Opening with its predecessor's closing shot, [Rec] 2 feels as if you'd hit pause on the first one and came back later to finish it, the latter being but an episode of the whole story behind this zombie lunacy. Switching perspectives to the technological eyes of S.W.A.T team members entering the building to take charge of the situation, we quickly learn that the mission is not what it seems when the mission leader turns out to be a priest sent to find an antidote by the Vatican to cover-up their involvement in the matter. Locking us inside the dreaded building barely 4 minutes into the movie, [Rec] 2 assumes the viewer has seen the first one as it doesn't waste time with exposition, taking us back into the penthouse to learn more about the background of the situation. In addition to being faster, gorier and more populated than the initial film, the sequel takes the initial concept of hand-held amateur footage to new heights, using the equipment of the agents to explain the use of a screen-within-screen aesthetic that also serves as transitions between the points of view of the soldiers, adding more tension and range to the surrounding terror. However, the mystery angle that was an important factor of the first picture is almost completely lost as the film spends most of its time explaining the roots of this infestation, shedding much light on what went unanswered earlier. As effective to induce fright, [Rec] 2 is as good, if not better, than its source.
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