Ju-On 2 Reviews

• More of the creepy blue kid...

  
  By A2OCDX8QNF05UJ on 2006-08-28
  As a general rule, I'm usually very disappointed by sequels, but this one is an exception. While it doesn't add much to the first Ju-On, it's a virually seamless continuation, and is just as odd and twisted as the first.
  
  I couldn't say exactly why these movies are so unsettling, but they certainly are- the Japanese versions make my skin crawl. On the other hand, they seem to lose almost all value when they have Buffy the Vampire Slayer in them. Well worth the money to check out this and the first one, but if the first film was any indication of how well these translate, I'll stay well clear of the American version.
  
  I'm sure a lot of folks will have bad things to say about this as a sequel, but someone always does- for my buck, this movie is far creepier than even the worst western horror flicks, sequel or no.
  
  

• Slow moving sequel

  
  By A3EH76UZCIWDJX on 2006-10-27
  I'm a huge fan of the original Ju-on film, and was very excited to see this second installment (which is actually the 4th movie made in the series, but it's all very confusing, so i'll stop there). First off, this movie is extremely slow moving. there are times while watching it, i wanted to yell at the characters on the screen to do or say something, instead of just standing and staring off into space. Now, don't get me wrong, Japanese horror movies are a lot different from the ones we're used to in the US. They do tend to be more cerebral and off kilter. but this film, just couldn't hold my interest until the last 20mins. Like the original, the story is very confusing and hard to follow. BUT, unlike with the original, i was nearly about to give up on this film by the time it got interesting.
  
  The basic plot: a horror movie actress and her fiance get into an accident, where she encounters the mysterious little boy from the first film. The story is told through several points of veiw, seeing the events surrounding a film crew's documentary inside an 'infamous' haunted house that has a curse attached to it(anyone who comes in contact with the house, will be touched by the curse) and the movie jumps around back and forth between them, which adds to the confusion. the same effect was used in the first film, but there, i found myself so engrossed in the story, and the performances (which are far superior then in this film),that i was happy to go along for the ride. There are a few moments of uncomfortable creepiness, but there are also moments of b-movie camp which make the film at times , a bit of a joke. Unfortunitely, it just wasn't enjoyable to watch, so i can't recommend it.
  
  

• What the hell happened?

  
  By A3AAK33K3BUUTM on 2007-04-11
  The Grudge series is one that has been ongoing for quite some time now, beginning with an extremely low-budget and nearly plotless television miniseries known as "Ju-On: The Curse". It was a bizarre and creepy little concoction that was quite good and served as a protype or test run for what I consider to be the scariest ghost story ever told "Ju-On: The Grudge". That film ws mercilessly creepy and had me looking over my shoulder at the darkness surrounding me even as I watched it. It got under my skin like no film had in years and I loved it. The American remake was a promising idea, with the same director reprising his role, but it was awful. My wife, sister, and I literally laughed through the climax in the theater and ridiculed the film mercilessly all the way home. But when I saw a Japanese sequel was being released, I perked up, remembering the brilliance of the first film.
  
  Dear God, do I hate this movie. First and foremost, there is nothing scary about a haunted wig. I know that Japanese filmmakers seem to think nothing in the world is as terrifying as cartoonishly long black hair, but I'm sure even they should know that the terror doesn't transfer to self-mobile wigs. And then there's the haunted bootyprint. You read that right, a wet bootyprint that is haunted. The notion that a filmmaker thought these device would be good is much scarier than the application of these devices ever could be. And then there's that horrible sequence where a soccer ball turns into little ghostboy Toshio's head and frightens a girl to literal death. The unintentionsl laughs keep on coming. Picture this: a woman is in a hospital, legs locked in stirups giving birth. You with me? The woman is pushing and the baby is on the way and suddenly the lights go out and the doctors hear the horrible strangled croak that means mama ghost is here. Can you guess where it is she emerges from? In horror films there is good disgusting and bad disgusting; there is nothing at all good about watching a fully grown corpse climb out of a woman's.....area. These scenes alone could kill any movie, but the bad keeps on coming. The overly convoluted out-of-sequence storytelling tries so hard to be as cool as "Pulp Fiction" and other such films but only succeeds if the goal was giving me a headache and proving that this is a storytelling device that should only be used by trained professionals.
  
