5.7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.4 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
A couple begin to experience terrifying supernatural occurrences involving a vintage doll shortly after their home is invaded by satanic cultists.
Starring: Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Tony Amendola, Alfre Woodard, Kerry O'MalleyHorror | 100% |
Supernatural | 38% |
Period | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
After the initial shivers subside, Annabelle isn't all that frightening. It isn't all that anything, other than a bit eerie, which, for this reviewer, would apply to just about anything involving an inanimate object wreaking supernatural havoc on a family of innocents, particularly when that inanimate object is a doll. Shudder. A demon-possessed doll. Double shudder. Rather than innovate, terrify or surprise, Annabelle settles for familiarity and cliché. What it doesn't import directly from its predecessor, James Wan's The Conjuring (rightfully a fixture on many a 2013 Top Ten list), it shamelessly lifts from a dozen other films; a little here (The Exorcist), a little there (Rosemary's Baby), something old (1978's Magic, 1987's Dolls), something new (the Insidious series), all of it repurposed in an uninspired throwback that specializes in prefab atmosphere, cheap tricks and treats, and plenty o' jump scares. But no worries. It failed miserably at the box office, right? Right? Of course not, silly boy. It made over $250 million on a $6 million budget. Annabelle 2, here we come.
Visually, Annabelle delivers. Warner's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is excellent, easily the high point of the disc, and doesn't waver for a second. Hints of crush and noise haunt darker scenes, but they're inherent to the original photography, so no surprise there. Colors are subdued and desaturated, but perfectly echo the dim, dusty '70s palette of The Conjuring. Contrast holds firm, black levels are appropriately sinister (or insidious, if you're looking for a cheaper shot), and clarity is rewarding. Edge definition? Refined and clean, without any ringing or aliasing in sight. Fine textures? Carefully resolved and oh so revealing. Close-ups? Revealing. Delineation? The same. Moreover, artifacting, banding and other anomalies that go bump in the night are nowhere to be found. Yes, Annabelle occasionally exhibits a digital sheen that's contrary to its 1969 setting, but it's hardly a distraction, and barely warrants a mention.
Annabelle's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track may exacerbate the film's jolt-n-jump shtick, but that's the movie as designed, so the mix does it's job and does it very, very well. An effectively hushed dread precedes each low-end thrum and multi-channel assault on the senses. The scares rarely scared me, but the sudden sonic barks and shouts? Got me every time. Rear speaker activity is downright malicious in that regard, toying with the listener before attacking, and directionality is all too accurate, allowing the various horror beats to hit with power and precision. There still isn't much surprise as to when a jump-scare will come; but the jump-scare earns its keep anyway, which is exactly what a good horror mix should provide. Dialogue remains intelligible and smartly prioritized too, regardless of how quiet or chaotic the experience grows, and the music is balanced flawlessly with the rest of the soundscape. Annabelle might fizzle, but its AV presentation does not.
Annabelle should have kept me up for weeks. Instead it nearly put me to sleep, and I'm one of those poor saps with an unhealthy fear of dolls. Porcelain dolls especially. (My mother had a collection she kept in our living room; a living room with an oversized bay window that moonlight loved to pour through. Down the hall, my room was situated across from the bathroom, meaning any late-night trip out and about was met by dozens of glowing glass eyes. Not a healthy way to grow up.) Its script lags, borrowing mercilessly from better films. Its performances sag, without much for the actors to grab onto. And its story amounts to surprisingly little; a conventional prequel to its surprisingly unconventional (and superior) predecessor, The Conjuring. I'd suggest renting Annabelle before buying. If you do purchase a copy, though, you'll be treated to an AV knock-out. It's light on the supplements, but its presentation at least helps justify the cost of admission.
2017
2019
2016
2013
2015
2013
2018
2018
2015
2010
Unrated Director's Cut
2012
Unrated Director's Cut
2011
2019
2013
2016
2011
2013
2019
2018
2012