The Grudge 2 (2006)
So, The Grudge 2 is not only a sequel, but the sequel to an American remake of a Japanese horror movie. I don’t think I need to further comment on why my expectations weren’t terribly high going into this one. I decided to give it a go anyway. I figured I might be surprised. And I was – pleasantly, even.
The Grudge 2 is nothing new. There isn’t really any furthering of the story aside from adding a slight twist to the curse from the original. The poor victims of the curse no longer need to enter the cursed house to fall prey to the evil – it follows the afflicted so that anyone that comes in contact with them also suffers. It made for a more workable plot and added a little something to the story.
Other than that, the scares are the same and so is the general creepy feel the first remake had. The story is told a little differently as well, and I think that’s where a lot of the negative reviews came from. If you’re not paying attention or generally have a logic deficiency, you may have a hard time following the direction The Grudge 2 takes. Everything comes together in the last ten minutes, though, so be patient.
And let’s not talk about the ‘plot twist’. If you don’t see that coming I’m not sure there’s hope for you.
Quick Review: The main fault with The Grudge 2 is how familiar it all feels. It’s like watching the first movie with new faces and a slightly different story. That said, although you know the jump scares are coming, they’re still scary and the creepy feel of the movie is still there. Overall, despite some major faults, The Grudge 2 is worth a watch and not as bad as the reviews would have you believe.
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