  I watched the film again, hoping to sort out the details of what the hell I had just watched, hoping that there was a good film in there somewhere that I missed the first time and only got angrier that I had now wasted twice as much time on this hate-crime of a sequel to a horror classic. I cannot believe that the same man made both films. At this point, I'm throwing in the towel on what was once an extremely promising horror franchise. This hackjob may well be the deathnail in the already stagnating Asian horror genre; I think J-horror may well be on it's last legs and fright fans will have to start searching for fresh ideas elsewhere.
  
  

• A Decent Wrap-Up To An Outstanding Series

  
  By A3PIPHWD45VOGI on 2006-11-16
  *
  Finally released in the US/Canada in NTSC Region-1 DVD format. I'm not exactly thrilled by that, since it means I am no longer part of the "Exclusive Owners" club who've had the privilege of being able to enjoy this (and other) "restricted releases" through the purchase of International DVDs. Oh, well....
  
  Be that as it may, however, I felt that "JUON 2" (the 'THEATRICAL' edition) presented a nice & fitting end of the "JUON" franchise, which began with the "V-Cinema" entries "JUON" and "JUON 2" (aka "The Curse") followed by the first "theatrical" release, "JUON" (aka "The Grudge"). Fortunately, the US/Canadian distributors figured out that it would be a wise idea NOT to market this DVD release as "JU-ON 2: The Grudge 2", as it would spare interested parties the same worsened confusion that was experienced by many when "JUON" (movie & DVD) was being promoted as "JU-ON: The Grudge" even while the Americanized version was being peddled as "THE GRUDGE" -- a distinction which is especially important now that the sequel to the Americanized version, "THE GRUDGE 2", is making its debut.
  
  It's tough trying to put the Japanese sequel on an equal footing with the original theatrical version, for though it keeps pretty much in the same spirit (no pun intended) as its predecessors it does tend to break the ranks of consistency in favor of something more fast-paced and more intense and, quite honestly, more bizarre & less coherent. Also, for some unexplained reason, one of the central characters whose presence was an important part of all of the previous installments is absent in this "final chapter," except for one very brief appearance where he's not given any real chance to interact with any of the targeted victims of the curse except in this one scene and in a rather 'indirect' way (I won't spoil it, but for those who have been following the complete series, you MAY have some idea of whom I am referring).
  
  Everything goes relatively smoothly in "JUON 2" until we come to the segment entitled, "Chiharu" ... then it becomes an installment of "PHANTASM" on steroids, totally and completely throwing the whole movie out of whack and making any sort of logical reconstuction of timelines and events entirely impossible (Shimizu-san loses a few points for that one). It's a fun & nicely executed segment, to be sure, but this is despite its improper handling and incorporation into the main storyline which made its inclusion more of a confusing distraction than a legitimate addition. Unfortunately, much of the movie is like this... even so, it is still possible to "put the pieces of the puzzle together" and fit everything into one neat pile with a little bit of brainwork -- otherwise, the "Chiharu" segment is to official "odd-man out" of the ENTIRE series.
  
  You're not going to get the same level of uneasy "creepiness" of the theatrical "JUON" or its v-cinema predecessors, since Shimizu Takashi seems to be going more for intensity and "cleverness" this time around, giving us something that's more akin to "spoonfeeding" and significantly lighter on the "cerebral."
  
  With the exception of his being at the helm of the "Hollywoodized" (semi-)remakes, it appears that Shimizu-san has concluded his popular and innovative "JUON" series with this fourth installment. I think it was a good run, but I also think Shimizu clearly saw (as most of us had) that the series had more-or-less run its course and that it was time that he looked to other things. I only wish that the "JUON" series could have gone out with more of a "Bang" instead of a champagne bottle "pop."
  
  
  

• just ridiculous

  
  By A2ZNSR0BVR1972 on 2006-11-30
  First, let me say that I quite enjoyed Ju-On. Though it didn't suspend my disbelief as it could have, it definitely was very creepy, interesting, and a worthwhile experience overall. But Ju-On2 is just bad. The acting usually isn't bad, but the effects and makeup are no better than comical. (I can't help but giggle every time I think about the scene in which the two were hanged by the hair of a phantasm that resides in the ceiling.) The development of the story is boring, and the story itself is derivative. As soon as I became tired of laughing at the spectacle on my television, I was very bored and ultimately ended up watching another movie.
  
  
• If You Enjoyed "Ju-On: The Grudge" . . .
  By A2LW5AL0KQ9P1M on 2007-02-25
  . . . then this film may be for you!
  
