It has been a long time since I watched the original Rec (2007) and it's American remake Quarantine (2008) but I am a fan of both movies. I remember prefering the slight change in plot that Quarantine brought to the table. That is not to say I did not enjoy Rec, but I found the premise that demonic possession was a virus a slight stretch whereas a doomsday cult creating a rabies like killer virus seems, to my mind, a much more scary and realistic proposition. That aside the sequel to Rec is a very entertaining example of the found footage genre.
Rec 2 pretty much starts where Rec finishes, more or less. We join a SWAT team that has been assembled to go into the building, gather evidence and check for survivors. Once inside the building they find the hand cuffs used on Maricarmen still attached to the stairs. There is a large pool of blood and gore on the floor.. From this the leader of the SWAT team deduces that the virus is not airborne. They proceed to the penthouse and gather evidence, looking for a blood sample from the original carrier, a young woman that was possessed by a demon. They find Angela Vidal, the reporter from the first movie, but can they unravel what has happened whilst avoiding the infected humans still in the building?
There is no doubting Rec 2 is a good sequel. It handles the found footage problem of someone continuing to film despite all hell breaking loose with the believable premise of soldiers following orders. They were ordered to gather evidence, so they continue filming. The plot, from my own personal point of view, like the first Rec, is a stretch with the demonic possession spreading by means of a virus. Agsin, that is my own personal point of view and I realise for many people this will not be a problem. I just find the plot of Quarantine so much more sinister.
The movie is a well made and enjoyable movie. The acting is generally of a good standard. There is plenty of action in the movie, unlike many found footage movies that leave the action until the end this is a movie that hits the ground running. There is of course the classic found footage confusion and blurred camera images, something that can be used to good effect but used too much becomes irritating. The movie does unfortunately feature quite a lot of these types of scene. That said, all in all, a good sequel, well worth watching.
7 out of 10
Summary: if you enjoyed Rec you will enjoy this sequel.