Who's ready for Freddy again?
A few years ago, the haunted animatronics of Five Nights at Freddy’s conquered the box office just like they did the video game world. They’re back in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, once again directed by Emma Tammi and written by series creator Scott Cawthon (who, this time, is working solo).It’s been a few years for us, but it’s been a year since Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson), his sister Abby (Piper Rubio), and Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), had their Five Nights at Freddy’s. Since then, Abby has taken up robotics so she can fix her haunted animatronic “friends,” whom Mike repeatedly promised to fix. Vanessa, meanwhile, is haunted by her murderous father William Afton’s (Matthew Lillard) legacy. That legacy is now folklore celebrated in the first ever "FazFest."
It turns out that the first film's Freddy Fazbear's Pizza is a franchise location. This film immediately opens on the premiere location, where Afton, the proprietor, kills his first victim, Charlotte Emily (Audrey Lynn Marie). A few TV Ghost Hunters accidentally awaken Charlotte's spirit, which now haunts the locale's exclusive animatronic, the Marionette. She can wirelessly control her fellow animatronics - including shinier "Toy" versions of the main four - but none of them can leave the building. At least, until they trick Abby into helping them. So, it's up to the adults to quell Charlotte's murderous wrath.
Anyone who felt that the original film's scares were sedate can rejoice. This is a noticeably spookier film, with more suspense and jump scares centered around its supernaturally mechanical terrors. A particular highlight is the Ghost Hunters' fatal trek inside the original Freddy's. You’ll be on edge as you await the Ghost Hunters’ impending doom, and your dread will be handsomely rewarded. The Marionette is wonderfully nightmarish, as are her “human puppets." I've noticed that some critics were underwhelmed by the ghostly effects for the human puppets, but I thought they were great. It helps that I was in the front row.
Jim Henson's Creature Shop once again works their animatronic magic here. The Toy mascots are just as appealing as the original four, who show up to save the day. It's especially striking when Toy Freddy walks around FazFest all nice and shiny, even if the "nice" part is debatable. The animatronic suits used for the Toys, as well as their "withered" alternates, are animatronic marvels. Their version of Foxy, a misshapen creature called Mangle, is their greatest achievement. They look great, and thanks to a great voice cast - Megan Fox as Toy Chica, Matthew Patrick as Toy Bonnie, and Kellen Goff as Toy Freddy - they sound great.
It slightly falls apart once you think about the plot. It turns out that Vanessa has a brother, Michael (Freddy Carter), who's just as psycho as their old man. Vanessa keeps her evil brother and her friendship with Charlotte a secret around the other Mike. Let's just say the other Mike isn't happy once he inevitably finds out. We spend so much in Vanessa's headspace that we can understand why she's so reluctant to talk. It makes Mike seem unsympathetic to her, especially with what he went through in the first film. Did I miss something? The abrupt ending gives her a raw deal. Meanwhile, the original four are regulated to a Deus-Ex Machina, which makes their sacrifice - long story - fall flat.
What else do we have? A typical game level is distilled into a scene where Mike monitors the Toys' homing beacons. There's even a handy animatronic mask, a valuable tool in the games, that proves surprisingly effective. It's kind of amusing. That Abby's "ghost stories" make her weirdly popular with her class is kind of nice. Her science teacher, Mr. Berg (Wayne Knight) is so unlikable that you won't miss him when he goes, even if his death is that gruesome. Skeet Ulrich puts in a memorable cameo as Charlotte's father, Henry, even if you have to play the games or watch the end credits to fully grasp who he is. Finally, The Newton Brothers return with another wonderfully spooky score, highlighted by their excellent remix of the original film's theme.
If you’re here for killer animatronics, then Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will not disappoint you. You’ll be shocked and awed as you see what these cuddly monsters accomplish this time. I could've comprehended the ending a little better if a few things were better clarified or expanded upon. Besides Ulrich's cameo, a few more things make the most sense if you've done your lore homework. But I think you can understand about eighty percent of the plot if you haven't. Well, I'll let you decide if you want to watch it. No harm if you do, except maybe on your nerves...
