Annabelle - C-

Rated R, 98 minutes
Wes's Grade: C

Just when you thought it was safe to collect dolls again comes the new horror film "Annabelle," the prequel to the hit 2013 horror film "The Conjuring." Uneven, slow and lacking the chills of its its predecessor, ""Annabelle" doesn't really get going until very late in the film. John Gordon (Ward Horton) has found the perfect gift for both his pregnant wife Mia (Annabelle Wallis) —Annabelle, a beautiful and rare vintage doll in a pure white wedding dress. Unfortunately, the family's delight with the doll is short-lived as it acts as a sinister conduit to the damned that is now Annabelle, seeking the couple's newborn daughter Leah as a sacrifice. Directed by John R. Leonetti, cinematographer for "The Conjuring," and written by Gary Dauberman, "Annabelle" is a weak efforts that's often as lifeless as the doll itself. It's peppered with a handful of tense moments, mainly in the last act, but it lacks the scares and the intensity of the James Wan-directed film (Wan produces here). The film is a fictional story, though the doll itself is indeed real and is owned by Ed and Lorraine Warren, who were the basis for "The Conjuring," though this film doesn't do them or the doll itself, which supposedly does harbor some evil elements, true justice. The producers of the film must've also spent considerable time finding an actress really named Annabelle (the lovely British actress Annabelle Wallis) to play the lead, in and of itself a fact creepier than the film itself. The first half is stuffed with a talky backstory and stale family drama, and doesn't really provide any true thrills until the final few minutes, and it wastes a decent, award-winning actress in Alfre Woodard. Do yourself a favor, stay away from creepy dolls, and stay away from the silly, boring "Annabelle" and rent "The Conjuring" instead.