Of course, the generic writing and derivative nature of the story do nothing to help matters.
I’ll give ANNABELLE this: The doll itself is creepy to look at. Furthermore, the infant actress who plays the baby in peril is positively adorable. She steals the movie outright from the gifted veteran Alfre Woodard. Why this brilliant actress chose to take on such a painfully underwritten role is beyond me. I hope she got a big payday for this, because this is the equivalent of Michael Caine in JAWS: THE REVENGE.
If THE EQUALIZER felt like a parody of the quintessential action movie, then ANNABELLE is its supernatural counterpart. Seriously, there are moments in this picture that evoked genuine laughter during the screening I attended, and said moments were not meant to be funny. Had ANNABELLE been a short like the brilliant THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode LIVING DOLL it might have been more effective. As a feature, it’s a supernatural slog with a few strong sight gags, and with a 95-minute running time, a few scares ain’t nearly enough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paFgQNPGlsg
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Adam MastAdam Mast has been a lifelong film enthusiast dating back to age 6 when his parents took him to see a little movie called JAWS at a drive-in theater in Northern California. This would lead him to several writing stints for various publications and outlets. Mast would also have a hand in several film projects of various shapes and sizes. In 2014, Mast would join forces with colleague John Pugh to create Cinemast.net as a means discuss film from a fan and analytical perspective. Together, Mast and Pugh would also create the 501 (C)(3) nonprofit, Film and Media Alliance of Southern Utah (FMASU) in 2017. FMASU’s mission is to encourage, inspire and educate filmmaking talent and to preserve film history. Adam currently resides in southern Utah with his amazing wife, Tonja, and their four wonderful children.
