Movies For Breakfast A QUIET PLACE PART II Review

Could this very well be the massive blockbuster that brings audiences back to theatres? Yes…and no.

Synopsis

Following the events of the first film, the Abbott family ventures into the unknown and continues their fight for survival.

Review
John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place Part II,” after its tense flashback prologue, continues where it left off with its predecessor. Emily Blunt cocks her shotgun and off we go following the Abbott family into the next chapter of their anxiety-induced adventure. After the climactic showdown of the first film, the Abbott family hits the road (less salts this time) and goes on the hunt for more survivors. They arrive at an abandoned steel foundry and run into Emmett (played by a rugged Cillian Murphy who serves as a good Krasinski-surrogate). Emmett is a friend from the “world before” whose son once played baseball alongside Marcus Abbott (a very competent Noah Jupe). Emmett has given up on survival and has given up on finding other survivors (survivors that are sane, that is). Of course, this leads to what we expect (and want) and the lone matriarch tries her best to convince Emmett to help them find other survivors and to keep fighting.

The film takes an interesting turn when the character of Emmett finds more inspiration to survive in his interaction with the rebellious, determined Regan Abbott (an excellent Millicent Simmonds). But, it’s within this interesting turn that the film slowly becomes less interesting and more boring. As Emmett and Regan find themselves on a daring adventure for survivors “Beyond the Sea” (as the Bobby Darin song blares on the trusty weaponized radio), Evelyn and Marcus Abbott are tasked with hiding out from nearby monsters in a tight space with a crying newborn and a dangerously low amount of oxygen.

The main disappointment that comes from “Part II” is that…nothing really happens beyond most of the synopsis I wrote in the first two paragraphs. It’s an uneventful sequel. There’s action and resolution, sure. Thrills, moments of unsettling tension (the opening prologue is a very fine masterclass of great suspense) and some solid character development (especially with Simmonds’ character) but there isn’t much in the way of plot or story. What I enjoyed most about the first film was that it gave me all of the aforementioned elements but it also presented a solid plot. There’s a lot of meandering when it comes to following the journeys of the two split halves of the cast. Things HAPPEN but they don’t HAPPEN to leave any lingering consequence or change much of what’s to come (as there will certainly be a “Part III”). It’s expected of an art-house or independent film to maybe favor character development rather than story and the film’s repeat value or greatness does not suffer because of it. Such a thing, however, is not expected for a highly anticipated blockbuster follow-up.

What the film lacks in plot, it tries its best to make up for in great character development and solid drama. Without the patriarch, the Abbott family is frayed more than ever. Emily Blunt brings decent dramatic gravitas to the role of a desperate mother who has no choice but to keep moving and survive. This energy is even more surpassed by the film’s MVP, Millicent Simmonds. Simmonds builds on the great acting work she presented in the first film by navigating her way through more weighty dramatic scenes. One in particular involves Regan having a slight panic as she realizes one of her most DRASTIC possessions (a weaponized radio that can kill the monsters by adding her hearing aid to the sound) has been taken. This short moment of pause leads Simmonds to present her greatest strength as an actor – her facial expressions. As she silently cries and crawls at the ground in defeat, we are watching a young legendary actor in the making. Through scenes like this, Simmonds proves that her deafness is not a handicap but rather a window into stronger and greater gifts she has up her sleeve as an actor.

Aside from some surprise visitors and appearances, that leaves us Murphy’s Emmett and Jupe’s Marcus. Emmett is a character that, with more fleshed out development, could serve as a better foil to Evelyn and her children. As an idea, he works the way he is presented – a compadre of a fallen friend that has lost purpose because of his grief but has now regained it through his journey with a rebellious teen. All that is fine…but that’s all there is. There’s not much subversion in the development of his character or any need for him. It’s good to see the talented Cillian Murphy in another leading role but other than that, his indecisive would-be heroic surrogate character is forgettable. Marcus Abbott runs into the unfortunate flaw of being the less memorable sibling. While Jupe gives a solid performance as the now-handicapped middle child, the character doesn’t really make an impression until the generic inspirational climatic battle. Such a scene would benefit this character if it happened ten scenes before and not at the end, where the audience has left him in the same space as they have left Emmett – as a forgettable character.

Closing Thoughts
“Part II” is not a bad film on its own. It’s just a bad sequel. It doesn’t add, subvert or change much from the audience experienced with its breakthrough predecessor. This sequel has an alarming vibe that comes off in the vain of “Hey, you all like this? Thrills, suspense, drama, etc.? Great! Now come back and enjoy “Part III” where stuff REALLY hits the fan!” No one wants to attend a sequel that feels like a mildly entertaining transition rather than a very entertaining continuation. One may wonder if the film’s disappointment stems from the fact that, in contrast to the first film, Krasinski toggles the role of both director and writer. Maybe giving Scott Beck and Bryan Woods a call could’ve made room for a better, more memorable sequel. As stated before, the character development and acting are strong but those parts don’t form well to make the complete whole.

Trailer