-- Three years after "Insidious" introduced moviegoers to the Lambert family and its troubling connection to the spirit world, the stars and filmmakers have reunited for another installment. "Insidious: Chapter 2" picks up where the first story ended, but the sequel has enough scares, laughs and a story of its own to stand alone.


Like its 2010 predecessor, "Insidious 2" is a haunted-house tale with supernatural elements. The typical horror-movie tropes are at play here: Creaky doors, creepy apparitions and long, dark hallways explored by flashlight. There's also a haunted piano that repeats the same eerie melody and an outrageously loud and colorful baby walker that spontaneously lights up and moves around.


Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne return as Josh and Renai Lambert, well-meaning parents who moved into a new home after fearing their last one was haunted. Their eldest son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), has recovered from a mysterious coma (a reference to the first film), but he's still plagued by nightmares. He doesn't just see dead people; they want something from him. When the frights become too much for Renai, the family decides to stay with grandma for a while.


Lorraine Lambert (Barbara Hershey) has been through this kind of thing before, when her own son, Josh, was haunted as a child. She knows who to call. Josh was treated by ghost specialists as a child, and a flashback to his youth reveals even more about the source of his troubles.


Carl (Steve Coulter) is a serious ghost hunter, while his assistants, Specs (screenwriter Leigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson), provide much of the comic relief, including the always-amusing tranquilizer mishap.


Directed by James Wan ("The Conjuring," "Saw") from a story created by Wan and Whannell, "Insidious: Chapter 2" deftly juggles various responsibilities: It offers a good dose of non-gory scares, tells a story of supernatural time travel that recalls elements of "Inception," and pays homage to the genre Wan and Whannell love. In a tribute to its horror lineage, look for thematic and visual nods to "Pyscho," "Poltergeist" and "The Blair Witch Project" in "Insidious: Chapter 2."


The film is also self-aware and self-referential, rewarding viewers of the original film with additional explanations in the sequel. And, like its predecessor, "Chapter 2" leaves open the possibility of more to come.


"Insidious: Chapter 2," a Film District release, is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of terror and violence, and thematic elements. Running time: 105 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.


___


MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.




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  • 'Good Ol' Freda' (Sept. 6)


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  • "The Family" (Sept. 13)


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  • "Insidious: Chapter 2" (Sept. 13)


    Too scary.




  • "Jayne Mansfield's Car" (Sept. 13)


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  • "Battle Of The Year" (Sept. 20)


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  • "Prisoners" (Sept. 20)


    Hugh Jackman leads an all-star cast (Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard, Paul Dano, Melissa Leo) in this revenge drama from director Denis Villeneuve.




  • "A Single Shot" (Sept. 20)


    Sam Rockwell stars in this thriller, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival.




  • "Enough Said" (Sept. 20)


    Nicole Holofcener's romantic comedy features James Gandolfini's final role as a leading man. (Gandolfini has a supporting role in the upcoming film "Animal Rescue.") Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Toni Collette and Catherine Keener co-star.




  • "Thanks For Sharing" (Sept. 20)


    Mark Ruffalo and Gwyneth Paltrow star in this dramedy about sex addiction. From Stuart Blumberg, an Oscar nominee for "The Kids Are All Right."




  • "After Tiller" (Sept. 20)


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  • "Parkland" (Sept. 20)


    Billy Bob Thornton, Paul Giamatti and Zac Efron star in this drama about the immediate aftermath of the assassination of John F. Kennedy.




  • "C.O.G." (Sept. 20)


    Jonathan Groff stars in this new movie, which is based on a story by David Sedaris.




  • "Rush" (Sept. 20)


    Ron Howard's Formula 1 drama casts Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl as, respectively, James Hunt and Niki Lauda, two of the sport's greatest competitors. The film, which is also due to bow at the Toronto International Film Festival, opens wide on Sept. 27.




  • "Baggage Claim" (Sept. 27)


    Paula Patton stars in this rom-com about a flight attendant looking for love. Bonus: <strike>Seth Cohen</strike> Adam Brody as her outlandish confidant.




  • "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2" (Sept. 27)


    Tying up all the loose ends from part one.




  • "Don Jon" (Sept. 27)


    Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut is a funny and poignant look at relationships in the age of instantaneous gratification. (Also, porn.) Tony Danza, Julianne Moore and a scene-stealing Scarlett Johansson all co-star.




  • "Metallica: Through The Never" (Sept. 27)


    Enter sandman: Metallica made a concert movie that's not a just a concert movie. Dane DeHaan stars.




  • "Gravity" (Oct. 4)


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  • "Runner Runner" (Oct. 4)


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  • "Captain Phillips" (Oct. 11)


    Tom Hanks stars as the title captain in this thriller from Paul Greengrass, which focuses on the 2009 hijacking of the Maersk Alabama. The film will debut at the New York Film Festival.




  • "Machete Kills" (Oct. 11)


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  • "Romeo And Juliet" (Oct. 11)


    "Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes adapted this version of Shakespeare's tragic romance.




  • "CBGB" (Oct. 11)


    "Harry Potter" pals Alan Rickman and Rupert Grint reunite for this rock drama.




  • "Kill Your Darlings" (Oct. 16)


    Daniel Radcliffe grows up. The erstwhile Harry Potter plays Allen Ginsberg in this Sundance Film Festival fave.




  • "The Fifth Estate" (Oct. 18)


    Benedict Cumberbatch plays Julian Assange in this new film from Bill Condon ("The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 & 2," "Dreamgirls").




  • "Paradise" (Oct. 18)


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  • "Carrie" (Oct. 18)


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  • "Escape Plan" (Oct. 18)


    Stallone. Schwarzenegger. Prison break. See you at the theater.




  • "All Is Lost" (Oct. 18)


    Robert Redford stars as a man struggling to survive after a hole is torn into the hull of his ship. J.C. Chandor ("Margin Call") directs the film, which is expected to give the 76-year-old actor a good chance at an Oscar nomination in 2014.




  • "Twelve Years A Slave" (Oct. 18)


    Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup, a New York man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Sarah Paulson and Alfre Woodard star in this new drama from "Shame" director Steve McQueen. The film is based on Northup's acclaimed memoir.




  • "The Counselor" (Oct. 25)


    Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz go bad in Ridley Scott's "The Counselor," based on an original script by Cormac McCarthy. Yes, please.




  • "Jackass: Bad Grandpa" (Oct. 25)


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  • "Ender's Game" (Nov. 1)


    An adaptation of the beloved young adult novel (from non-beloved author Orson Scott Card) stars Hailee Steinfeld, Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley and Harrison Ford.




  • "Free Birds" (Nov. 1)


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  • "Last Vegas" (Nov. 1)


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  • "About Time" (Nov. 1)


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  • "Diana" (Nov. 1)


    Naomi Watts stars as Princess Diana in this new biopic.




  • "How I Live Now" (Nov. 8)


    Think "Children of Men" mixed with "The Host." Kevin Macdonald, of "The Last King of Scotland" fame, directs.




  • "Thor: The Dark World" (Nov. 8)


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  • "The Best Man Holiday" (Nov. 15)


    A sequel to the 1999 film "The Best Man," which serves as further proof that the statute of limitations on part twos is infinite.




  • "The Book Thief" (Nov. 15)


    Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson star in this adaptation of Markus Zusak's acclaimed best-selling novel.




  • "The Wolf Of Wall Street" (Nov. 15)


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  • "Delivery Man" (Nov. 22)


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  • "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (Nov. 22)


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  • "Nebraska" (Nov. 22)


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  • "Black Nativity" (Nov. 27)


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  • "Oldboy" (Nov. 27)


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