Megann Horstead
Social Media Editor
“Haunted House 2,” unlike the first film of the same name, does more than revel at the edge of the “Scary Movie “films and their successes, it strikes and owns as a thriller-spoof comedy.
“Haunted House 2” takes viewers from where the first film ended — seemingly broken and irreparable — and catapults them into something that works and rivals criticism previously summoned.
Marlon Wayans plays Malcolm Johnson, a man looking to move past the paranormal happenings that turn his girlfriend into a zombie. While the role of Malcolm’s girlfriend Kisha (Essence Atkins) gets squashed, Megan (Jaime Pressly) opens up new territories for “Haunted House 2” to work with. From film to film, there is a movement from the squeamish talk about homosexuality to the sometimes-unsettling field that bi-racial relationships offer. It’s a solid choice in dynamic for film to segue way itself to a new place.
While humor was thought to be all that was lost, “Haunted House 2” answers calls to this claim and makes anew. Carrying the sexual gags from one film to the next proves to hold its weight. There’s something animalistic about it that both makes it entertaining to sink your teeth into and plays up the comedy running beside foibles of human nature.
With appearances by stand-up comedians Gabriel Iglesias and Affion Crockett, even when the laughs seemed to have short lives, they unplugged those moments and upped the antics.
Overall, the cast was well selected and fulfilled their duty to carry out the spoof. The biggest surprise might have been Megan’s kids. They’re the type of characters that help fill the space and do so in a likeable way.
Spoofs, like “Haunted House 2,” deserve a category unto themselves. There are sometimes critics that take spoofs and unjustly compare them to other, more straightforward comedies. While doing that may seem fair, it may not accurately judge the value in its spoof as it does its comedy.
The method of acting performed is one indicator showing the differences between spoofs and comedy that is heard whenever Wayans’ screams for help. The repetition of screaming is an element that takes up residence in spoofs, but when viewed in a more straightforward comedy can be unsightly. “Haunted House 2” clearly makes the most of its choices that come along the way in helping to amplify the volume that the film and its genre speaks with.
Whether you’ve taken a liking to Wayans’ screaming or just find him likeable overall in his craft for spooking, “Haunted House 2” is sure to hit where it matters.
Directed by Michael Tiddes, “Haunted House 2” is in theaters now and rated-R for crude and sexual content, nudity, pervasive language, drug use and some violent images.
