A sequel built for FNaF loyalists, but one that leaves casual viewers completely in the dark.
Despite being a youngster in the world of video games, Five Nights at Freddy's (or FNaF as it is often referred to) has become a beloved franchise. At only eleven years old, the game garnered several sequels and spinoffs, a series of novels, and, as of two years ago, a major motion picture. While critically panned, the film grossed almost $300 million on a $20 million budget and was a hit with its target audience. As reported in The Long Walk, studios often lean into fan-driven success - and based on that financial win, a second FNaF movie was announced. Two years later, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 will hit theaters this week.
The sequel picks up mainly where the original left off. Mike (Josh Hutcherson; The Hunger Games Franchise) and Abby (Piper Rubio; For All Mankind) are living their lives, fixing up their house, and trying to "move on". However, Abby misses her friends and is having a hard time in robotics class in school. Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail; Once Upon A Time) is also having a hard time, dreaming of her deceased father. But just when things seem to be getting better, Abby's "friends" are calling for her help and lead her to an abandoned restaurant that turns out to be the original Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Of course, this turns out to be just as dangerous as the previous time, and once again, Mike, Abby, and Vanessa are sucked into a life-and-death situation.
Hutcherson, Rubio, and Lail are ok and do what they can with the source material and the script, but overall the story is incomplete and feels taped together from bits and pieces of other scripts. Since I am not familiar with the video game, I can only assume - based on the reaction from many of the audience members at my screening - much of the story stays true to the game. This means fans of the Five Nights at Freddy's video game franchise will most probably really like the second installment.
Director Emma Tammi (The Wind) returns for the sequel, which may be one of the few good things about the movie. There is a consistency in style from the first film to the second one that is often lacking when a studio brings in a new director. She keeps the pacing of the film steady and adds a jump scare or two. Into the mix. Though I will admit, for a film based on a "horror" video game, it isn't all that scary.
Scott Cawthon is once again credited with writing the screenplay, though this time he does it solo, which is probably part of the problem. Since all he pretty much knows is the Freddy video games, he doesn't necessarily have the eye to look at it objectively, and therefore added some plot points that might have been completely unnecessary.
There are a few moments of gore and horror, but nothing that I would say made the audience gasp or scream. The marionette is one of the freakier-looking animatronics in the movie that could cause some nightmares for those who don't like horror movies, but the other animatronics don't invoke that same sense of fear.
As I stated previously, fans of the Five Nights at Freddy's video games will most likely love this movie and be more engaged in the events happening on screen, but for the average layperson, this movie holds little to no appeal. It was obvious that there were a few times I wasn't privy to the inside knowledge that others in the theater had, such as when the end credits scene occurred, for at that moment I merely sat there wondering what all the hype was about and looking forward to the minute I could leave the theater and never look back.
Grade: D
