Not as good as the original

As a sequel this movie takes a radical departure from the serious and dark tone of the original. It's more of a comedy but, although Steve Coogan is a comic genius, this film falls far short of either his genius or the genius of the original. There are no ghosts and no one gets murdered by having poison poured into their ear or by being stabbed through a curtain. Similarly, the angst of the main character arises from his failure as an actor whereas in the original it was due to his mother sleeping with and marrying his father's murderer, who was also his uncle. The disparity of these central themes can only lead to the conclusion that the writers were at a loss when it came to examining the fundamental pain and suffering of the human condition and instead fell back on light hearted slapstick.
Unlike the few films where the sequel is better than the original (eg Crank 2, Terminator 2) this sequel is inferior in every respect and should be regarded as a poor attempt to cash in on the 400 years of success enjoyed by the original.