This is a superior sequel to the 2003 original, directed then by Takashi Miike. ONE MISSED CALL 2 is better because there's a better director on hand, Rempei Tsukamoto, who actually seems to believe in his source material, rather than Miike who adopted an offhand, workmanlike approach in the original film. This one benefits from similar scares but a deeper plot that goes further into the origins of the curse story to try and find out that makes the ghost tick, rather than just being a string of gruesome and inexplicable murders. It also recalls the kind of Hong Kong horrors of the 1980s in which characters head off to foreign locales (here it's Taiwan) and run foul of backwards characters and the kind of primitive superstition that's supposed to have disappeared in the modern world.The acting from the cast is excellent – whether it's the young couple caught up in the chaos or the female journalist trying to fix her own mental problems as well as solve the case. This is the main reason the film is better than the original – the actors just feel better here and the film goes off in a different direction, rather than just copying the formula of JU-ON: THE GRUDGE or RING, as did the original. That said, there are still plenty of effective scare moments and some grisly deaths, so fans who enjoy the formula will find something here for them as well. Camera-work and effects are fine. This may not be the loudest, most shocking or original horror film out there, but its mix of an intriguing and horrific storyline and solid chills and acting make it a superior one.

I watched this film 3 years ago after renting the DVD in a shopping mall near my house. This is an excellent film that builds up tension and fear towards the end of the film. The last twenty minutes of the film were very terrifying. I had nightmares after watching this movie. The actors and actresses play their roles very well. I highly recommend this movie for any horror fans. This movie may not be as good as the first one but is still really chilling. The director manages to create an extremely creepy and dark atmosphere for this film. And do watch out there is a frightening twist at the end of this film. Spoilers below: People have been found with coal dust on their body instead of a candy in their mouth. Could there be another new curse? Our heroes goes to Taiwan to find out. There is a huge frightening twist at the end of this movie that isn't common in other movies. This movie is very slow pacing at the beginning. It takes a while to really grab you. But I can assure you, by the end of the film you will be really satisfied. Score:10/10

It is strange indeed how people dismiss sequels on the sheer basis of them not being 'distant' from their original! And to top it off those very same people repeat over and over that the only sequel that could surpass its original is Godfather II.Talk about shamelessness.Chakushin Ari 2 is a very powerful example of such cases. Even for a Miike Takashi fan such as myself, I cannot but bow to Renpei's unique entry.Renpei Tsukamoto's style, at least here, does very much remind me of M. Night Shyamalan. It should be noted that I find it quite uneasy to endure 90 minutes of Shyamalan's viewers-are-mentally-challenged- and-my-mission-is-to- sing-them-a-lullaby 'technique', which, thank god, is not the case with Renpei. Rather, he uses Shyamalan's dream-like/fairy-tale atmosphere mixed with the harshness of classic Greek tragedies, as well as 'hidden' complex personae for his characters. Renpei also pays homage to the infamous Franco-ish nature-loving crossover, which sucks! Daira Minako provided an intriguing screenplay where each character's actions end up uncovering aims that might even contradict with what had appeared on-screen (note Ho's character as Nozoe Takako's husband). This device is taken to the extreme with the vengeful Li Li, whose reaction to others' compassion towards her past life ordeal is a merciless, cruel indifference(!), together with an utter hunger that makes her accept even replacement sacrifice.Beautiful Mimura, with her cute accent, puts up a so-so performance, occasionally tainted by J-Horror clichés (one of them felt as if it had been ported scene by scene from Honno Gurai Mizuno Soko Kara) and the annoying turn-slowly-to-scream-at-some-ghastly-presence. The most noteworthy of all though was Yoshizawa's performance as Kyoko's boyfriend-- he could actually create something good out of a god-awful, flatly-written Hollywood-style character.Seto Asaka (Nozoe Takako) was mediocre, while all the others were extra-ish more or less.Plot devices taken from the original, i.e. the ring-tone and blue-skin ghost appearing in unlikely places, were used almost to the point of perfection despite the apparent excessiveness of the former.The plot itself felt a little distracted and moved a little out of control as the Taiwan act starts; however, it soon manages to tie its knots and form a satisfying narrative. Ending was brilliant in a way, even though it clearly shows that Renpei wanted more space for his vision to be realised, and hence it is more of a cliff-hanger rather than an open ending like in the original.Summing up, this picture is one of the most artistically-satisfying "mainstream" J-Horror titles, clearly surpassing its initial entry while introducing a Japan-made cross J-Hollywood taste to the genre.

Japanese horror, like any other cinema industry, has it's duds. Ju-on the Curse 2 (TV), Dead Waves, Gozu, Shikoku, and the entire Tomie series qualify as disappointments, just to name a few. As a fan of East Asian horror, I demand good entertainment by the industry, and have no problem lambasting a crappy movie when I see one. Fortunately, One Missed Call 2 is not an utter disappointment, as some on IMDb have claimed. Unlike my other comments, this review will be short and sweet.The storyline is more complex and intricate than the original. Multiple supernatural elements and threats are introduced and the structure of the plot is more like a mystery, which keeps the viewer off balance and engaged at the same time. I actually needed a pad and pen to jot down notes because there was a lot of relationships and events to keep track of. If anything else, One Missed Call 2 is not easily predictable, and that is a good thing. Also, the technical quality is solid. Good cinematography, acting, and lighting.One negative is that the movie drags a bit in the middle and is not quite as scary as the original. The filmmakers should have added one or two entertaining kills during the middle half hour. That would have made this one as good as the original. In it's current state, however, it is less entertaining to a degree – but still entertaining nonetheless.I can't see how people can complain about One Missed Call 2 when they are constantly peppered by the sheer idiocy and low quality tripe dished out by Hollywood. Sure, this film is not as good as Kairo or as original as Tetsuo, but it's MUCH better than Hostel, Silent Hill, The Hills Have Eyes, or The Devil's Rejects, just to name a few.So if you liked the first one, give this one a try. Remember, even the most formulaic horror films from Japan are still better than your average American slasher.