Writer: Florey DM

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Watch this if you liked: “The Conjuring”, “Paranormal Activity”

The Good, the Bad and the Demonic:

Anyone walking into the cinema expecting "Annabelle" to give them the fright of their life is in for disappointment. Despite it being the prequel that reveals the birth of the demonic doll in "The Conjuring", it delivers sadly very little scares compared to the first movie. Watching this movie won't make anybody in the audience turn into a pediophobic, but those who are already fearful of dolls should still stay far, far away as the Forms' nursery are filled with glassy-eyed (yet adorable) dolls. Mia Form, the female protagonist, loves collecting dolls, which explains the nursery. But when she first receives the rare vintage doll she had "given up on" finding from her husband, John, her delighted reaction upon seeing the doll is not one that many in the real world would mirror. Annabelle looks just as scary before the demonic possession that turned her evil as after, minus the red eyes and smudges on her face. Well, scary as in ugly. Then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Her looks alone is enough to terrify people, so it's too bad then that she is under-utilised in the movie.

Annabelle could have had a more prominent presence, as she does hold the movie's titular role after all, but the only moment where she is even actively trying to scare the Forms is when she proudly stands up on her own and floats into the air right in front of Mia's eyes. Other than that, she prefers doing the haunting off-camera. This of course means standard horror movie effects that are cliched and overplayed - the sewing machine, the rocking chair, the slamming doors. The scare tactics are bland and does not cause the audience to even tremble. However, the psychological play in the basement scene does deserve a mention, as it taps into man's fear of inability to, and desperation for, escape from a grave situation. The movie's overall theme of mother's love is touching, but too forced until it makes the horror movie (especially with its lack of horrifying moments) suddenly seem like a family drama with a few small scares here and there. The cast of the movie is made up of note-worthy actors but their performance here is wooden and lacking. All in all, it is a good movie for anyone who just wants to know of Annabelle's origin, and nothing more.

Look Out For:

The demon showing its face for a split second behind Annabelle.

Trivia:

The real Annabelle doll is a large "Raggedy Ann" doll. It is now kept by The Warrens from "The Conjuring" in a special case built for Annabelle inside their Occult Museum.

Best Watched With:

Anyone who is not terrified of dolls or sewing machines that switches on, on their own.

Cinema Online, 02 October 2014