With the success of the first film it was only a matter of time for a sequel to move forward. The old team is back (including many cast members) to further story and events that occurred in the previous installment. Once again, we follow the Lambert family as they attempt to move on with their lives. Unfortunately it's not long before strange sounds and visions start happening again, naturally leading them to believe that the crisis isn't quite over yet. Adding to the problem is Josh Lambert's (Patrick Wilson) odd behavior that seems to become more erratic as time goes on. It becomes clear over time that something may have crossed over with Josh when he came back from "The Further."

Despite some issues I had with the first film, I liked it for the most part. It was creative, creepy and used some effective scare tactics, especially with its lack of distracting music. I expected much of what worked in its predecessor to carry over to the sequel, but instead we're given a standard and semi-predictable possession storyline with a lot of mediocre scare attempts. Sure the movie remains creepy at times, but it seemed like they really weren't trying to capture what made the first so effective.

They give us this clichéd possession element along with an unnecessary back-story on the old woman from the first. Meanwhile, there's a half-assed time-travel element that would've been more interesting had it been used more in the story, as opposed to just being more of a gimmick to further a small aspect of the storyline. Negative aside, I liked how the authorities got involved in the beginning. We normally don't see the police get involved in the aftermath of what occurs in a horror film, so that was somewhat refreshing.

Although I don't think it was necessary to explain the creepy old woman, the story we're given about her is pretty interesting for the most part. It just could have done without the whole possession angle. Despite the seemingly lack of scares, the overall creepy atmosphere at least remained prominent throughout the film's entirety. It was also nice to see Specs and Tucker return as the quirky ghost hunting team (minus Elise). In the end I really wanted to like this movie, but I just couldn't get into the storyline and I was seriously disappointed in its lack of scares. Having said all that, it's still not a bad film; it's just not as good as the first.

Fans of the first may dig this, but I was personally left a little disappointed. I just found the storyline weak and the scares lacking. Except for the overall creepy vibe, it seemed like much of what made the first so effective is missing here. Either way, it's an integral watch if you're looking to follow what happens next, just don't expect much.