Movie sequels can sometimes have to bear the burden that they are just not expected to be as good as the original. It’s a sad state of affairs that sometimes means there seemingly won’t be as much of an effort being made to make a quality film. If only American filmmakers had the integrity of directors Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza. Together, these two have created a franchise that, for two movies now, has maintained the same tone, and have both been incredibly frightening. Their franchise in Spain has even spawned an almost shot-for-shot remake of the original here in the U.S.

The much-anticipated sequel to Spanish horror phenomenon REC finally arrives on DVD this week. The same directing team as the original film puts [REC] 2 together so it has the same look and feel. What’s different is that this time it’s shot from multiple cameras. Picking up 15 minutes from the terrifying ending of the first film, REC 2 follows a team of SWAT-like officers who are preparing to enter a building they know is harboring an infection similar to rabies. They just don’t know exactly what they’re in for.

What’s great about [REC] 2 is that it’s a simple premise executed beautifully. Here the formula changes a little bit with each officer brandishing a helmet cam, which allows for a multiple camera shot film to expand the perspective for the viewer. It feels a little less original this way, and not like a typical found footage film, but that can’t be a bad thing, can it? It is important for you to know that you should absolutely see the first [REC] before you see [REC] 2. It’s the only way to truly get the epic feel of these incredibly small-scale horror films.

The DVD features a decent set of extras, but nothing that will make end up enhancing what is already a great film to experience.

Official list of extras:

-The Making of REC
-Crew Interviews
-Extended Scenes
-Deleted Scenes
-Behind The Scenes Footage

Movie Grade: B+
Extras Grade: B