I just got around to seeing this movie. The first Grudge continues to freak me out to this day and I was ready and anxious to pop this one in. I watched it at night, turned off all the lights in the house, and prepared myself. While this round wasn’t quite as good as the first one, it was still full of creepiness and suspense.
If you remember the first movie, it told the story through two different timelines, eventually connecting the first chain of events with the second at the end. This time the story is told in much the same way, except that now there are three paths to follow. The first thread is a direct continuation of the events immediately following Karen’s hospitalization at the end of Grudge 1. Her sister has come to Tokyo from the US with the intent of bringing her home. Of course, she finds Karen’s research, goes to the house, and along with a journalist who has been following the case, goes in search of the real roots of the problem with the ghosts. Its kind of interesting because we learn a little more backstory of the mother who is the main antagonist.
The other two timelines take place two years later. 3 high school students go to the house to play a trick on their wannbe friend. They bring the curse on themselves and proceed to get taken out. Meanwhile, a mysterious new girl is brought back to her home in Chicago and infects the wife of the family living in the apartment next to them with the curse.
There are many similarities with the first movie in the way the story is told and the themes involved. The three stories all happen at different times, but like before they are interwoven with each other throughout the length of the movie. While the two latter events come together pretty good at the end like the first movie did, the continuation storyline has an ending that is pretty weird. It goes on with some imagery that made it a little unclear what they were trying to suggest. This is part of the Japanese style of filmmaking though. Not all loose ends are tied up and explained. Again the point is driven home that this curse is bigger than anyone and cannot be stopped. The filmmakers seem to take this a step further however, and state that it is growing, able to infect not just people who go to the house but people who come into contact with affected individuals. Also, some of the scares have lost their luster slightly because we know what to expect. And by the end of the film, so many people are being taken out that it gets a slight bit repetitive. That being said though, this movie is still scarier than anything else out there right now. I get a chill up my spine every time I hear that moaning. I am not one that gets scared at movies, but I will freely admit to turning on every light in the house after watching it. I was even hesitant to get my laundry from the basement because it was late and everybody else was asleep!
So, the first movie is better but this one still manages to be freaky. BTW, if you want a cultural experience, go out and rent Ju-on. This is the Japanese film that the original Grudge was based on. If I remember correctly, its subtitled but is just as spine-tingling as the American version and its interesting to note the differences between east and west versions.
