O Grito 2

Being a huge fan of the original Ju-On movies, as well as the original American remake, I was looking forward to this one. But my excitement dwindled right from the opening scene, as The Grudge 2 quickly became a predictable and mundane sequel. A typical American-ized sequel that sadly didn't follow the unique plot of Ju-On 2.

After Sarah Michelle Gellar's cameo, the movie focuses on her sister, but gives her nothing to do. What seems like a totally separate storyline inside an apartment building is more distracting than involving. The scares become very routine and there are so many characters here, that the viewer cannot become attached to any of them.

The movie does, however, kick it up in the final twenty minutes or so. And the ending is a lot darker and much more mean spirited than the original, and for that, it has to earn some points for not taking the safe way out.

The Grudge 2 is not a complete loss, but it could have been so much better.

"The Grudge 2" is one of the most scariest ghost/horror movie sequels I have ever seen. Set two year after the events of "The Grudge" left off, Aubrey Davis (Amber Tamblyn) goes to Tokyo to bring her sister Karen Davis (Sarah Michelle Gellar) back to the United States. However, this leads to Aubrey exposing to the same ghost that has plagued Karen. Meanwhile in Tokyo, high school students Allison, Vanessa and Miyuki visit the haunted house and are also chased by the ghost, and in Chicago, Trish (Jennifer Beals) moves into the apartment of her boyfriend Bill (Christopher Cousins), where paranormal events take place at their next-door neighbor's.

This movie starts out with Aubrey visiting Tokyo to find her sister Karen and discover what troubling her, where we get a taste of suspense that quickly captures the thrills and horror of the first movie. The tension builds when Aubrey also encounters the mysterious events in the house Karen was a caretaker in and, what follows, are one creepy moment one after the other as main ghosts Kayako (Takako Fuji) and Toshiro (Yuya Ozeki) take center stage, terrorizing not only Aubrey but two groups of people, three high school students and a Chicago family.

Takashi Shimizu did a great job directing this sequel, which grabs the audience's attention with bone-chilling scenes and with moments that make you jump. Like the first movie, this sequel has disturbing and creepy images that will stick in your mind after the movie is over. The mysterious yet dramatic atmosphere of the movie created an eerie feeling of the ongoing horror and the built-up suspense, which are contributed by the cast members' dramatic acting. However, I do feel that the separate story lines involving the different character groups is a distraction to the film and makes it difficult for the viewers to concentrate on a single character. This takes away from the character development and the flow of the plot.

Overall, this is a movie with the right balance of horror and drama, but doesn't surpass its prequel.

Grade B-

This sequel now shows the infamous curse in more power and a greater range. But it does not improvise in any manner to its predecessor. The story remains the same. People are getting affected and dying the same deaths. Every thing that is going to happen can be pretty much well known in advance for a seasoned movie goer.

There are three parallel story lines that shift in ways that further reduce the fun in the movie and does not allow you get involved. Kayako's past is explained in more detail but the again the explanation does not seem too buy-able. All in all there is nothing much this sequel has to offer. It could be subjected to one watch, but on a rented DVD or VCD. But I would definitely not choose to buy the Grudge movies 1 and 2 for collection purpose.

I was very excited about seeing this, as I love the original series, I didn't think the first remake was that bad, Takashi Shimizu directed it, and I have gradually become a fan of Amber Tamblyn. Unfortunately, it was nowhere near as good as I had hoped. Of course, given the genre, and the fact that it was a sequel to a remake and not really a remake of a sequel, it was exactly what I expected. (Yes, I have high hopes, but realistic expectations.)

I prepped myself for this by watching the unrated DVD of the previous film just a few short hours before heading to the theater, which, in hindsight, was probably a mistake. While the first film relied heavily on cheap scares and "gotcha" moments, the second toned it down a little and aimed at being a little more suspenseful. The end result is a chaotic mess with a convoluted storyline that weaves through time without ever indicating it (slightly confusing at the start, as there is a two year difference between the events we see throughout the film, but I will refrain from spoilers).

The attempts at building suspense fall flat, as every significant event is telegraphed and, therefore, incredibly predictable even when you're not trying to think ahead of the film's pace. The kills themselves are far from satisfying, as they are simply more of the same that we saw the first time around. I'm sorry, but even if you have never watched the Asian originals, the creepy girl with the hair in her face and the hitch in her step fails to frighten after two Ring films, Dark Water, Pulse, and, of course, the previous Grudge film.

I had seriously hoped that Takashi Shimizu would bring some of his style to the film. Alas, we are the real victims here, not those portrayed on the screen, as we have to pay hard-earned dollars to witness (yet another) American Cinema (read: Hollywood) bastardization of a quality film. When will they learn that the true appeal of Asian cinema lies not with the creepy girl and the cheap scare, but with the overall feel of the film? The "boo!" moments may work for the casual viewer (and the target PG-13 audience), but it is the oppressive aura that haunts the viewer and keeps them awake at night.

Although the blue, black - haired ghost plot has been done, this film is enjoyable. People took things too seriously. I took this as a popcorn film. The acting could have been better with some characters. Sarah Michelle Gellar did a pretty good job, although she has little screen time. The effects and scares are most of the time pop - ups. The story is a bit messy and has too many things happening at the same time. Some moments are also rather stupid. There are pretty good scares throughout the whole film. I would recommend this film to all fans of the first. If your not a fan, don't see it; you'll most likely hate it.

Rated PG - 13 for mature thematic material, disturbing images/terror/violence, and some sensuality