To put it in a plain and simple statement, “Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2,” the follow-up to one of the most profitable films ever made, is a disappointment that overshadows even the worst of film sequels.

The movie - despite the innovation of its predecessor - is not scary, even though it tried to be; is not funny, even though it wanted to be; and definitely is not a good enough film to live up to all the hype surrounding it, even though many have waited for the witch to come back.

This so-called return of the Blair Witch is more than a disappointment; it’s a travesty that unfortunately brings up the question “Why?”

Why did the executive producers, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, the two men behind the curtain of the first film, allow this movie to be made? Why was it such a quick production? Why scar the first film and its legacy with this sequel?

These questions can only be answered by director Joe Berlinger, who ventured onto feature-filmmaking ground for the first time in making the ill-fated sequel. Although his past work, including award-winning documentaries “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills” and “Brother’s Keeper,” is exceptional, he did not do the Blair Witch justice.

In a director’s statement, Berlinger consistently tries to prove to his audience that he has gone against all expectations of the film. Well, that is true. But that isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Many expected the film to be good, if not better than the original. Some even held that it was going to be scarier. Well, for the people who still hold these expectations, there is one big disappointment waiting at the theaters.

The story, which somewhat interestingly plays off the success of the original film, sees the disappearance of the three characters in the first film as a hoax to make a movie. The film starts off grabbing attention. However, it quickly fails to hold much interest.

Horrible dialogue, failed jokes, useless graphic violence and bad acting bring the ride to a grinding halt. The weak plot follows a Burkittsville townie, alleged bad boy Jeff Donovan, as he leads a diverse group of thrill-seekers and self-proclaimed experts into the Black Hills of Maryland, the setting for the first film. All the characters play themselves, in keeping with the first film’s attempt to pass itself off as fact.

The first night, they start off by camping in the ruins of what was once Rustin Parr’s home, the eerie house that appeared at the end of “The Blair Witch Project.” They party all night, smoking marijuana and drinking heavily, only to awake in the morning to find their belongings trashed and five hours of their life unaccounted for.

Now that just sounds crazy: How could five people who just spent an entire night drinking and doing drugs not know where five hours of their lives went? Obviously some eerie, supernatural force must be at work here.

The group returns to Jeff’s house, which has been converted from a post-Civil War factory to a cozy, little loft-style home in the Black Hills, and begins to analyze their experience. They watch the tapes that were spared from destruction, but find no answers.

More or less, they are stuck. More plot twists unravel and the five slowly - very, very slowly - begin to put the pieces together.

The word disappointment cannot be said enough. Although “Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2” may take a majority of the box office this week, it is a pretty sure statement that audiences will leave the theaters with a sense of regret.