Capsule reviews for April 18

A Haunted House 2

It’s more of the same from Marlon Wayans and his collaborators, who have unleashed a sequel to their low-brow horror parody just 15 months after the original hit theaters. In this installment, Wayans returns with a new girlfriend (who has two kids this time) and a new house, but it’s still haunted. The film includes the Paranormal Activity franchise, Insidious and The Conjuring among its broad satirical targets, with plenty of crude and uninspired gags that run out of steam quickly. The line between actual horror and lampooned horror tends to blur these days, and since this effort is neither funny nor scary, it won’t help clarify. (Rated R, 86 minutes).

Make Your Move

The average person’s enjoyment of this dance flick can best be gauged by starting at the feet and progressing upward, with the brain coming in last. It boasts some impressive choreography and a woefully generic script, telling the story of a street dancer (Derek Hough) who tries to start over by heading to New York to get a job at a popular nightclub run by his foster brother (Wesley Jonathan), only to fall for the sister (Korean pop star BoA) of a rival club owner. From there, it’s just a matter of all the clichés falling into place to set up a big showdown at the end. (Rated PG-13, 110 minutes).

13 Sins

Narrative gimmicks derail much of the suspense in this contrived psychological thriller from director Daniel Stamm (The Last Exorcism), which showcases gory clichés at the expense of any meaningful subtext. It tracks a timid businessman (Mark Webber) in financial dire straits who gets a call from a mysterious stranger inviting him to play a secretive, morally bankrupt game in which the stunts become riskier and more dangerous as the rewards increase, allowing him to pay off his considerable debts. By the time he wants to back out, it’s too late. Despite Webber’s charisma and a promising start, the structure is familiar and the tension is lacking. (Rated R, 92 minutes).