This movie was a little disappointing, because it was not so good as the first movie, "The Grudge". A lot of ideas from "The Grudge" are also repeated here, so you know what to expect beforehand. It feels as if the producers are trying to suck the last marrow out of the first movie's popularity... and I think that is very bad! Also, my impression is that this movie is more low-budget, more amateurish, and with no such really good actors as those who played the American (English?) college teacher, and the inspector, in "The Grudge".Furthermore, it was very confusing, and I am not sure I understood what happened to all the people living in the house. This confusion might be a matter of inadequate translation, though, because there is some Japanese text that I believe is vital to the story, but which is not translated. For example the addresses on the envelopes, when the real estate agent enters the house and finds them inside the door...Still, it has it scares... My heart is still thumping loudly, and I have goose bumps... and I will be very afraid to turn out the lights in my bed-room! :-)

I have not seen the original film, so I can't make any comparison. Supposedly this "sequel" contains 40 minutes of the original and just 36 minutes of new material.No matter to me, as this is one of the creepiest films I have seen. I was literally jumping out of my seat at times. The mother and child really creeped me out. People dying all over the place due to some curse that resulted from a murder by a father.Creepy music, and some bizarre deaths make this an interesting movie. The non-linear style may put some off, but I really enjoyed it.There are apparently four of these films, so I will be looking for them all. Of course, I can also check out the American remakes which feature the mother (Takako Fuji) and the father (Takashi Matsuyama).

So you sat through the first "Ju-On : The Curse" and thought it was pretty creepy. Your only complaint was that the ending left you confused and wanting more. Well, be careful what you wish for because here we have "Ju-On 2 : The Curse" and it may leave you wanting less.For whatever reason, "Ju-On 2" starts off with teacher Shunsuke Kobayashi visiting the home of one of his students. It appears Toshio hasn't shown up in a while. Sound familiar? It should. Because for the first 30 minutes, you are simply watching the last 30 minutes of the first "Ju-On" - shot for shot.But the real question here is how does this supposed sequel stand up against the original. Well, for starters, it is less confusing. Once you move into the new footage, the movie stays in a linear time frame right up until the end. It even helps in explaining some of the more confusing elements from the first movie. As for the scares, you get more of the same here and this only serves to make them less effective. When we first saw a ghostly Kayko crawling around in the original, it was totally unexpected and genuinely creepy. However, in the sequel, you would've thought she'd entered the walking stage by now ala a toddler. But no, she's still hugging the ground and moving slower George Romero's dead.And here is one aspect of these movies, particularly this one, that I find curious. When approached by these ghosts, every character seems to be frightened to the point of where they can no longer at even the most basic level. Running away? Out of the question. Walking away? I don't think so. Screaming for help? Only if you can stop your whimpering to belt one out. For the most part, these scenes do work, and are punctuated with some incredibly effective jump cuts. But there are times when watching a man slowly crawl away from an even slower ghost just seems plain silly.So, with all that being said, should you give "Ju-On 2 : The Curse" a look? Absolutely - but only if you can somehow seamlessly merge the two movies together and cut out the half hour of repetition.Rating for "Ju-On : The Curse" [on a 5 star system] : 3 1/2 starsRating for "Ju-On 2 : The Curse" [on a 5 star system] : 2 1/2 starsRating for both movies combined as one [on a 5 star system] : 3 1/2 stars

It's been over a year since I started searching for copies of the JU-ON films, and thanks to a few wild dealings with proxy bidding services for Japanese auction sites I was able to track down a copy of part 2. It was well worth the effort!Although the copy of JU-ON 2 I viewed did not have an english-language option, a skeletal understanding of the story was easily discerned and was all that was needed to enjoy the proceedings. The film is a series of lightly-connected vignettes about the various inhabitants of a cursed apartment and the myriad of horrible fates that befall them.After my initial viewing, I felt the film started very slowly and didn't really offer much until its final 20 minutes. The second time around however, I really found myself drawn in from the get-go. While the last 20 minutes do pack the strongest punch, the first 50 minutes build on each other quite well and set you up for what amounts to multiple drop-kicks to your psyche in the final sections. Director Takashi Shimizu conjures up some of the most frightening images yours truly, a fear film vet and the sort of person who scares none too easily, has EVER seen.I recommend this film highly, and wish you luck in tracking down a copy. As for me, I'm off to find the original JU-ON...