The Woman in Black: Angel of Death

The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death is moderately scary. Of course it is a washout when you compare it to “The Woman in Black” (2012) which by the way was very well done and kept me in nail-biting suspense. This sequel however, is completely dependent on jump scares to visibly affect and frighten moviegoers. As this seems to prove effective, it gets a bit old and monotonous at the same time. In the original I found there was plenty of genuinely scary scenes that worked wonders to produce chills, even without adding the high-pitched sound effects. Another disappointing aspect in this sequel was it had a predictable story line along with some big plot holes. Aside from this, the acting was so-so, but really no stand-up performances as far as I could see. A little more character development would have also been a good add on. There was a reputable star cast, but with a fairly weak script to work with, it just wasn’t possible to salvage the movie and turn it around. Also, I didn’t find this sequel to be really all that scary, although it did have some very suspenseful moments. Of course the jump scares startled me more than a few times, but I wasn’t stricken with fear that I’d lose sleep over it. However, the only redeeming quality about this picture was they captured the dark, oppressive mood and atmosphere perfectly much like in the original. Loved the spectacular scenery and backdrops. The gloomy, foreboding mansion especially stood out to me. Also, thought the film had a good depiction of the early 40's pre-war era. Costume designs, hair, and make-up were impressive. Other than that, The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death rather fell short, but it had good potential. It’s not a must watch, but then I’ve seen a lot worse. Please skip this one and save your cash.