Review of The Grudge 2 (2006) by Shane C — 31 Jul 2012

As I said before, I was about to review The Grudge trillogy backwards, and now it's time for #2.

When a cursed Tokyo home is burned to the ground, the baneful spirit once confined within its walls is suddenly unleased to terrorize anyone and everyone who crosses its dark path. Original producers Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Taka Ichise return to help Shimizu realize his hair-raising vision with this tale that finds Karen's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) sister, Aubrey (Amber Tamblyn), teaming with spellbound journalist Eason (Edison Chen) to investigate the spectral mystery. Meanwhile, the ghostly grip of Toshio (Oga Tanaka) and Kayako (Takako Fuji) tightens on a Chicago housewife (Jennifer Beals) halfway across the globe.

The plot is divided in three different storylines: the school girls, the Karen-Aubrey story, and the chicago department, and the way each one connects each other at the surprising ending is beautifull and unexpected, some of the original's actors return like Sarah Michelle Gellar, and the already known ghosts; and the acting here is great but nothing spectacular. But still, the film becomes at times very predictable and although there are many effective scares, some of them become very routine.

Overall, I enjoyed this sequel better than the third one and somehow it managed to reach the original's status, but not completely, which could have been possible if the film's complete predicibility was removed.

Recomended.