“The Grudge 2” (Sony Pictures)
A Cool Hit For Halloween
“The Grudge” was a creepy little movie that was made better than it should be by the presence of everybody’s favorite vampire killer Sarah Michelle Geller. Now along comes “The Grudge 2” and Geller is back but only for a cameo appearance. The star of the sequel is Amber Tamblyn, a fairly good actress who does nothing to enhance this film. The movie gets its kicks from the creepiness of the plot and the series of “gotcha’s” that pop up every five minutes or so.
The film starts with Aubrey Davis (Tamblyn) getting word her sister Karen (Geller) is in the hospital in Japan. Though they are estranged Aubrey flies to her sister’s side and tries to figure out what caused her to end up in the pysch ward at the hospital. Of course she soon learns it was all caused by the curse of a house in Japan where evil dwelt. We learned all about this house in the original “Grudge.”
Aubrey goes on a quest to find out how to end the evil that is plaguing everyone who has entered the “house.” This includes three high school girls who went into the house for kicks. One of them, a girl named Allison (Arielle Kebbel), is having a hard time getting over the experience. She keeps seeing dead people.
Meanwhile in Chicago a woman (Jennifer Beals) has moved in with her boyfriend and his small son. Things are also eerie in their apartment building. It isn’t until the end of the movie that you find out what the connection between the two stories is.
Nothing in the movie makes much sense, and Amber Tamblyn seems to be in a fog the entire length of the movie. Still there is more enjoyment here than in the original and that is because every time things slow down in the plot somebody jumps out at someone. You aren’t always expecting these “appearances” and bang! there they are.
The movie is rated PG-13 for profanity and violence. Since it isn’t R rated the gore and fear factors are kept to a moderate level.
“The Grudge 2” is just what you want here in the Halloween month. It is a creepy, scary film that doesn’t overdo it. You will be covering your eyes and ears from time to time but you won’t be so horrified that you are running up the aisles.
Amber Tamblyn is no Sarah Michelle Geller but the movie is still good fun for a fright night. Get your popcorn and hunker down for a silly, scary good time.
I scored “The Grudge 2” a haunted 5 out of 10.
