Project-Blu ‘The Cell 2’ Review, by Nate Boss

The Cell 2

By: Nate Boss, 6.9.2009

The Movie Itself:
 I think I'm in the minority when I say I wasn't a real fan of The Cell. I couldn't help it. I blame Jennifer Lopez. You know, J-Lo, as her acting talents (or should I say, lack thereof) have always drawn me out of a movie, making any film with her in it just unbelievable and flat out tortuous.

While I did find the film to be rubbish, I can say I did enjoy it's settings, the themes employed, and the trippy landscapes. They were obviously the draw for the film, and I'll admit, they were effective.

Flash forward about 8 and 1/2 years now, as The Cell 2 hits video (direct to video, that is). A prolonged sequel, with none of the original cast, different director, different writers, and a different theme. The only thing shared between the sequel and the original? The premise of entering someone else's mind, though this time, it is by a psychic link, rather than technological advancements.

The Cusp. Normally a term used when an athlete is about to break through from mediocrity or an unknown status into greatness, as in "on the cusp." In The Cell 2, though, there is nothing mediocre, OR great, about the word, as it's the monicker for a serial killer, who takes great pleasure in torturing his victims, all young, pretty women, taking their lives, then restoring them (CPR, other restorative methods), only so that they can die again and again. Maya Casteneda (Tessie Santiago) is a psychic of sorts, who uses possessions to get inside their owners minds, to see their motivations, where they are, what they've done, and so on. A former victim of The Cusp who was not slain, her involvement with the FBI has recently cost the life of one of The Cusp's victims. Now, after another string of disappearances, Maya is brought back on the case, where paranoia is high as to who The Cusp may be.

I will admit, the themes behind the Cusp character were unique for a bit, until the film dragged on and somewhat ruined the mystique of the monster. You know, showing too much of him. The titular Alien from Alien worked due to how little it was on screen. If it were non-stop in your face, it wouldn't be as menacing. I also wasn't pleased with how whenever his face was covered his voice would echo, but once exposed, his voice was consistent and normal, much like the awful Christian Bale Bat-voice/growl vs Bruce Wayne speak.

The Cell 2's fate rests solely in Santiago's abilities to convey her talents in a way that we, the audience, care. So, seeing as Santiago was an annoying, generic lead, with poor development, it's safe to say that the film suffers for it. I still wonder why the film was named The Cell 2, I really do. There is such a dramatic thematic (problematic, erratic) difference between the films, it just doesn't make sense. The Cell wasn't torture porn. It was sci-fi/fantasy/drama. The Cell 2 is a sci-fi/thriller, with a mix of ye olde Hostel.

The funny thing is, with recent Hollywood films showing a fascination towards torture, with serial killers getting extra screen time with their victims, this type of film usually tries to one-up it's brethren with new, inventive methods of execution. Here, it's formulaic, as The Cusp follows a routine. There are no pigs masks, no dolls on tricycles, no games being played. He's more That Yellow Bastard (Sin City) than Jigsaw, taking pleasure in hearing his victims scream, or writhe in agony, begging for mercy.

The Cell 2 may have been an alright film, if it allowed itself to be judged by its own merits, with its own monicker, but since it has tagged on to an existing genre favorite, it has invited negativity and ire upon itself. The film, with a few changes (and less time focussed in the "minds" of characters, as the effects were quite corny and on the cheap), could have stood on it's own two legs, to not face expectations it wouldn't be able to meet, direct to video release or no. But that'd be too easy. The Cell 2 is less The Cell, and more Untraceable (Diane Lane torture porn thriller).
Rating: 3/10

The Presentation:
The Cell 2 hits Blu-ray with a VC-1 encode on a BD25 disc that was a bit less than stellar.

The film goes soft/sharp/soft/sharp far too often. Apparently, indecisiveness is an issue. The camera can be a bit shaky at times, so it's hard to focus and even see if detail is sharp or not a few times. Colors are so oversaturated at times they drip. They band, as well, and I don't mean in a garage, I mean they color band. Black levels act like a black hole, absorbing detail. Edge enhancements are somewhat obvious at times, while some features can be smeared, possibly by the evil acronym DNR. The biggest negative I saw was in a scene about an hour in, where the image flickers in brightness, with the entire skyline flashing between white, purple, and blue. It was awfully distracting. Skin tones can be flushed with yellows. It is a real shame, as the film is quite colorful at times. This film doesn't have the visual potential, in terms of set design, as the original, so it's tough to expect a ton.

The audio defaults (YES!) to a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix that is honestly not bad at all. I went in expecting the worst. I mean, DTV sound design isn't exactly known for being all that aggressive or groundbreaking, so what I got from Cell 2 was quite satisfying.

I didn't have any problem deciphering a single line of dialogue, other than the fact that it got pretty bad at times (the words themselves, not how they sounded). The subwoofer gets to play around, rather than not getting an invitation to this party, as it provides mostly atmosphere, but it does so more frequently than I would have thought. I wonder why it went off at times, but oh well. There are a few good motion effects, particularly in the helicopter sequence, and some localized sounds early, with police radios sounding off from surrounding units, it was nicely done. This track isn't a rock'em sock'em mix like an action blockbuster, but for DTV, I can't complain one bit.
Rating: 6/10 ( 5/10- video, 7/10- audio)

The Extras:
The Cell 2: Behind the Scenes (SD, 30 min)
Yeah, a half an hour of behind the scenes information. They refer to the film as "The Cusp" a few times, as do the clackers, which furthers my belief that the film had the name The Cell 2 added on after the fact. A generic extra, that is a bit self promotional, which is always a wee bit annoying.

BD-Live
There is no The Cell 2 exclusive content in the online portal, just the usual WB stuff.
Rating: 2/10

Overall:
The Cell 2 may not be a winner, but if you distance yourself as much as possible from the original, you may enjoy it. If you expect a followup to the J-Lo hit, you're in for a world of hurt. The video quality is pedestrian, the audio quite good, but the extras are miniscule. The movie is also available on On Demand and for purchase through iTunes.
Rating: 4/10