  Like "Ju-On: The Grudge," "Ju-On 2" presents a series of interconnected vignettes. Though the non-linear presentation can sometimes confuse the viewer, it takes only a moment to realize the correlation between the last portrait and the next. So, be patient;)
  
  This film has a bit of a postmodern spin (which many horror-film scholars may enjoy). One of the main characters, Kyoko Harase, plays an actress known as "The Queen of Horror." She is taken to the infamous Saeki home to give a television interview about her own experience as a horror actress. It is there that she is marked with the curse (in a fairly unpredictable way!!) And, there that true horror enters her own life.
  
  To the joy of many viewers, Toshio figures prominently into "Ju-On 2." Though the make-up on Toshio is a little flat (unlike "Ju-On The Grudge") his acting is still pitch-perfect. Nonetheless, it is interesting to note that Yuya Ozeki (who play Toshio Saeki) did not understand the part he was playing in earlier films (simply as a result of his tender age). He has now refused to watch his own films and his parents go to the premieres alone:) (You can discover this information on the American version of "The Grudge" in Takashi Shimizu's commentary).
  
  Some reviewers seem hyper-critical of this work. Yes, the film has some missteps, but they are easily overlooked. If you watched and enjoyed "Ju-On: The Grudge" then try "Ju-on 2" . . . you might be pleasantly surprised!
  
  
  
  
• Go along for the creepy ride....
  By A1DTNYGTWIN4DS on 2007-04-12
  A lot of people tend to over analize the J-horror films and forget to let themselves be entertained. Just let yourself enjoy it and you will be creeped out.
  
  It is a hard film to follow,and I think it's because it is subtitled, but it's just as satisfying as Juon 1. A scene I found particularly creepy was a guy is hung by the croaking hair of the lady ghost. What got me was his feet hitting the wall...tapping...it got under my skin!
  
  Sometimes the horror does seem a fraction contrived and alittle over-the-top for the context of this movie, but it's still all good.
  
  Anyways, just let yourself be entertained. The Juon series seems to be the better of the current J-horror on the market today.
  
  
• an interesting sequel
  By A2QES8YA6HP6CV on 2006-10-19
  This is an interesting sequel to an interesting horror film. The movie holds an interecting way of playing with time and several scenes are definately creepy but as a whole the movie is not as scary as the first. The movie is cut up into seperate vignettes that tie into each other at one point or another like the original, but unlike the original, the ghosts seem to play around with time a lot more. One story demonstrates this quite effectively and definately becomes one of the creepier moments in the movie. The one scene that semi-works is the scene with the wigs. This works with the shadows suggesting that something is there but then falls apart when a whig comes alive. once that occurs, one can't help but chuckle and that pulls you out of the surrealness of the scene. As a whole, the story isn't very coherent and upon further viewings, the movie loses a lot of its fright. It does work very well with particular scenes and ideas that are presented. The sound in this movie is particularly well done (especially some of the groaning from Kayako the main ghost). I would recomend seeing this movie but it would be better to rent than to buy. On a better note, this movie is far superior and scarier than the American Grudge 2. the american one sucks pretty hard.
  
  
• The Potential Greatness Of The Ju-On Concept Is Fully Realized
  By A3I69IXPTDVKQF on 2007-01-10
  Having seen the four 'main' Ju-On-related movies (this one and its predecessor, the "Grudge" remake and its sequel; the only ones I've yet to see are the made-for-Japanese-tv "Ju-On: The Curse" movies) I can say that this one is my favorite by far. It's the scariest, the most believable, the best-made, and has the best cast of characters.
  
  It all starts with a car accident, and is then revealed that the woman in the car, an actress, was recently in the house where most of the events from the first "Ju-On" took place. This movie unfolds in Extremely unlinear fashion. It's far more 'out there' in its unorthodox-ness than its predecessor, but winds up making more sense and being deadly believable in spite of all the enigmas and paradoxes. Basically - the movie consists of segments, each telling the story of a different character. Characters from other segments may play parts in another's feature segment, and the different segments do not follow a chronological order - they may happen before, after, or even concurrent with different segments of the movie. For example, near the end of one segment a phone call received by a character plays a role. In another segment later on, we see the character who's making that call. It may sound impossible to understand, but it's not. It certainly demands close attention - perhaps even more so than with movies like "Mute Witness" and "When A Stranger Calls Back" - but it's more than worth the effort.
  
