Annabelle: Creation [Blu-ray] [2017]

————————————Pros————————————— Movie: The kid’s cast sold the movie & made the adults look like amateur actors/actresses. Defiantly satisfied & did not disappoint. I rarely give 5 stars! Picture: Always a great picture on an OLED panel, 4k upscale. Audio: Atmos on a Blu-ray is always appreciated but dialog was low. Makes me think it’s intentional for jump effectiveness but causes sound unbalance when cranked up. Played on an Oppo through a 11.2 (7.2.4). There was life like moments for example on the scene were Linda was in the barn under the deck and she looked up listening to the footsteps, as it was projected on screen, the sound came out from the top ceiling speakers giving you that realistic atmosphere experience. There was few 360 & from/back panning immersive surround sound that I also look forward to. Digital Copy: Yes Slipcover: Yes Price: $7 ————————————Cons———————————— Audio: Low dialog that makes you crank up your center channel. No 4K option.

This is a female version of Chucky, and much better than it. You will find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat with all the suspense this movie packs in. I think it is a must for horror movie fans.

The Conjuring Universe SIDEBAR: This has been labeled “the next chapter in The Conjuring Universe,” and a Conjuring movie is exactly what this feels like. Well, The Conjuring (2013) was so outstanding that Annabelle (2014) couldn’t be expected to measure up. But falling far below that, evil doll movies practically make themselves yet Annabelle was an absolutely incompetent horror film that should disappoint fans of the genre whether they were birthed in the era of serious slashers, classic Hammer releases, or campy 80s slapstick gore-fests. The only way Annabelle made it to the big screen was by riding the tidal wave of hype created by its connection to The Conjuring. Then along came The Conjuring 2 (2016)—which felt a lot like Insidious “Chapter 4”—which was clearly made more for the fans than the critics as it focused more on being excitingly jump-scary than on standard merits or sleek plotiness. This sequel introduced The Nun (i.e., the demon Valek) and gave a fine nod to Annabelle. Following suit, Creation offers a mysterious wink harbingering the upcoming Nun film (same writer as Creation) and then finishes transitioning us directly into the opening scene of Annabelle (2014). I wasn’t at all surprised to learn this was directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out), as it felt very much like Lights Out (2016) meets The Conjuring 2 (2016) in terms of scare-staging, the use of darkness and flickering lights, the super twitchy monster manifestations, and the roller-coasting dozens of jump scares. I should repeat part of that: DOZENS of jump scares. Holding together far more soundly and satisfyingly than Annabelle (2014), this plot still wasn’t terribly substantial. It had “just enough,” with the story feeling neither deep nor shallow, and quite familiar without being phoned in or rehashed. But, then again, we are in The Conjuring Universe and the conduits by which evil manifests in our present cinescape seem to follow the same rules or patterns as we have now witnessed in a total of four films. It’s the kind of familiarity we find in a Freddy, Jason, Pinhead or Myers sequel…we know the general rules, but we also expect some new angle in each new film to come. Now I just called this “familiar.” But, make no mistake, it’s quite exciting after a somewhat slow introduction to our premise. But then becomes exciting if you enjoy jump scares. As I mentioned earlier, this film thrives on them. You’ll hear something creepy, stare into a pitch-black hallway or doorway for 8 seconds, and press your head into your seat to brace yourself for the inevitable incoming scare. This may bother folks looking for the next horror Oscar contender, but people just looking for a fun date night or a great popcorn horror will be in for a good time. In fact, I’d call this outstanding popcorn horror. What gore we get is good, the acting is all on point, the demon monster effects were VERY creepy, and despite the high frequency of jump-scares there were some seriously legitimate scares as well. I really appreciated that all that this film tried to do; give us a prequel, connect adequately to both The Conjuring (2013) and Annabelle (2014), provide a semblance of continuity, and serve as a stand-alone horror film. Overall, I’d say I was quite pleased. I’ll certainly buy it and, due to the sheer joy derived from all the jump-scares, I look forward to sharing this with someone who hasn’t yet seen it.

This movie is a really good watch for a late night.

The first Annabelle was a disappointment in The Conjuring universe. This prequel thankfully takes a very different approach and creates plenty of suspense and creepiness, with good characters, to provide a more satisfying and a higher quality scary experience. The blu-ray quality is top notch. With plenty of well defined darker gradations and a good almost of fine detail. The picture is stylized to provide that gothic horror element, but skin tones and outdoor scenes still look natural and realistic. The Dolby Atmos track is outstanding, with plenty of dynamic range that helps bring a good amount of heftiness to jumps scares and other heavy sequences. Height effects are not as pronounced as other films like Gravity or Baby Driver, but it nonetheless uses it to create a more immersive atmosphere. Surround effects are plenty and you might find yourself turning your head around thinking something in your house is moving.

The story of how Annabelle came to be!!! This movie is a prequel (meaning) this movie takes place before the first Annabelle movie. Movie starts off great, it gets to the point right away. A married couple live out in the country with there young daughter. The father is a toy/doll maker who creates the original Annabelle doll for his daughter. His daughter gets ran over by a truck and dies. 12 years later the couple allow an orphanage to use there home for a couple of girls and nun. During the movie the demonic spirit of Annabelle is scaring the girls and eventually posses the weakest one... Won't spoil the rest but its pretty good. Blu-ray looks awesome!!

This movie gives us the beginning of Annabelle, but this made my skin crawl once you see the direction it goes! Great directing, great acting, and a development that brings the story to life!

Annabelle: Creation is definitely in our Top 5 horror favorites with all the right scares in the right places. Has a solid story line too instead of just being a thriller without a solid plot. Definitely one to buy and revisit on rainy nights in. You won't regret watching it--and the rest of the Annabelle and related series!