Customer Reviews

The Grudge 2 (Limited Edition Unrated Director's Cut)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(32)

 

 

You know I have seen many bad reviews on here about this movie, but I think that it's just so many people today are just so desensitized, and they have to over analyze every frame. It's just ugh.... Will it win a Oscar? no. Is it just a good movie that you can sit back and watch with a bowl of popcorn? yes. Get 1 and 2 or rent them and sit back and enjoy a couple of good movies.

I have also seen both of the original japanese movies and they are really good also.

Not remotely the same as the Japanese "Ju-On: The Grudge 2", this movie picks up from the same point ("The Grudge" and "Ju-On" were almost identical anyway) but heads off in a completely different direction, with mostly different characters from "Ju-On 2" and different concepts. It's not on par, in my opinion, with "Ju-On 2" but it is a very good movie in its own right, above both the first "Grudge" and the first "Ju-On" and introducing new ideas that beg for further follow-up.

"The Grudge 2" follows three paths - Karen Davis's sister Aubrey (played by Amber Tablyn) journeys to Japan where her sister is hospitilized and ends up drawn into the growing Ju-On curse; two private school idiots trick an insecure classmate into going with them to the vacant Saeki house, where they delight in locking her in a closet - admittedly not believing that the house really is haunted and that their poor prank-victim is about to encounter Kakuro; in an apartment building in the United States, the curse set loose in the first movie has somehow crossed the ocean and begun its hauntings there as well. The three plots end up tied together, but not in the way one might expect.

"The Grudge 2" has a lot going for it, but it's also hobbled by some shortcomings - the same thing seems to happen to all the Grudge movies except "Ju-On 2". Although the good outweighs the bad, the movie is still hampered. One of the faults could conceivably be fixed when the Unrated edition of the DVD is release, assuming it's extended in length. Probably the most interesting plot idea introduced here - a horrifying angle that looks at Kakuro's past and explains why she and her son were, of all the people who die violent deaths, the two who ended up transforming into Ju-On ghosts upon their deaths - is given all too brief play in the movie. This angle deserves more, either in a significantly extended cut of "The Grudge 2" or in a further sequel that makes it one of the main focuses.

Also, and though this happens only briefly, there is a single scene where the generally frightening spirits come off, instead of frightening, as kind of campy; it really put a crick in the movie right when it was building up some tension. Also, you've got three seperate plots (four if you count the all too-brief Kakuro backstory) in a one-and-a-half hour movie - it doesn't need to be extended with a couple of scenes, it needs to be Seriously extended, like at least another thirty minutes. The parts of the movie that didn't really work were because it kept 'cutting to the chase' way too quick instead of developing. A number of characters needed a bit more screen time. Personally, I would have liked for Jenna Dewan's character (I can't recall her name) in it longer, and not just because she's hot (although that's a part of it. This movie has some really nice-looking female cast members) but also because, gathering by what was on the screen, her character seems to get drawn quite deeply into the whole web of the Ju-On curse, but we see only a brief moment of its results rather than developing this point.

It probably comes off like I'm saying that everything that could go wrong does, but that's not it. It's just that we've got a really good movie here, but it could have been better - quite a bit better in fact. If there's more scenes shot, I hope they include them in the extended edition (which apparantly Is going to be quite a bit longer, so that's a good sign). The theatrical edition alone is good; with some of the angles allowed to play out longer it could be great. Even the theatrical cut 'as is' is worth getting though. You may also want to check out 'Ju-On 2', for an entirely different story following up the original events.

This movie had its creepy moments but it wasn't as good as the first. One of the biggest problems I found was that the female spirit didn't make that horrible croaking noise very much. One of the most frightening things about her was the noise she made, so even though many of her appearances were still creepy (except the mirror scene) to me she didn't seem as scary.

The Grudge jumped around in the timeline which was frustrating at first but when I got used to it I found it interesting and actually enjoyed the disorientation. I expected the same jumps in time in the Grudge 2 and sadly found a pretty linear timeline.

