In Defense: Annabelle



(imdb.com)

In reviews for the latest installment in the growing universe of The Conjuring, critics (including myself) have been quick to mark Annabelle: Creation as a much needed divergence away from 2014's Annabelle. Despite being a direct prequel that notably doesn't ignore the original, Annabelle: Creation reviews have consistently and with some good reasons, mentioned Annabelle and all its flaws. But, for all of its clunky misdirection and overly stale conventions, the first of what could be many spin-offs, Annabelle is deserving of a second watch.

Far better than it’s been lamented to be, Annabelle follows the Gordon's shortly after husband John picks up a very recognizable doll from a thrift store for his pregnant wife, Mia. After bringing the doll into the home strange things begin to happen and, after the murder of their neighbors by as satanic cult, they decide to move to the city. Things obviously don't slow down there and like many horror movies, the results are typical, but in many scenes, terrifying. Annabelle stars Ward Horton (Pure Genius) as John and Annabelle Wallis (Come and Find Me) as Mia. Tony Amendola (The Mask of Zoro) and Alfre Woodard is also featured as Evelyn, a neighbor and book shop owner with knowledge of the occult, and Father Perez, respectively.

Annabelle isn't perfect by any means. There are quite a few flaws that are worth noting. From the stale portrayal of a mystic minority character at the hands of Woodard to some really old horror scares that are less terrifying and more tepid, Annabelle deserves criticism. While Woodard herself is great in the film, her character is a disservice. Jump scares are also really overly placed throughout making it difficult to focus on the movie's plot itself. Plus, and perhaps most notably, through all of its sleek graphics and camerawork, the gleaming feeling of Annabelle leaves the movie feeling rather insincere. Sure you could figure out the play-by-play of the movie, but the greatest offense of Annabelle is its complete lack of personality. Rigid set design, although set in a time period, feel completely fabricated and the movie seems most worried about the industry's bottom line - making money.

But, writing off Annabelle completely is neglectful. While typical, Annabelle has multiple scenes that carry enough scares and tension to lift this movie up. That - paired with Annabelle Wallis' fantastic turn as a mother trying to adjust her life in the face of supernatural woes, more than compensate for the dead weight in this film. In fact, the storage room scene where Mia gets trapped in a basement and frights come out in waves is perhaps one of the scariest parts in modern horror to date. There are also the opening scenes in the young couple’s home that set the stage for what could have been an even better movie. Even if it later dismantles, these scenes are incredibly tense and well executed.

Overall, it’s not so much that Annabelle isn't deserving of criticism, it’s that the harsh words flung at this movie put it on an unfounded level. This is no Rings or Bye Bye Man. Annabelle has some horrifying parts. It has an amazing cast who all make the best of their roles, as well as some well-shot scenes that capture the dread felt by the characters. Annabelle isn't as good as it could have been and isn't as good as Creation, but it definitely shouldn't be ignored.

Review: Annabelle: Creation

(imdb.com)

For what feels like years, talk of cinematic universes seemed to only revolve around superhero movies and explosive sci-fi franchises. But, proving caped crusaders wrong is the work of James Wan and the flourishing world of The Conjuring. From the original film to the successful sequel and the critically berated Annabelle, the future of The Conjuring is proving to have longer legs than anyone thought. Spin-offs, including The Nun and The Crooked Man, and a third installment of the original storyline all are planned. And, with the release of Annabelle: Creation just last week, The Conjuring universe has been placed back into critics good graces.

Annabelle: Creation follows a couple who, after the death of their daughter, provide refuge to a girl's orphanage. One of the young girls finds a doll- yes, the doll - and everything quickly unravels. As with any horror film, moving into the house proves to be a terrifying time for all; featuring plenty of bumps in the night, dark hallways and plenty of horrifying moments. Featuring many budding stars and a few veterans, Annabelle: Creation offers a pretty stunning cast of varying ages and generations. Annabelle Creation stars Anthony LaPaglia (Without a Trace) and Miranda Otto (What Lies Beneath) as the parents of the recently deceased Bee, played by Samara Lee (Concussion). Lulu Wilson (Ouija: Origin of Evil) plays Linda, the headstrong, caring friend of the polio-inflicted Janice, played by Talitha Eliana Bateman (Geostorm). The film also stars Stephanie Sigman (Spectre) as the girls' caretaker, Sister Charlotte, Grace Fulton (Badland) and Philippa Couthard (The Catch) as older girls, Carol and Nancy, and Tayler Buck (American Crime Story) and Lou Lou Safran (The Choice) as other orphans.

It's important to note each of the cast due to the fact that they're all fantastic. Even for smaller parts, actresses like Fulton and Couthhard provide a certain depth to the film and make characters that may do bad things, but aren't deserving of the horrors they encounter. What'll come as a shock to no one, however, is young scream queen Wilson, who plays the somewhat awkward, but kind and engaging Linda.

Is Annabelle: Creation as incredible as James Wan's first two creations? Maybe not. But clearly the franchise is in good hands. Director David Sandberg (Lights Out) tosses the franchise's latest back into the hyper-stylized world created by James Wan and even though the scares may not be as heart-stopping, they're still plenty gripping. Parting ways with the somewhat gleaming and more mainstream Annabelle for the better, Creation recovers all that was lost from the critically panned spin-off. Sure, there are some scares that align too closely to the gimmicks already used by the universe's older installments, but the fear factor never feels stale. Sandberg perfect captures moments of silence and pairs them with tense atmospheric music and scoring.

Annabelle: Creation accomplishes exactly what it meant to do: scare and stun. Whether it be in the shape of a scarecrow, eyes in the darkness or, of course, the doll central to it all, this film realigns The Conjuring universe with the path that won so many over in the beginning. Annabelle: Creation is a blast of nostalgia. For fans of horror, there are more than enough terrifying moments to satisfy as well as some great characters to care about. 7 out of 10.