When a person dies in the grip of a powerful rage, a curse is left
behind. And those who come across this rage fall victim to the
wrath of the ghosts who bear it.
CRITIQUE
The Grudge
is both a sequel to and a remake of Ju-on: The Grudge. The
Ju-on movies are a series of four films (two direct-to-video and
two theatrical) based around the haunting of a home in Japan. Those
who enter the home find themselves falling victim to the Curse of the
home, the spirits of a young woman and child who were murdered there.
What separates The Grudge from other remakes of popular
Japanese horror films is that The Grudge was directed and
crewed by the same people who had made the originals.
The
storyline follows a similar path of the first theatrical film. A young
family moves into a haunted home and their lives as well as the lives
of a few outsiders are put into jeopardy by the angry spirits that
reside there. While the story is very simple, the film really isn’t.
The film balances the elements of a creepy supernatural horror film
and a mystery in ways that the US remake of The Ring was never
able to do.
The
film’s biggest failure is its use of sound. The film uses its score to
tell us when things are getting scary as opposed to allowing the
atmosphere of the film (and it is there, as opposed to the Ring
remake) to give us a sense of unease. The difference between Japanese
and American horror is also a factor that gives the film a little
confusion. While this does have some of the atmosphere of the
original, this film does attempt to go for the quick startling scare
as opposed to the intense building of tension that never seems to
subside.
This
is a decent remake, and is a pretty entertaining horror film.
THE VIDEO
The
digital transfer looks really good. The colors are rich and the black
levels are consistent. There is no hint of grain or digital
artifacting anywhere. Overall, a good presentation.
THE AUDIO
The
film is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 in both English and French and
sounds really good. There is great use of ambient noise. Overall, the
mix is wonderful.
THE EXTRAS
Cast and Crew Commentary:
Producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, along with Sarah Michelle Gellar,
Ted Raimi, and other members of the cast joke around about the film.
Not a very good commentary track, but okay to listen to.
A Powerful Rage:
A five-part making of featurette examining the different aspects of
making The Grudge. This is a great making-of featurette, going
as far as to show the cultural differences between Japanese and
American film crews.
Under the Skin:
A featurette explaining the reasons why, as audience members, we are
drawn to horror films and how they allow us to be affected by them
(even though we are perfectly safe from the dangers on screen.) It’s
interesting and leaves you wanting more.
FINAL THOUGHT
While not as good as the original Ju-on, The Grudge is a
worth addition to the series and is worth checking out.
