The Grudge 2
Movie Review
"The Grudge 2"
Review by Eric D. Snider
Grade: C-
Rating: PG-13
Released: Friday, October 13, 2006
Directed by:
Cast:
If there's anything more pointless than a sequel that simply duplicates its predecessor's story and characters, it's a review of that sequel. Welcome to Pointless Town, population "The Grudge 2" and me.
Again directed by Takashi Shimizu and again written by Stephen Susco, this sequel to the 2004 hit (which was a remake of a Japanese hit) continues to believe that the scariest thing a movie could possibly feature is a ghostly Japanese woman or little boy appearing suddenly on the screen. Shimizu further believes that if the event is accompanied by a shriek of violins on the soundtrack, then you have perpetrated the most frightening thing ever committed to film.
By those standards, "The Grudge 2" must surely be a terrifying experience, for hardly five minutes can pass without some pale, bug-eyed ghost appearing. Ninety percent of the time, all these ghosts do is appear, usually with the effect of terrifying whoever sees them. The 10 other percent of the time, the ghosts actually attack their victims, though what they actually DO to them is never made clear.
After a while, these jump scares become predictable and obvious, and you start to think, hey, wait a minute, maybe this movie isn't scary after all! Maybe the movie has just been using gimmicks and tricks to make us THINK it's scary, to distract us from its complete lack of original content! As this realization dawns on you, you feel stupid for not having spotted it earlier -- like, say, when you saw the ads on TV.
The film follows three storylines, two of which seem irrelevant until the end, when the loose ends are gathered and the master plan is revealed (sort of). First of all, Aubrey Davis (Amber Tamblyn) is sent to Tokyo to check on her sister, Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who in the first film was terrorized by the ghosts and eventually set their house on fire in an attempt to destroy them. Karen's in the hospital now, a little worse for wear and completely insane.
Meanwhile (or maybe later, or maybe before), three high school girls go into the haunted house, which we know is a bad idea because everyone who enters the house winds up being pestered by the ghosts. Sure enough, that's what happens.
Thirdly, an American family in Chicago is disturbed by weird noises coming from their neighbors' apartment.
What does it all mean?! you ask. It means "The Grudge" made $187 million worldwide, thus assuring a sequel would be made whether anyone had a good idea for one or not. (Shimizu made a sequel to his Japanese original, too, but this is not a remake of it.) "The Grudge 2" brims with bad dialogue badly delivered, and there's very little suspense for the simple reason that too often, we have no idea what the heck's going on. It's hard to be scared and baffled at the same time.
Grade: C-
Rated PG-13, a little violence, some disturbing images, general creepiness
1 hr., 35 min.
Copyright © Eric D. Snider.
This work may not be transmitted via the Internet, nor reproduced in any other way, without written consent from Eric D. Snider.
This item has 10 comments
October 16, 2006 at 11:13 am
i love this movie! it was oneof the best movies ever! and i love a girl named gabby from pennsyvania
October 17, 2006 at 4:04 am
This review is right on the mark. I think your first sentence was explanation enough, you must feel somewhat disapointed for having to spend time writing this review.
October 20, 2006 at 6:45 pm
Your review is pretty much on the mark. The first movie was scary, because it introduced the concept of ghosts that can't be stopped, and can't be evaded, no matter what you do. The second movie stunk, because it just continued on. Yes, we know the ghosts can't be stopped, but they try to elude to some fact that maybe they can...and that never pans out...it just dies like all the rest of the characters. Yes, we know they can get a person anywhere, and I think that's still kinda scary, but there's no rhyme or reason, so it gets silly. But what's most annoying is that people in the movie know the house is cursed. But they don't destroy the house. Even worse, they decide to go into the house even after someone tells them it's cursed and not to go. Stupid! You deserve what you get! Plus, the American kids in that part of the film..."hey, someone's broken into our house...should we go get the cops? No, let's check it out (stupid). Hey, should we pick up a weapon to defend ourselves with? No, let's grab a flashlight instead...(stupid)." First movie was great. Second movie was an insult to the audience.
October 21, 2006 at 11:03 am
i think the movie was wonderfull and funny even when the girl peed on herself
October 21, 2006 at 1:40 pm
Spot-on review. Like Bob Smiley, I found the phrase "no rhyme or reason" going through my head. There is less to this film than meets the eye.
October 26, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Sounds a lot like part one. There's the guy in part one who's like "I must destroy the haunted house that kills everyone. Hark! I hear a noise in the haunted house that kills everyone. Could it be the ghost that kills everyone in this haunted house? I must check. Ah! I was correct, it was the ghost. I will die no because I'm incredibly stupid." And yeah, in part one a girl hears noise and just grabs a flashlight and investigates in a place she is easy to hurt. Logical people would grab a weapon and/or call the police. No rhyme or reason/can't stop the ghost also refers to part one. Wow, I guess I can say I have seen this one because it sounds just like the first (which was terrible).
October 30, 2006 at 9:02 pm
Unfortuantely,what other considers as "horror" does not relly on "gimicks" or suspense rather it rellies on slasher movies and opening people up w/ all the blood and gore.I disagree I think the movie was great not as great as the original japanese version but it's nice that it tackle some of the loose ends. And like other great stories it does not rely on spoon feeding the audience to the true nature of the plot and leaves us to make our own conclusions. I do however not recommend it to those who doe not like to use their brain and imagination that often.
March 29, 2008 at 8:52 pm
I'm sorry but this movie deserved an F
Not once was a scared. It was more of a comedy as I couldn't stop laughing (and I wasn't the only one in the theater) at when that girl who got locked in the closet started screaming (her face was hilarious) and when the old asian guy randomly appear in the bus say: na ni na ni oh (or something along that)
August 28, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Yeah it's true that this movie really was not the greatest ever. I thought that the first one actually had some moments in it that would scare you, but this second one really did not have what i needed. I hope that there will be better circumstances when they try to make a sequel to not go cheap budget and make it a terrible show. I don't want to waste my time with a crappy show like this again.
November 19, 2010 at 4:27 pm
so did you ever find out what ni ni ni nah meant on the scene of the bus on grudge. i have been wondering for years