Annabelle

Ever since Chucky made his debut in the 1989 with Child´s Play, i fell in love with murder dolls coming to life. There was something special about seeing Chucky, running around, and making sure no victims would escape. The same year Puppet Master was released, about a toy doll maker, who brings his dolls back to life to become murderers. The excellent horror director James Wan even did a doll horror film in 2007, Dead Silence. This was not a box office success like his film Saw, still i enjoyed his vision of the doll horror genre. Last year there was not many horror films that could live up to the same quality as The Conjuring. This was without a doubt the best horror film director James Wan have done so far, telling the story of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Considering that this film was based on true events in the 70´s, with really good acting from Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, you have to admit you were scared in some chilling scenes. The Conjuring had everything that we could wish for, really good scenography, perfect landscape location, and creepy atmosphere. So when the news came out that Annabelle, a spin off on The Conjuring was coming out, i honestly did not know what to think. Considering that James Wan is not the director, instead this time director John Robert Leonetti takes over, known for his films Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and.....The Butterfly Effect 2......Hmm, that´s not a good sign. But we all know some directors can prove that they can make good films, no matter what they failed with in the past. Now when he was chosen to direct the prequel to The Conjuring. Is he the perfect choice to do this story, or should the film studio have left this script alone until the right director came along ?

The year is 1967. John Form ( Ward Horton ) and Mia Form ( Annabelle Wallis ) just moved into their new home, as they are preparing themselves to be parents. Mia is pregnant and feel very happy about her baby. One day John have a special surprise, he have managed to purchase a doll that Mia have been looking for, to her doll collection. The couple continue to plan their future as parents, and everything seems alright. One night, Mia wakes up hearing screams in the neighbour house. John Wakes up and decide to check the neighbours house. John runs out and tell Mia to call an ambulance. The neighbours enter their home and attack both John and Mia, where Mia is stabbed by one of the neighbours. It turns out that their neighbours were members of a religious cult. The baby is fine, but shocked by this event, Mia tries to come back into ordinary life. The doll Annabelle is found on different locations in the baby room, and strange noises happening at certain hours, make Mia decide that they need to get rid of the doll. John throw it in their garbage can. As Mia is working on their sewing machine, a fire starts in the kitchen. Mia discovers the fire and try to get out, but is pulled back by something, not from this world. Some neighbours manage to get her out in time, as she is taken to a hospital. John travel straight toward the hospital to see his wife, as he finds out she is ok, and she have already given birth to their child, a daughter who they give the name Lea. Since their home burned down, they move to a new home. Mia is settling down, taking care of Lea while John works. Suddenly one day, the doll Annabelle shows up in the last box from their burned home. John think they should throw her away, Mia want to keep her for some reason. Their new home will not change their lives for the better, the nightmare is about to become even worse. 

Not so long ago, i read a comment on Facebook that Annabelle is better than The Conjuring. This woman who felt this way, have absolutely no idea what she is talking about. Because The Conjuring is a really good horror film, just the way it should be made. Annabelle is not a worthy prequel, or a spin-off, this is just a cheap way to make the fans of Annabelle see the doll make creepy looks. The murders, the jump scares, it all feels way to simple to work on me. Director John Robert Leonetti have done a better job with this film, than his previous disaster movies. But it still does not make this a good film, there are plenty of problems to discuss. There is no actor here that feels strong enough to carry this simple story, to make it feel interesting. Instead it feels like Annabelle is supposed to deliver enough on the horror scenes to please the auidence. You can´t make a horror film just with simple killings and jump scares, without effective camera work, great dialougue and great acting. Annabelle does not have any of this really, so what do we have to be pleased about ? The only times i feel anything at all, is in scenes where Annabelle seems possessed, she does look creepy. I can understand why James Wan did not direct this prequel, i would not be surprised if he did not like the script. The feeling of The Conjuring is missing here completely, and that is the biggest mistake of all the problems. Annabelle is not the worst horror film of this year, but it is not a worthy prequel to such a great horror film as The Conjuring. If anyone does not agree on this, slap them in their face. This simply shows why they don´t understand what quality is, signed by a craftsman as James Wan.

Rating: DD