Plot
Following the horrifying attack on their farm that left Lee dead, and their barn burning down – the remaining Abbott family seek out their neighbours, and find themselves reunited with Emmett, a long lost friend.
Regan, believing her weapon against the aliens can be broadcast – seeks assistance from Emmett, and together they venture to stop the aliens once and for all.
Direction
Directed once again by John Krasinksi. It’s has all the hallmarks of ‘sequel’ with the ante upped on the suspense at times, the jump scares etc… but it doesn’t have the originality of the first film. It is almost as if he was trying to do too much, when less is often more.
Cast
Returning from the first film, are the complete family –
Emily Blunt – as Evelyn, Millicent Simmonds as Regan, Noah Jupe as Marcus and John Krasinski as Lee (who appears in a flashback sequence at the start of the film).
The two child stars Simmonds and Jupe get plenty more to do here, and Simmonds once again gets my MVP for her role.
New cast include Cillian Murphy as Emmet, an old friend of Lee’s prior to the invasion – and who takes the remaining family in when they seek sanctuary in his hide out. He too gets plenty to do, and takes over the ‘father’ figure in Regan’s life assisting her plan.
Djimon Hounsou plays a father who has found sanctuary with his family on a remote island – as the aliens are unable to swim.
breakdown
Starting with “Day 1” – we get a flashback to the event that caused the alien invasion. Seemingly it looked like a meteor was heading towards Earth – with those who witnessed it… not as worried as I would be if I thought something was rocketing towards Earth.
The initial alien attack is simply bonkers with how brutal it is, and also how quickly some people adapt to the situation, seemingly knowing to keep quiet etc… I loved the camera work here by Krasinski – a step up on the action from the first film.
We then cut to… day 474 – just after Lee dies, and the family must vacate their burning home. Having ‘connected’ via the night time fire, which reveals humanity is not lost, they venture out of the areas they have made safe (the sand on the ground – which dulled their footsteps on leaves), and into uncharted territories.
They happen upon a building that has booby traps such as glass breaking, and a bear trap (that gets Marcus… and you feel his pain!! ouch!!). They luckily discover an old friend from before the invasion in Emmett (Blunt’s future “husband” Cillian Murphy) – who has gone through his own losses of children and his spouse.
With a baby in tow now, he is apathetic to their loss, and what they want to set out to do. Evelyn needs to go get medicines for both Marcus, and oxygen tanks to keep the baby enclosed in a box and to help breath. When Regan discovers a song being played from a local radio tower, her plan to venture to the tower and put her weapon out – has him seeing red, and orders them out of his sanctuary.
His reasoning, is that those who are left over in this ‘new world’ are not worth saving. But when Regan goes missing the next day, his dad mode kicks in and thanks to Evelyns ‘begs’ he goes out to find her.
I really liked the Emmett/Regan moments – as they are both the person each other needs. Regan has lost her father, and Emmett has lost his children. Also, as Emmett is unable to communicate in sign language with her, they must work out how to communicate (thankfully she reads lips, if only he’d enunciate)
There is also some amazing jump scares in this section of the film, especially when Regan finds a broken down train. The tension is palpable and so well displayed. Al
There is a slight ‘repeat’ from the first film, in which characters are separated while being stalked by the aliens; Evelyn is getting the medicines, Regan and Emmett are on their mission, and Marcus and baby are left – locked in an airtight bunker – while their air is slowly running out!!!
There are some sound (pun intended) moments in the third act where Emmett and Regan find sanctuary on the island of survivors. The aliens can’t swim… but one snuck aboard the boat that they came aboard (after a tense confrontation with ‘those who cannot be saved’ too). So sanctuary soon becomes another horrific bloodbath (we don’t even get to know Djimon Hounsou’s characters name) before Regan finally engages her weapon.
Regan and Marcus get to have their heroic confrontation with an alien each – Lee would be so proud!!
Overall
Solid sequel in which we discover the first contact the aliens had with us, but bigger is sometimes ‘not better’.
Not bad per sey, and Murphy is a great replacement for Krasinski, and he has plenty of heart with Simmonds (who still gets MVP).
But it leaves more questions than answers, like how did the government not work this out first???
4/5
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