  "Ju-On 2" could never have been presented in a conventional way; the pieces only come together through this strange fashion of presenting each main character's part in the larger story separately.
  
  The larger story is that when a television program that investigates supposedly paranormal places decides to film an episode in the house where the first "Ju-On: The Grudge" took place, it opens all kinds of unexpected doorways for the curse to come forth and grow. And the ways it does this are fearsome and unexpected; as with a good number of Asian horror movies you may find yourself half-jolted out of your seat a couple of times.
  
  Solid acting brings an interesting cast of characters to life very well; especially noteworthy are Emi Yamamoto as Megumi (an endearing production assistant on the documentary crew) and Yuya Ozeki as Toshio, the ghost child. Well produced, great atmosphere, and capped off with a hauntingly powerful ending. An all-around great.
  
  
• Wonderful but freaky
  By A2SFS32DPSCO4I on 2007-01-14
  Like the first Ju-on, this also takes place in Japan and centers around the cursed house and the effect it has on others. A famous actress finds out that she is pregnant but after a mysterious encounter with a cat and a little boy she finds that her baby may not be hers after all. The movie focuses on this woman and her tv/movie crew and what happens to them as a result of filming in the cursed house. This movie, like the other, warps time a bit but it keeps your interest. It also ends with a little twist. ;) I recommend it!
  
  
• Little Boy Blue
  By A2B8GXSCB1R05T on 2007-08-21
  Japan is not a place that calls for great originality in cinema. After all, this is the country that made 26 films in the Zatoichi series and 48 in the Tora san series, all with the same actors and essentially the same plot. Even with the phenomena of what is usually called J-Horror, most Western audiences don't realize that this is nothing new or ground-breaking, but that they have only just discovered a cinematic style and tradition that has been going on virtually unchanged for decades. The classic ghost story "Yotsuya Kaidan" has something like 20 or so versions filmed, with new ones still coming out, and Japanese audiences aren't bored yet.
  
  By this measure, I'm not sure if Takashi Shimizu needs to either be praised or shamed. He keeps banging out different versions of his horror series Ju-On, and while he has never matched the intensity and terror of his original vision, he hasn't made a real stinker either. He just does what a traditional Japanese filmmaker does, and keeps producing variations on a theme.
  
  This version, "Ju-On 2", actually the 4th film in the series which makes it even more confusing, is only bad by comparison. I have gotten a little too used to Toshio and Kayako, and their simple appearance is not enough to creep me out and get me looking over my shoulder anymore. Shimizu does drive the plot a bit more in this one, giving the ghostly Kayako more motivation than just simple vengeance, trying to make her into more of a character than a costume and a creepy sound effect. However, the emphasis on plot is ultimately the weak point. The horror of the Ju-On films is the absolute lack of motivation on the part of the vengeful ghosts. They kill, because that is all they know how to do. Giving them desires, objectives...it somehow makes them less scary, and a bit too human.
  
  Some of the ghostly devices come out more comical that terrifying. I don't care how you light it and what music you use, a ghostly wig is just not going to cut it. I think Shimizu can still make something of the Ju-On series, but he needs to remember what worked in the first place. Toshio cannot come out in the daytime and play soccer, even if he is only using his head. Stick to the dark corners of the house, the closets and the mirrors. That's where the ghosts should hide.
  
  
• eh i dunno
  By A1475ILISFOYG2 on 2007-09-15
  Not as good as I thought it was. The first JU-ON is an original, this one reminds me so much of the american remake. This is worth a watch, but not a buy, I feel i kind of wasted my money on it, but whatever. Rent it, if you like it enough, buy it.
  
  
• The Japanese must have some unnatural fear of childbirth.
  By A2HN3AWEQP8V19 on 2007-11-24
  That's the only conclusion I could come to when I finished watching this film. First off, let me start by saying that the American sequel is NOTHING like the original sequel. This sequel picks up with Yoshimi Kitada and her husband. They're traveling down the road after she had done a show where she'd been labeled as the Japanese horror queen(she had just come from the grudge house). She and her husband are discussing when she'll tell his parents that she's pregnant. Just then, he hits a black cat, killing it. He goes back to look, and as she's leaning out of the car to see, she sees instead a pair of ghostly white legs and bare feet running past the back of the car. He gets back in the car, and they get into an accident that causes her to miscarry.
  
