Ju-on 2

Full disclosure: I watched a cut of 'Ju-On: The Curse 2 (2000)' that combines it with its predecessor, thus removing the thirty minutes of recap found in the actual cut of the film. Using that much footage from a pre-existing picture is pretty inexcusable (especially when the film you're padding it with is only seventy-five minutes long), but I can't really comment on it in detail because I skipped the recap entirely. Once the flick delves into new territory, it's a mostly effective - if somewhat redundant - extension to its predecessor. It expands upon the initial concept by making it clear that the curse not only effects those who have been inside the focal house, but also those that get near them. That's its most major contribution to the franchise's lore; other than that, it's pretty much more of the same, which is to say a series of interconnected segments that culminate in a scare. The non-linear nature of the story is played down significantly here, with the segments more-or-less seeming to continue directly on from one another. This isn't really an issue, though, and it makes for a more straightforward viewing experience. The segments themselves are typically engaging, even if most of them are a bit middling overall. There are a couple of segments that stand out above the others and it's these that make the overall film worth a watch. It typically feels less like a full-blown sequel and more like an epilogue, but it has a few arresting sequences and further solidifies the never-ending nature of the series' eponymous curse. 6/10.

I'll get straight to the point; a little more than half of Ju-On 2 is footage from the first movie. That is a very, very big problem. If it was all original footage, then Ju-On 2 would easily outshine the original. What new material there is is stronger than the first one, and more original, too. But as it stands, Ju-On 2 is mostly just a rehash of the original, which is a real shame. SOme of the many questions from the convoluted story of the original are answered here, but not to a satisfying degree. I get that they were trying to make it so that you didn't have to watch the original first, but it is absolutely absurd to expect returning viewers to sit through the same stuff. Why couldn't there have been a simple opening exposition scene about the previous occurances in the house? That would've been shorter and less annoying, and we would've gotten more time for the great original content.

Honestly, I would reccomend just completely skipping over the first forty minutes if you're hot off the heels of Ju-On: the Curse. If you haven't seen the original, then I would reccomend this movie even more. Just go in with the knowledge that the movie's first half is ripped straight from the first half of Ju-On, and you'll have a good time.

Final Score: 47/100.

A sequel that takes and incorporates the best concepts from its predecessor, adding other stories to complement its entire narrative, which can divide opinions.

"Ju-on: The Curse 2" is a movie that revisits its original concept, but in a graphic manner, once again capturing many of the images from the previous installment, where emphasis is placed on more crucial, impactful, or outstanding moments. "The Curse 2" is a film that revisits its original concept, but in a graphic manner, once again capturing many of the images from the previous installment, where emphasis is placed on more crucial, impactful, or outstanding moments. All of this with the aim of providing new perspectives that foster the overall growth of the narrative. It is a somewhat debatable decision because from a technical standpoint, time is wasted building new ideas that could match or even surpass what was seen in the first installment. On the other hand, reinforcing that impact again to give more connection with the new elements observed in the movie and thus providing the viewer with a refreshing sequence and a more coherent follow-up with each new approach.

The director and screenwriter Takashi Shimizu implemented this concept with the aim of addressing a main line to be able to see the importance or chaos that is caused thru the most impactful moments of the story, with the objective that the viewer keeps in mind the consequences over time and that focus on the curse. Now then, can this be debatable? Totally, because the mere fact of having 30 minutes of the same footage again, with the same concept or something more predominant, is an indication that the ideas were falling short or that there simply wasn't anything beyond that could engage the consumers. It's as if it were intentional to capture the viewer's attention again. Moreover, that approach divides the critics significantly.

In addition to that, it is a point full of controversy because the new additions can feel somewhat rushed, with few layers of interpretation or simply not up to the standards of those seen in the previous installment. The final result of the movie speaks for itself and is undeniably entertaining, but without a doubt, it lacked much more. This sequel is a sequence of unadded footage that seems to have been left out of the first work or were scenes shot with those ideas on the go that ultimately came together to provide a second part.

With the aforementioned, I wouldn't want to give the impression that the sequel is bad, because it's not; it has its merits and meets its objective. In fact, it is a coherent and understandable sequel given the background of its production, but it should be noted that it is not better than its predecessor. Even so, it is good to have a bit more information, and that is appreciated.

The musical score, the sounds, the costumes, the staging, the makeup, and other cinematic aspects are once again decent, simple, but very much in line with the esthetic of this horror film. The script, despite having the aforementioned actions, has its logic and main focus. It's all a matter of expectation and interpretation, however, it's debatable.

"Ju-on: The Curse 2" once again takes up those reflective messages about trauma, the loss of loved ones, mourning, despair, fear, double personalities, murders, disbelief from security entities, family ties, desperation, and how many families live with supernatural themes. "The Curse 2" once again revisits those reflective messages about trauma, the loss of loved ones, mourning, despair, fear, split personalities, murders, disbelief from security entities, family ties, desperation, and how many families live with supernatural themes. Once again, the metaphor of how anger and revenge become curses is established, greatly affecting people in an environment and gaining momentum over time. On the other hand, the concept of the house escalates even further, knowing that it can be considered the epicenter of evil and curses themselves, drawing a parallel with external problems and the consequences they bring, providing a focus on reproduction in many households and that it may be more common than we believe. It is a window to analyze the limits of the human being in the face of personal problems, revenge, anger, cruelty, and those negative aspects that abound in the minds of many people.

In summary, it is a sequel of just 70 minutes that wastes the addition of other ideas that could have made an impact; however, it fulfills its entertainment objective and slightly expands the lore of this saga. The movie could undoubtedly have been better, and it doesn't mean it's bad; it just lacked something more to be almost on the same level as its predecessor.

5.5/10.

... mainly because Ju-on 2 boasts an outrageous FORTY minutes' worth of material literally taken straight out of the first Ju-on - and when you consider that the sequel only runs for 76 minutes, that leaves you with 36 original minutes' worth of film. Ho-hum. I found that deeply irritating - as if viewers simply wouldn't remember the same stuff! - not to mention dull, having to watch it all over again.

OK, that complaint aside, the byline for Ju-on 2 was that it was supposed to explain a lot of the unanswered questions from the first movie, which frankly, over 36 minutes, simply doesn't go far enough to making any kind of sense of the original's highly convoluted storyline.

There are, however, some really nice new horror sequences which show how good the film might have been, had it had some time to develop; and some of the questions raised by the original - some, but not all - are answered.

So in conclusion - if you loved the first original movie and want to see some further developments on the story, go for it - but just remember to keep your remote control to hand with your finger on the fast-forward button for forty minutes.

I enjoyed the foreign horror film 'Ju-on' and the remake that was made by Tackashimi Shimzu, the man who directed the American remake.'Ju-on 2' isn't nearly as good as the first or the remake.Sure, it was worth watching, but the fact that almost half of the movie is the same footage from the first movie makes it seem like one of those movies that you have already seen before.The movie is also short.It runs in at 76 minutes, but really runs at 74 minutes if you take out the end credits.Yeah, it's a pretty short movie.I can't guarantee that if you liked the first movie that you'll like this one.Still, I found 'Ju-on 2' to be an enjoyable sequel.