The Grudge - Movie, Horror
Here is a movie that I didn't even expect.  This is mainly because I had seen the original first 2 Japanese releases and didn't know that The Grudge was an Americal adaptation of the Ju On series!  Much to my suprise, while watching the credits, I saw those beautiful 2 words flash across the screen  in the lower right hand corner.  With that being said, on with the review.

This movie is an excellent adaptation of the original 2*2=4 part series.  (There are 2 OVAs and 2 Theatrical relases in Japan.  They are about the same from version to version staying within the confines of parts.)  The US version is a culmination of both stories melded into an alternate/parallel "universe" that contains the same nuances that the first versions contained.  There are scares around every corner and the story telling is in the same style as the writer intended.  It feels very Tarantino-esque when it comes to trying to piece the storyline together in your head. 

Some of the best things that come from the Asian Horror genre is that it makes you think about what is going to scare the crap out of you for the whole time and they make you take it with liek emotional baggage after the final credits roll.  This is not any different in this example than it's original counterparts.  It was a delight to see Yuya Ozeki and Takako Fuji reprise their roles as Toshio and Kayako.  The Americans that they picked to be in this movie were fine with the exception of Bill Pullman's less than stellar job at being a teacher in Japan.  The fact that he didn't speak very good Japanese was very disturbing.  It was obvious that his tutor was female.  This was evident with his intonation.  (Not a sexist remark.)  Other than that, the ability to take the best parts from this Japanese cult hit(s) and put the power and money of Hollywood behind it, I'd say this was a good attempt. 

With this movie being the exception from the zombie laiden films that have been recent in Hollywood, this is a great refreshing change from the brain eaters.  Keep in mind that this movie was rated as PG-13, but I strongly suggest that if you plan on brining your kids to go see a good horror flick, you might want to pass on this for the content.  Not that it's a bad movie, it's just a fair warning. 

Personally, I'm waiting for the DVD with the deleted scenes that should have been in the movie.  I'm guessing that there are scenes that would have pushed it well into the R rating if they were left in.  I'm not about to give any spoilers, but the scene with the body hanging from the ceiling knocking up against the wall had obvious things missing from it to make it feel a little more cohesive.  Fans that have seen Ju On: The Grudge 2 will know exactly what I'm talking about.  -_^

Official Website - http://www.doyouhaveagrudge.com
(There's a little exploration game on there. It freaked me out so bad, I couldn't finish it.)
Rating - PG-13
Story - 8
Acting - 7
Special Effects - 10
Cinematography - 10
Overall - 8.75
- posted by ChoSanJuan @ 11:04 PM