Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More from the abominable abode, 16 April 2006
Like everyone else, I'm tired of waiting for the eternally-delayed Ju-on sequel to make it on DVD here. So this is a review of a Chinese version of the DVD. Ju-on 2 seems to divide reviewers, but I thought it excellent, possibly better than the original, and full of inventive touches. You know pretty much from the start (or before you put the DVD on, really) what to expect -- more Creeping Sadakos (why isn't that the name of a rock group?), more bone-chilling creaky noises, more of those nasty ghosts, and more gruesome deaths. That's pretty much what a Japanese ghost movie offers these days, and that's what this delivers. The atmosphere is creepy throughout, with some genuine shock moments (usually, of course, glimpses of little boy or crawling girl) and lots of women screaming as they back into the corner in which they'll meet their doom. But of course. But for all that, it works terrifically well, and even manages to keep the chills going right up to the closing credits -- in other words, a great movie, and much BETTER than either of the Ring sequels. Possibly nobody will ever better the original "Ring moment" but this one has a good few stabs -- and they're pretty damn close.
That creepy house is still the centre of things, but Ju-on 2 adds a little twist. A film crew of one of those "Ghost hunter" style TV programs is visiting the house to do an article on events there. Pretty soon, the crew are dying in curious ways. Rather than a straight ABC narrative, the film is split into sections dealing with each of the characters, which involves jumping back and forward in time a fair bit -- this is handled extremely well and is never confusing. It also sets up future chills admirably. As usual, all the Japanese stars are competent, though this kind of movie never really stretches an actor. The story revolves around Kyoko Harase, who has made a name for herself in horror movies and is invited to accompany the film crew to the house as a "guest star". But even before this, Kyoko is caught up in events -- the movie begins when she and her boyfriend accidentally run over a cat on the road, and their car crashes. The boyfriend is in a coma, Kyoko injured and loses her unborn baby. Subsequently, people start seeing the ghostly boy standing next to her with his hand against her stomach, and she discovers she's pregnant again. You can pretty much write the rest of the movie -- which is not to denigrate it. Even if you find the inevitably ending ridiculous, it's still very well done, and there are still chills waiting before the credits roll.
The most effective aspect of this movie isn't fully developed. When the film crew begin shooting at the house, we see it through their jerky, handheld cameras. This is a clear throwback to "Blair Witch" but works extremely well here. In summary, not the greatest horror movie ever made, but a genuinely interesting and effective chiller, and one well worth watching. It's just a shame we have to wait so long for it!
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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Even more disturbing than the first..., 13 Mar 2005
After seeing the first film (and then the subsequent just-about-passable US remake), I stumbled upon this on a recent trip to Hong Kong. And all I can say is 'oh my god'. If you thought the first one was pretty scary, this one is even better...
This isn't really a sequal in the classic sense of the word, it just tells further stories of 'that' house, and the different people terrorised (and then killed) by the mind-curdling curse that affects it's residents or anyone even vaguely connected to it. Having said that, it still holds it's own as a great standalone horror film.
The shifts in the film's timeline will leave your brain spinning, but I just about worked it all out on a second (and probably necessary) viewing - the film keeps jumping around to show you how previous and/or future events tie in with other characters - which actually works quite well and will leave you turning it all over in your mind for ages afterwards. Not the easiest film to follow but DEFINATELY worth the return on your investment in terms of scares delivered.
The scenes regarding the 'thumping sounds on the wall' seemed to me to be shoehorned awkwardly and unnecessarily into the US remake of the first film, but here they make much more sense and are far more terrifying when left to play out properly. There are many more memorable moments of spine-freezing terror too.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Second Grudge film disappoints., 6 Jul 2005
After eagerly awaiting the viewing of this film, since the lack of sleep the first one caused, I finally popped it into the old DVD player and readied myself for more nail-biting moments. Well all I can say is that I was disappointed.Personally I never found Ju-On: The Grudge to be confusing and it had an edge of anticipation that was lacking from the sequel. Perhaps it is the fact that you are expecting the white faced ghosts to jump out around every corner and then they do. The film seems to show too much. The film also had a more b-grade feel to it, in my opinion. Where in Ju On: The Grudge I constantly got the pins and needles feeling when something happened, here I felt far too safe. Also gone is the sense of the house as the centre of the danger (as this is very underplayed), the claustrophobic feel that was so prevalent in Ju On: The Grudge. Here the danger seems more general and more disconnected. Where it is still far superior to disasters like Ju Rei, I would rather recommend something like Dark Water or The Eye. And let us not forget Ring and Ring 2, where the sequel was far better than what we have here. It is a pity, as I think Ju On 2 could have been much better. If you are new to J-Horror there are far better options to add to the collection.
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