Finally, the thing that simply annoyed me was the fact that nearly everything and everyone in the movie was American. The three schoolgirls consisted of two Americans and one Japanese native who for some reason seemed to be attending a basic kanji class. Even the school counselor was American. The main character goes to a little run down village and meets an old Japanese mystic who speaks perfect English. I almost forgot that much of the story was taking place in Japan.

I wanted to like this movie as much as the Grudge but like many sequels it seemed haphazard.

All i can say is that this is a very under rated movie and a decent sequel, tying up some loose ends from the first Grudge. If you, (like me) enjoy watching scary films, you will probably enjoy this. As far as i understand the purpose of this movie is to scare its audience, and it does well what it is supposed to however outrageous or stupid it may be. A chilling experience, watching this at 2am is indeed an exhilarating ride :D

4* - pure horror, nice build up and very tense. Props to the cast and director

I am going to keep this review short and to the point. People who say how bad this film is are either too stupid to understand a movie whose timeline is not presented to them in simple 'point a to point b' format, or they simply cannot appreciate fine, emotionally nuanced performances, or perhaps they are not really into J-horror (as the genre is called) films. There, I said it. Deal with it.

The film is a showcase for two fine performances:

Amber Tamblyn as Aubrey and Arielle Kebbel as Allison both deliver top-notch, A-list performances as girls forced into a situation in which they have no understanding of either what is going on or how to get themselves out (relatively) intact. The talent they apply in crafting these characters really lets the viewer feel their desperation and terror. It is impossible not to feel so sorry for what is happening to them.

Frankly, Arielle Kebbel steals the show from her more well-known compatriots in this movie. She brings her A-game in this performance. Without giving too much away, there is one scene in particular where one can really feel her horror on a truly visceral level. Her eyes perfectly convey what she is feeling, and her scream is truly classic horror film quality. As I stated before, I felt so terribly sorry for her character because she is, from all we are shown, a good person who in no way deserves the torment she receives, and it seems as though she gets an extra big helping of it indeed.

If you like fine performances and 'films' more than just 'movies', then you should really enjoy this one. In fairness, it may take more than one viewing to fully appreciate. I didn't truly appreciate it until the second time.

Unlike The Grudge, which I found to be a total dud of a horror movie, The Grudge 2 actually has its creepier moments. In my opinion, this sequel is vastly superior to the original, so I'm a little perplexed as to why it has gotten such bad reviews. Like the original, it tells its story in a nonsequential manner. That's not as big a problem this time around, as you know to expect it, but I was a little frustrated by the fact that one big story arc seemed to have nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the movie until the very end. Of course, what matters here, even more than the story, is the scare factor, and The Grudge 2 greatly ratchets up the creepiness and atmosphere to satisfying levels, and it does so from the very start.

The story picks up immediately after the events chronicled in The Grudge, as Aubrey Davis (Amber Tamblyn of Joan of Arcadia fame) is dispatched to Japan to bring her sister Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar) home. Gellar turns in a memorable cameo appearance, but the Grudge mantle is quickly placed solely around the neck of Tamblyn as she tries to figure out what happened to her sister. With no one but an interested journalist (Edison Chen) to help her, she eventually succeeds in learning much more than is healthy about "the house" and the curse associated with it. At the same "time" (remember, this is "Grudge time"), you have three young girls who make the mistake of visiting the ghost house; it's basically a prank by two cool girls to scare new girl Allison (Arielle Kebbel) - scare her they do, but let's just say this prank really, really backfires. It makes for a great, really creepy opening to the film and supplies some great moments the rest of the way. Then you have yet another story arc playing out that has the creepy little Japanese boy doing double duty in a Chicago apartment building. Following the arrival of a mystery guest next door, things take a very bad turn for the family of a little boy who is just far too curious for his own good. I didn't really care for this storyline, as it just seemed to interrupt all the good creepy stuff going on in Japan, the changes in family behavior happen far too drastically, and, most importantly, it's hard to put this aspect of the plot into context until the very end.

When I reviewed The Grudge, I said it would only be scary if you think hair and kids wearing mascara are scary. The Grudge 2 isn't what I would call scary, either, but it does deliver a number of really creepy moments. Gellar makes a most memorable exit from the story, Allison's experience in the "closet" may have you gripping the arms of your chair, and Aubrey makes for a most sympathetic character. Tamblyn doesn't have the screen presence of a Sarah Michelle Gellar, but the all-too-brief appearance of Jenna Dewan (the hottest woman on planet Earth) is enough to make you forget Gellar altogether. If you weren't impressed with the first film, you should definitely give this sequel a try.

While the remake of the Japanese version was mildly entertaining and scary, this sequel is just a poor excuse to wring out more money out of the public.

The story has so many holes in it that you feel like you are watching a movie while dozing off and waking up - you are constantly asking yourself, what just happened? The filmmakers were trying too hard to create suspense and intrigue with a non-linear flow to the story (Memento, Fight Club?) in which they fail miserably.

Save your money and rent the original Japanese version if you haven't seen it already.

Short and sweet, THE GRUDGE 2 isn't nearly as spooky or as good as The Grudge or the ultra-creepy Ju-on (The Grudge). Now, here's a fatter version of that sentence:

In Japan, where ghosts run rampant, there is a house counted as one of the most haunted in all the land. That bleak house lies in Tokyo, and THE GRUDGE unveiled the origin of its rage-consumed haunt. THE GRUDGE 2 again centers on the haunt's murderous rampages as, this time, the spirit holds sway in three different story arcs and claims even more victims.

The main storyline has Aubrey Davis (Amber Tamblyn) flying out to Tokyo to visit her estranged sister Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who languishes in a hospital even as she's charged with arson (detailed in the first GRUDGE film). Aubrey manages to briefly speak with a hysterical Karen before hospital staff restrain her. Karen's parting advice to Aubrey: "Don't go in that house." But Audbrey had already left. Soon, Karen also leaves.

Meanwhile, three Tokyo schoolgirls, including an awkward and unpopular teen, venture into that cursed house. Minutes later they run away from it, screaming in utter fright. Naturally, that's not the end of it.

The ghosts cross the waters in the third arc, which starts with the middle part and then backtracks to the beginning. In Chicago, a boy becomes curious about his apartment building's mysterious, hooded new tenant. But curiousity turns to fright as unsettling events begin to take place, his family beginning to warp.

If you've already seen THE GRUDGE and the JUON installments, then there's really nothing new here for you. There wasn't for me. At this stage, I really do think that director Takashi Shimizu has done all he could with this franchise. The scares aren't very scary, and some of the key "boo" moments are telegraphed and then flatly choreographed (I thought the phone booth scene particularly lame).

Some good things about this film. I didn't have a problem with the fractured, non-linear storytelling, with the jumping back and forth among the three different story arcs and with the film stepping out of chronological continuity. Folks have told me that they felt disoriented watching this flick, but, to me, it's a nice twist and forced me to pay attention. I also liked that the movie again offers no solution in vanquishing the vengeful spirit. In fact, one character even states knowingly that there simply isn't a solution to this haunt. Because of this, THE GRUDGE 2 gives off a certain disquieting vibe (although this isn't enough for me to recommend the film). To paraphrase someone from a bonus feature on this disc, Japanese horror tends to dabble more in the ambiguous and the subtle whereas American horror prefers the beast to be definitively vanquished. At least, until the sequel.

Some decent bonus features here, but the ones I liked best are the behind-the-scenes featurettes: "East Meets West" - the official "making of" segment (15 minutes); "The Grudge 2: Storyline Development" - 11 minutes long and interesting, it goes in depth about the many debates and discussions which went on between the American and the Japanese factions (Taka Ichise, the Japanese producer, is refreshingly forthright and also critical of the American side); and "Ready When You Are, Mr. Shimizu" - a fun 13-minute focus on Director Takashi Shimizu.

Again, with THE GRUDGE 2 (which isn't the same as JUON 2), we're entering the dreaded territory of been-there and done-that and thrill-me-with-something-new-already. Enough with that spooky kid who caterwauls like an alley cat. This sequel might give you goosebumps only IF you haven't seen THE GRUDGE or any of the JUON pictures. Amber Tamblyn, who was so good in JOAN OF ARCADIA, is drab here in her leading role. Sarah Michelle Gellar's star power is sorely missed, and one wishes she had more of an extended cameo. By the way, it's nice to have a Jennifer Beals sighting, however brief (as I used to heavily crush on her). Here, Jennifer does some extracurricular stuff with a skillet. But her storyline, as well as that of her film hubbie, should've been given more time to percolate and then detailed more onscreen. As it is, that whole arc feels abrupt. The milk guzzling scene, though, was effectively disconcerting.

I guess, if you're a fan of Japanese horror cinema, this one's worth watching once. But, right afterwards, you just might take a skillet and do extracurricular things with it to your dvd player.

In the special features, there's a discussion between the Japanese filmmakers and the American ones about reaching a compromise: have it be like Japanese cinema but accessible for American audiences. In the end they created the biggest problem with the film: it's too jumbled and scattered that it's hard to get a good grasp on it since it tries to do too many things at once. But ultimately it does the cardinal sin of horror movies: it's just not that scary.

2 years have passed since the original and Karen Davis has been hospitalized. Her sister Aubrey flies to Tokyo to find her and bring her home but gets caught up in the story of the haunted house with a local Japanese kid named Eason. In another story, 3 school students walk in to the house with the intention of 2 of them scaring the other one but find themselves being cursed. And yet another story set in Chicago, a family finds themselves weirded out by a tenant on their floor.

The film follows the same fractured narrative as the first one; meaning that the stories happen in different time periods but the 3 intersect at various points. While some people are completely confused, I actually started to get it and figure out how they intertwined but in the end I felt slightly underwhelmed as if it didn't really matter that they did. For me the more interesting one was the one of the 3 girls since it was a bunch of freaky stuff that started to happen and they couldn't shake it while Aubrey's story seemed a bit too basic. And the tenant story just seemed to be there to show what happened to a character from one of the other stories.

As for whether the film is scary, well not really. While certain ideas work, such as a ghost jumping across a room using the lights, others are just way too similar such as another scene involving bed sheets, another shower scene and more scenes of Kayako just standing there staring at people. Whereas scenes in say, A Tale of Two Sisters or the Eye had tension and creepyness in their scenes, these are just there, not really scary but they're meant to be. And I don't know why but the scary stuff comes from a meowing boy? Or some croaking sound? It's not unsettling, it's just weird.

It's another case of America trying to remake something that worked fine in the original but not understanding what made the original good. While Ju-On 2 isn't that well liked by most, it's certainly at least better than this.

All I can say is that if you notice one thing about people that give this movie a bad review, they give just about everything a bad review except cartoon movies and star wars.

Now onto MY review...
First of all, The Grudge series isn't the greatest all of horror movies, but it does entertain and make you think. Heaven forbid that we should have to put together a movie plot with logical thinking of our own.

The Grudge 2 is better than the original in the fact that the horror is not limited to one family or group of people. This time, it travels across the globe, and the "scares" are pretty much from start to finish.
The stories DO cross each other's path, which makes for a good puzzle that you have to solve, all the while keeping an eye out for the good ol' pale-face woman and her son.

It's true, Sarah Michelle Gellar DOES get killed off pretty quick, but
according to part 1, she was destined to die anyway, due to having gone in the house. The new heroin, does a nice job of trying to defeat the curse, which ends in an unexpected way. (I won't spoil it.)

In all, it's a good movie that's a heck of alot better than some other
horror flicks coming out. (SEE PULSE)