Plot: As the surviving humans try to eke out an existence, the ghosts that use cel phones and other electronic signal devices to prey upon the living continue to stalk the areas where those signals haven’t been shut down. Despite the obvious and inevitable dangers involved, some still use the electronics and hope to evade the spirits, usually with lethal results. Michelle (Georgina Rylance) is on the move trying to locate her daughter Justine, but even a basic search is perilous, so she has to be mindful and keep her wits or face certain death. When her ex-husband Stephen (Jamie Bamber) follows her trail and finds her journal, he too begins to hunt for Justine and runs into some colorful situations, some human and some supernatural. Can Stephen survive the unpredictable survivors and vicious ghosts long enough to find Justine and if so, is there anywhere safe the two can find refuge?

Entertainment Value: Pulse was an ineffective remake, but it had some minor fun at times, so a sequel should have been able to learn from the mistakes and craft a more eerie, effective experience. This is not the case however, as Pulse 2 is a dull, glacial movie that makes no sense and leaves little impression. The story is fine, not so much woven into the original, but set in the same world and that’s enough to work with, since the lore is established. But it takes almost an hour for anything to happen and while I am patient, this one tested that patience, to say the least. That first hour is nearly all brutally slow and pointless content, no exposition, no development, just total filler that leads nowhere and has no entertainment involved. I suppose the ridiculous, constant green screen is worth a few laughs, but given that the entire movie looks like it was shot in that style, it wears off in a rush. There are some humorous moments once that mind numbing first hour ends, but nothing worth that kind of glacial, pointless build up. If the entire film had been as offbeat as the last third, at least Pulse 2 would have been a mildly fun b movie, but no such luck. Unless you’re a Pulse fanatic or just love terrible green screen, this is a tough one to recommend.

The performances here are hard to be overly critical of, as the material is so weak and the ludicrous green screen work is a huge distraction. I mean, Pulse 2 looks like a low end video game cut scene throughout, not a single sequence looks even acceptable, let alone effective. So while the cast might not be great, they seem like masters compared to the other production elements here. I think the most memorable role has to be Boti Bliss, who delivers a wild scene that finally breaks the near hour stretch of monotony that starts the film. She brings energy and enthusiasm to the part and while her role is a small one, she puts a lot into her presence. Jamie Bamber has a central role and is fine, but forgettable in all aspects. He does the bare minimum the part requires and little else, though again, it is hard to blame him too much, as the script just offers him nothing to work with. The cast also includes Georgina Rylance, John Gulager, and Claudia Templeton, while Joel Soisson directs.

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