23/12/2025

LYFE TUESDAY | DEC 23, 2025

25

MOVIE REVIEW

Five nights of farce

F IVE Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) 2 arrives with bigger ambitions and a slightly cleaner grip on its famously tangled lore, yet still plays firmly in PG-13 territory. For a franchise built on gruesome murders and haunted machines, this sequel keeps most of its violence off screen, making it feel more like kiddie horror than anything genuinely harrowing. Whether that is a creative choice or Malaysia’s censorship is anyone’s guess. Set a year after the events of the first film, the story shifts focus to Abby Schmidt (Piper Rubio), whose bond with the animatronics deepens in strange and disturbing ways. The film is packed with moving parts, but still stumbles over the same problems that plagued the first. Genuine chills, cheap tricks Credit where it is due – the Marionette is easily the standout presence this time. Its scenes are some of the film’s most unsettling, with Abby and Lisa o Leaning more on fan service than fear Ű BY AMEEN HAZIZI

From left: Toy Freddy stalking Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), Abby and Mike. – PICS FROM IMDB

Characters who make baffling choices Rubio’s Abby is written with an almost frustrating naivety, though it is still believable for a child. Her fixation on the animatronics can feel a little unnerving, but the film never digs deeper into it. Mike (Josh Hutcherson) fares no better. He is unexpectedly no-nonsense here, trying to move past the trauma of the first movie far too quickly, and his complete failure to monitor Abby’s behaviour becomes increasingly maddening. The villain motivations are on shaky ground too, never fully landing in a way that feels satisfying or clear. The film hints at big lore reveals, but they feel muted, with name confusion and throwaway explanations weakening their impact.

Withered Chica staring at Mike through the Freddy mask.

(Mckenna Grace) turning in eerie performances when the puppet takes hold of them. These moments show what the film could have been. But for every effective scare, there is a cheap jump scare to balance it out. It becomes predictable rather than frightening, and the rhythm eventually dulls whatever tension the film tries to build. The humour lands better, giving the sequel some much-needed levity. There is also a surprisingly smart explanation for the iconic mask mechanic from the second game – a rare bit of adaptation that feels genuinely clever.

Vanessa (left) and Mike in the office, the setting of the second game.

Overstuffed animatronics For a film called Five Nights at Freddy’s , Freddy Fazbear continues to be a surprisingly minor presence. In fact, Abby seems more attached to Chica for whatever reason. Meanwhile, the number of animatronic variants becomes overwhelming – toy versions, prototypes and returning designs from the first film. The film struggles to keep them distinct or meaningful. The expected “assemble” moment for the older animatronics leans heavily into Avengers -style cheesiness. It is fun in a superficial way, but tonally bizarre for a horror film. Matthew Lillard’s William Afton, despite haunting the narrative, barely appears beyond a few nightmare sequences, leaving his return feeling oddly undercooked. Strong practical effects, messy storytelling Visually, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop continues to be the franchise’s greatest strength. The practical suits are

impressive, tactile and genuinely fun to watch. The animatronics have always been the highlight of this live-action series and remain so here. But the film’s storytelling is undeniably messy. Logic gaps pile up, and the script does not always remember its own rules, making certain character decisions feel baffling rather than tense. And then there is Rubio’s noticeable growth spurt, which briefly breaks the immersion when her character is still supposed to be 10. Verdict Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is chaotic, overstuffed and often nonsensical. Yet for fans of the games, it is still a fun ride with great animatronics, a spine-tingling Marionette and enough fan-centric moments to keep the lore fires burning. It is not a great horror film. It is barely a coherent one. But as a kiddie horror movie, it is so bad it circles back to being fun.

0 Director: Emma Tammi 0 Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Theodus Crane, Matthew Lillard, Freddy Carter, Skeet Ulrich, Wayne Knight, Mckenna Grace E-VALUE 7 ACTING 6 PLOT 5

Lisa hearing the music box on her recorder next to Toy Bonnie.

Dick Van Dyke turns 100: ‘It’s not enough, you want to live more’ HOLLYWOOD actor Dick Van Dyke recently celebrated his 100th birthday and said he plans to exceed the milestone, PA Media/dpa reported. “100 years is not enough. You want to live more,” he explained. “I don’t know any other 100-year-olds, but I can speak for myself.” him happy.” Van Dyke has four children – Barry, Carrie, Christian, and Stacy – with his first wife Margie Willett, who he divorced in 1984 after 36 years of marriage.

The actor known for playing Mary Poppins character Bert, the all-singing, all-dancing Cockney chimney sweep, said he still tries to dance. “I’ve got one game leg from, I don’t know what ... I still try to dance,” he told GMA. Celebrations are taking place across the US for Van Dyke’s birthday, including a flash mob located in Malibu, where the actor lives. He is also the subject of a new documentary and has released a book titled 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life . “The funny thing is, it’s not enough. 100 years is not enough. You want to live more, which I plan to,” Van Dyke said. Van Dyke previously said his wife, make-up artist Arlene Silver, who is 46 years his junior, has helped to keep him young. Silver, who married Van Dyke in a Malibu chapel in 2012, told GMA: “It’s like a privilege and an honour to take care of him and make

He then had a 30-year partnership with Michelle Triola Marvin, who died in October 2009 at the age of 76. Between 1961–66, the actor starred in the sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show , which made him a TV star, and also found success with the hit TV series Diagnosis: Murder , which ran from 1993 to 2001 and spawned a couple of TV films. He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 1993, and then the Television Hall Of Fame in 1995. In 2017, he received the Britannia Award for Excellence in Television and apologised to the members of Bafta “for inflicting on them the most atrocious Cockney accent in the history of cinema” with his portrayal of Bert in Mary Poppins .

The veteran actor, known for his appearances in Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang , was born on Dec 13, 1925, in West Plains, Missouri. He became interested in show business at an early age after watching Laurel and Hardy movies at his local cinema. His popularity as a radio announcer led to him being signed by CBS. After some long forgotten TV shows, he cemented himself as a household name following his performance in the musical Bye Bye Birdie , which led to him winning a Tony Award in 1961. Reflecting on his career, Van Dyke told US news show Good Morning America (GMA): “I played old men a lot, and I always played them as angry and cantankerous but it’s not really that way.

Van Dyke with an Emmy award. – PIC FROM GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP