Tomie: Replay

TOMIE: REPLAY is the third instalment of this manga-based series about a girl who keeps coming back from the dead. The first film, TOMIE, was very much a unique, weird movie with an atmosphere all its own, while the lamentable shot-on-video sequel, TOMIE: ANOTHER FACE, isn't even worth mentioning. The good news is that TOMIE: REPLAY is on much stronger ground, similar in many aspects to the first film but with a more involved storyline.

The horror in this film is far more visceral, with plenty of disturbing imagery. There are body parts galore, as well as scenes of violent murder and just plain weird stuff going on (the opening sequence, in which doctors performing a Caesarian discover a woman's head instead of a baby, is difficult to forget). There are more cast members here, from mad doctors to dedicated daughters and the usual rote of young menfolk who find themselves obsessed with the spectral Tomie.

The pacing is slow and the tone subdued for the most part, and if you're looking for well-developed ghost sequences a la RING or THE GRUDGE, then you've come to the wrong place. If, however, you're in the mood for a one-of-a-kind cult oddity then the Tomie series might just be for you.

This film is more like a horror film than the first two, which seem to more psychological dramas. Yumi (Sayaka Yamaguchi) is trying to find out what happened to her father, a doctor at a local hospital. Tomie comes back to life when she bursts out of a little girl's stomach. She causes Yumi's father to bleed. Everyone involved with this procedure either dies or goes mad. One, Takeski, takes Tomie to his home. He eventually kills and dismembers her, but if you've watched these films, you know she's coming back. Yumi keeps trying to find her father and enlists the help of resident Fumiko (Yosuke Kubozuka). Tomie is almost a bit player through a good part of this film. Although slow moving, it keeps your interest and the story and direction, as well as the acting, is all good. You have to watch at least the first Tomie movie to understand the character fully, but I think this film is a worthier addition to this series than "Another Face". Recommended.

Well, at least it was better than the original first "Tomie" movie, but not much. "Tomie: Replay", like the "Tomie" movie, was suffering from a very long and dragged out story that told very little, thus making it seem to drag on forever and ever. And also like "Tomie", there was absolutely no horror in this movie, either that or I have become too seasoned to Japanese horror movies.

The story, however, is a tad more well-constructed than the one told in "Tomie". Although, again as with the first "Tomie" movie, then it was suffering from a lack of clear red line in the story; there was just too much side tracking and telling stuff that really didn't further the already slow-paced storyline. The story is about Tomie being reborn in a hospital, and those who participated in this event have either disappeared or stopped working. Finding her father's notes, a young student sets out to find out the reason behind these odd events, and she is helped by a young man who is out on a similar quest, to find out why his long-time friend suddenly started to behave weird.

Unlike the first movie, then there is a much more clear and visible production value to this movie, which is a step upward on the enjoyment scale. And the someone, although not much, improved storyline was also a boost upward.

But in overall, then "Tomie: Replay" is not all that much of an improvement, and if you have seen "Tomie", then you will be entertained by "Tomie: Replay". But personally, I am hoping that the other movies in the series will prove more scary and entertaining.

For a Japanese horror movie, then "Tomie: Replay" was surprisingly devoid of scares, spooky stuff and horror.

I liked this movie. The acting was great, especially my the lead and supporting actresses. I also liked the atmosphere. A lot of the movie is filmed in a small apartment or in the confines of a hospital. This works well. My only issue was that a few scenes are confusing. I think it might be due to errors in translating to English.

This is my favorite film in the Tomie series. I recommend all of them, though.

A girl named Tomie is born fully grown from a child's stomach. So is kept in a fish aquarium until she breaks out of the hospital with the help of a love-smitten patient. Meanwhile, Yumi (Sakaya Yamaguchi) after much searching finds her father's notebook, whom was the director of the same said hospital, and reads it hoping to find clues about his mysterious disappearance. The last page is written in blood. How do these two things connect? While I liked this film more than the previous one, I couldn't help but feel something was missing. Perhaps it's just that the comic book character of Tomie can't really be carried over to the big screen. I don't know. This, the best in the series of 6 (currently), is just slightly above average.

My Grade: C+

DVD Extras: Art gallery ; Trailers for the first 5 "Tomie" film