Paranormal Activity : Tokyo Night movie review (2010)

Paranormal Activity 2:
Tokyo Night (2010)

Brief review: Apparently planned before the American "Paranormal Activity" sequel, this Japanese version tells a similar story to the original movie, but this time around, the demon terrorizes an undeniably cute brother and sister in their home in Tokyo. Although, basically, this version is more-of-the-same, it still manages to deliver some good scares, and plenty of shocks and suspense. Just like its predecessors, the film does not rely on cheap scares and loud noises, nor is heavy on special effects and lots of scary images. But as may you know, sometimes less is more, and "Tokyo Night" succeeds in its simplicity, and it's its subtleness that makes itfrightengly realistic. Yes, it hardly brings anything new to the table, but the fact that it's Asian, makes it even creepier. The film gets more and more tense as the story progresses, but it's the characters that draw you into the story, and make you feel connected with them. from the very beginning. Both protagonists are extremely likable and believably-acted by Aoi Nakamura and Noriko Aoyama. Though the terrifying image in the final scene is obviously borrowed from another Japanese horror flick ("Ringu" anyone?), it's still effective enough, and is sure to give you the creeps.

Overall summary: Though hardly as effective as its two American predecessors, "Tokyo Night" features likable characters, plenty of spooky visuals, and a couple of truly chilling scenes of terror, that make it a decent entry into the "Paranormal Activity" franchise.