University student Yuri Kurahashi and her friend chance upon the cursed videotape of Sadako ("The Ring") and both are doomed to die in two days. Meanwhile, high school girl Suzuka Takagi is drawn towards the Saeki house, not knowing that once inside she will be stepping into the bounds of Kayako`s ("Ju On") curse. The two girls later meet through a medium, Keizo Tokiwa, who proposes to pit the ghosts against one another to end the curses once and for all. He lures them to the same location and a deadly battle ensues. However, something terrible and unexpected happens during the battle.
The vengeful spirits of the Ring and Grudge series face off.
Things reach fever pitch during an unsuccessful exorcism when a priestess and her acolytes are killed trying to expel Sadako from Natsumi at a temple.
ReplyDeleteThe film pays off with a horrifying, jaw-dropping climax that filled the crowded Tokyo movie theatre with audible delight.
It certainly did not help that so much time was spent building on the premise of the showdown that by the time the film got around to the showdown, which was probably around the last 20 minutes or so, the few sparring attempts between the two paranormal super-villainesses felt anti-climactic and a major let-down.
ReplyDeleteFans of Japanese horror should be satisfied.
ReplyDeleteIt has one static atmosphere, perhaps slowly or evenly paced. I so understand that some people find it boring, as other Japanese films are often criticized for it. Also some moments can seem strange to a western viewer.
To horror aficionados, these two long-haired, cursed women need no introduction. But to newcomers to the Asian horror genre, Sadako and Kayako come from the horror movies The Ring and Ju On series respectively.
ReplyDeleteOverall, while there were some moments intended to be frightening that felt a bit silly and over-the-top, I thought there were enough scary bits for the movie to be enjoyable as a horror flick.
With the endless jump scares, the myriad of loopholes, the damsels in distress, and oh, the two iconic Japanese ghosts I guess, this movie is fan service to all the J-Horror followers. And there’s quite the following there.
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