The Grudge – Rating 2 out of 5

The Grudge – Rating 2 out of 5

“It’s not the scary hit that The Ring was in 2002, but The Grudge makes a similarly convincing case for American remakes of popular Japanese horror films. Barely a year passed between the release of Takashi Shimizu’s creepy ghost story Ju-On: The Grudge and the production of this American remake, set in Tokyo and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar in her first post-Buffy horror film. About the only significant difference between the two films is the importing of a mostly-American cast (including Bill Pullman, Clea DuVall and Grace Zabriskie), but The Grudge was reconfigured (by screenwriter Stephen Susco) to allow Shimizu to refine and improve the spookiest highlights of his earlier version, which enjoyed previous incarnations as a short film and two made-for-Japanese-video features. Surprising box-office analysts with a $40 million opening weekend, The Grudge may disappoint hard-core horror fans because it lacks gore and graphic violence, but as a creepy tale about a very haunted house, it’s guaranteed to send a few chills up your spine.”

This movie was crap right from the beginning. Putting Sarah Michelle Gellar in this movie was the first mistake. She seems so out of place it’s ridiculous. With every turn you expect Scooby and Shaggy to come busting into the room or someone from the set of Buffy to appear. If only she would ninja kick the crap out of someone it would have made the movie worthwhile.

Basically there is a house which has had a terrible incident occur and that incident has left a stain. Now, anyone who enters the house suffers the wrath. And the rest of the movie is about as exciting as that description. This movie is boring, it lacks any coherent plot, Gellar acts like a zombie through the whole thing and there is no sense of dread at all.

There is the ploy of the dark and the creepy noises to try and make something out of nothing, but in the end, there is just nothing.

Again, the original Ju-On is fair better than the Americanized version. This is one to skip unless you have run out of movies to watch.

Other Articles of Interest:

• The Grudge 2 – Rating 1 out of 5
• Reincarnation – After Dark Horror Fest – 8 Films To Die For
• The Abandoned – After Dark Horror Fest – 8 Films To Die For
• Bram Stoker’s Dracula – Rating 2 out of 5
• The Hamiltons – After Dark Horror Fest – 8 Films To Die For
• Wicked Little Things – After Dark Horror Fest – 8 Films To Die For
• The Ring – Rating 3 out of 5
• Dead Silence – Rating 3 out of 5
• Unrest – After Dark Horror Fest – 8 Films To Die For
• Time to bring out the scary movies