Failed mechanics

Set in the 1940’s, “Annabelle: Creation” the prequel to “Annabelle,” which was in turn a spinoff of “The Conjuring,” is the third cinematic outing for the demon-host, a wooden doll made by the doll-maker Sam Mullins( Anthony La Paglia), who lost his daughter in an accident(the only strikingly shocking scene in the entire movie).

His wife Esther (Miranda Otto) has already become a victim of the demonic doll and is now living a secluded mysterious life within the confines of her own bedroom.

The Doll has been cloistered within a closet papered with Bible readings, in their sprawling California farm house for a few years now. And into this set-up they introduce a bunch of six orphans - Prepubescent Polio-stricken and wearing a leg-brace, young Janice (Talitha Bateman), her best friend Linda (Lulu Wilson), a motley group of pre-teens and their caretaker Nun, Sister Charlotte (Stephanie Sigman).

Could be they thought that inviting strictly catholic folk would absolve them of their descent into evil? But what about the young ones who have basically been set-up for scare-happy voyeuristic entertainment? That the religious Church going Mullins’ put young helpless children in harm’s way is a little hard to stomach.

Returning ‘Annabelle’ screenwriter Gary Dauberman contrives to have Janice curious enough to overcome her fears and investigate the mysteries of the old house, thus laying out the plot points that would eventually lead to her victimisation. Linda is also drawn in while the Nun and her other four wards have their own scary encounters to deal with. And there’s really nothing new to keep you absorbed here.

The fright tactics employed here are not effective enough even though they have old school generic effects written all over them. No doubt Sandberg’s narration follows the genre ritual of terrorising its female characters, but this time they are a little too young to be validated by such impunity!