  Flash forward. Husband is still in the hospital, unresponsive. She is on set of a horror movie, filming. The scene is about to end with a bunch of extras coming in and seeing the actress passed out on the floor. One of the extras screams, scaring everyone. She's staring at Yoshimi Kitada, but specifically at her stomach. Kitada goes to the doctor, where she learns that she's about three months along in her miscarried pregnancy. Flash back again as she gets a job going to the original Ju-On house, where weird things happen(even in reviewing the film, I can't keep all the time changes straight). Each person who went to that house as part of the film crew also has weird things happen to them. Weird things and death also happen to people that the film crew love or come into contact with. The extra who screamed had gotten trapped in the house, and weird things happened to her. All of the people died in bizarre ways, except for Kitada, who lived to give birth to Kayako Saeki, who pushes Kitada down some stairs when Saeki is five.
  
  It's a bizarre little film, and the individual vignettes that provide the back story are interesting in themselves. It's almost like watching a series of Night Gallery episodes with a common thread. They used Takako Fuji in this to play Kayako again. They used Ryôta Koyama to play Toshio. The really strange thing is Koyama looks almost exactly like Yuya Ozeki in the American version. The resemblance is uncanny. I can understand why Shimizu dumbed down the originals for American audiences. The lore and superstition surrounding Japanese culture is a little hard to grasp at times. However, I really think that American audiences should invest some time and energy into watching some of these Asian gems in their original forms. They are quite enjoyable, and spookier than standard American haunted house fare.
  
  
• Better than what Americans can do but still not great
  By A1AISPOIIHTHXX on 2007-02-11
  Recently I watched the Grudge 2 and I was not shocked by its lameness. The film simply was just not that scary but that's to be expected. But since video stores around here don't carry old ones anymore, it gets harder and harder to find a genuine horror movie, instead we're stuck with the tie-ins: the Ring comes out, we also got Ringu, now because of Grudge 2 on DVD, all we have left is Ju-On 2. Unlike most Japanese horror remakes that pretty much have the same plot as the original, this one completely has a separate story from the remake. Is it better than that? Of course. Is it a good horror movie? Well...
  
  The plot weaves various characters centering around a house: when people walk into a particular house, it's said a curse is placed upon them and they either end up dead or missing. Kyoko is a horror queen actress who gets in an unusual car accident. She apparently lost her baby but turns out she didn't. Tomoka, a young journalist and Megumi, a hairstylist all find themselves terrorized by 2 ghosts, Toshio and Kayako.
  
  Like many people, I'm getting disappointed with the so-called "horror" movies released lately. There seems to be an emphasis on disgusting gore to scare the audience. Problem is gore doesn't frighten so much as it disgusts and makes you squeamish. Asian horror however uses imagery and atmosphere to provide their scares and in many cases, such as the Eye, it can be quite effective. Other times it's just really dumb. Take this film for example where I kid you not, a scene is built entirely out of a wig. Yes that's right: a killer demonic wig and it's unintentionally funny. Also, a scene with swinging characters is funny, not only how they're hanging but what's causing their swinging.
  
  Strangely though is that "cat boy" actually doesn't even do anything cat-like which is pretty strange considering his urge to meow all the time in the Grudge films. Then there's Kayako who still has her croaking sound which to me still isn't that scary. One thing the film does contain which was seen in the remakes was the Tarentino-esque idea of messing with time and having scenes weave in and out of each other. It fits some scenes but in some cases, including an extra's story, is that it's so disorganized and confusing that you feel like "ok that story happens before that one right?" and hope you're right. I like the characters better here though, maybe because they're more fleshed out than the Grudge 2's, or maybe it's because they're just cuter, who knows.
  
  Some find it really scary, and others don't. For me, it's a film that done differently could've been quite chilling, here it brings about unintentional laughter. Oh man that wig...
  
  
• Better than The Grudge
  By ACWVL6RT6OFA8 on 2007-08-31
  If you are tired of the American rip-offs of Asian horror movies, or not sure of the difference. This is the movie to make it perfectly clear...as is Preminition! I absolutely horror movies and no one does it better Ashikawa! Hope you enjoy this and Ju-On 1 as much as I do.
  
  

• Ju-on (The Grudge)
• Ringu Anthology of Terror (Rasen/Ringu/Ringu 2/Ringu 0)
• Pulse
• The Grudge 2 (Unrated Director's Cut)
• Premonition