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Dipping between present and past, the origins of the evil that haunts the Lambert family are further outlined as supernatural/clairvoyant fighter Elise (Lin Shaye) guides Josh, Renai, and Lorraine (Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Barbra Hershey) from the grave in hopes of freeing the family from its torment. But, as the layers of this ghost story are peeled back, the Lamberts along with ghost hunters Carl, Specs, and Tucker (Steve Coulter, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson) discover an even deeper source of malevolent behavior. Save the souls, stop the darkness, and put an end to the insidious creatures from the beyond, tall orders, who will survive? A veritable potpourri of horror, writer/director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell seem to lack focus as every cliché horror gag and location is thrown into the mix in hopes of scoring the perfect scare. Haunted House, check, spooky abandoned hospital, check, other creepy haunted house with many dead bodies inside, check, mother/son psycho plotline, check, possession by evil spirit, check, VHS tapes of spirits, check, portals to the spirit world, check, you get the idea right? A few by themselves might be fine, a few together might also pass, but, all together things get laughable and long in the tooth leaving the question of padding for time? From an acting standpoint, many of the early scenes run hot and cold, but once the film gains momentum there does appear to be some moderation. As for overall fright factor, this one seems lower on the scale, but a dark ride none the less, might I suggest Wan’s other film this summer, The Conjuring, for more consistent scares? Maybe a matinee, but more of a rental, Insidious: Chapter 2 is rated PG-13.