November 15, 2004
Ju-On: The Grudge
It's hard for me NOT to compare this movie to the American version since I saw the American version first, so I'm not even going to bother to try.
Again, I'll do a general review above the cut and a spoiler review below the cut.
There was hardly any plot or character development in this film, which made it very difficult to figure out what the hell was going on.
The special effects were laughable and the creepiness just wasn't there (probably because I knew what to expect).
I read on the IMDB that the American version of the The Grudge is actually based on two Ju-On movies: The Grudge and The Curse.
Even so, this movie just isn't worth it.
First of all, there are WAY too many funky cuts back and forth in time. I mean, it's one thing to do a non-linear time line and not have title cards telling when the time frame is if the director gives clues within the scene. It's quite another thing to jump 7 years and expect us to figure it out.
Second, the special effects were lackluster. The scary dead people were very pale and white but it totally looked fake. The scary spirit wasn't necessarily scary because you could see that it was a person with black make-up on their face.
Third, why exactly did the evilness of the house wait several years to kill people? What's that about? It got tired and decided to rest? Whatever.
I seriously think that if I had seen this movie first, I still wouldn't have been as scared as I was with the American version.
And just how NOT scared am I? I'm sitting in my apartment, in the dark, closet doors ajar (not wide open mind you, but still open enough).
Posted by xinh at November 15, 2004 03:47 AM