Pulse 2: Afterlife (Dimension/Genius DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: C+ Extras: C- Feature: C-
The first
Pulse film was bad, though Weinstein
made it one of their only HD-DVD releases before that format folded; we
reviewed it. It was yet another example
of an American filmmaker butchering an otherwise decent Asian horror film. But of course neither a lack of quality nor a
lack of financial success has ever stopped a horror film from spawning sequels.
But oddly enough, Pulse 2 seems to be proof that these sequels can actually turn out
better than their predecessors. Now
that’s not to say that Pulse 2 is
necessarily a good movie, but at
least it’s better.
The
general concept of the first film is that ghosts have found a way back into the
world of the living through wi-fi and cellphone signals. They then suck the soul out of the living
which gives the person a disease which either slowly kills them or causes them
to commit suicide. The sequel, with a
new writer and director with his own take on the concept, picks up the story
after this plague has wiped out most of humanity. This is implied, though the film doesn’t ever
establish any real view of what is going on in the world on a larger scale.
This film
is likely to generate different responses from different viewers. As a story it is lacking in a variety of ways.
The characters, with one possible
exception, are underdeveloped and the actors lack the skill to make up for it. Though to be fair, the leads are still better
than most horror actors. The most
intriguing character, the one with the most potential to redeem the film is
abandoned after less than twenty minutes of screen time. And the conclusion of the film feels
unsatisfying and unresolved, giving the impression that you’ve just watched an
episode rather than a film. Of course it
turns out that at the time of this release, Pulse 3 is already finishing up postproduction.
However,
there are those who may find value in this film despite its faults. Throughout the first viewing, the visuals in
some scenes are striking and seem odd in a way that you may not be able to put
your finger on. As revealed by watching
the commentary track, nearly the entire film was shot in front of a green
screen with composited backgrounds in the same way that Sin City, 300, and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
were. This results in mildly ethereal
quality to the visuals that definitely work in the film’s favor. Technically, this film is well executed and
those who are interested in visual effects will want to watch this film for
reference.
It is
clear that the visuals were a priority for the filmmakers and it shows. The footage of the actors, shot in front of a
green screen, is very high quality. The
image quality on the backgrounds, however, varies. Many of the backgrounds were taken from still
images and at times it shows. Although
the film only screened theatrically at one festival, it is still presented in
16:9 matted widescreen. The Dolby
Digital 5.1 audio varies in quality between tracks. While the dialogue and Foley tracks are clear
and well recorded, the music track is a bit soft; but to be honest the score isn’t
terribly impressive anyway.
The extra
features on the disc are very sparse. There
are two short deleted scenes, a preview of Pulse
3, and a commentary track. The
commentary track however is one of the best I have yet listened to. It features an unusually large group of
commentators comprised almost entirely of the technical crew involved in
production and postproduction and does not feature the director. Listening to the commentary gives the
impression though that these were the real filmmakers on this project anyway.
Pulse 2 is a film that makes a bad first
impression. But the more I look into it
and the more I think about it, the more it begins to appeal to me. It is a film that more or less fails to
deliver for the casual viewer. For
horror fans it is worth seeing at least once, though I’m not sure you want to
add it to your collection. But for
people who are interested in the more technical aspects of filmmaking, this
film and especially the commentary track may prove interesting and informative.
- Matthew Carrick
