A sequel that takes and incorporates the best concepts from its predecessor, adding other stories to complement its entire narrative, which can divide opinions.
"Ju-on: The Curse 2" is a movie that revisits its original concept, but in a graphic manner, once again capturing many of the images from the previous installment, where emphasis is placed on more crucial, impactful, or outstanding moments. "The Curse 2" is a film that revisits its original concept, but in a graphic manner, once again capturing many of the images from the previous installment, where emphasis is placed on more crucial, impactful, or outstanding moments. All of this with the aim of providing new perspectives that foster the overall growth of the narrative. It is a somewhat debatable decision because from a technical standpoint, time is wasted building new ideas that could match or even surpass what was seen in the first installment. On the other hand, reinforcing that impact again to give more connection with the new elements observed in the movie and thus providing the viewer with a refreshing sequence and a more coherent follow-up with each new approach.
The director and screenwriter Takashi Shimizu implemented this concept with the aim of addressing a main line to be able to see the importance or chaos that is caused thru the most impactful moments of the story, with the objective that the viewer keeps in mind the consequences over time and that focus on the curse. Now then, can this be debatable? Totally, because the mere fact of having 30 minutes of the same footage again, with the same concept or something more predominant, is an indication that the ideas were falling short or that there simply wasn't anything beyond that could engage the consumers. It's as if it were intentional to capture the viewer's attention again. Moreover, that approach divides the critics significantly.
In addition to that, it is a point full of controversy because the new additions can feel somewhat rushed, with few layers of interpretation or simply not up to the standards of those seen in the previous installment. The final result of the movie speaks for itself and is undeniably entertaining, but without a doubt, it lacked much more. This sequel is a sequence of unadded footage that seems to have been left out of the first work or were scenes shot with those ideas on the go that ultimately came together to provide a second part.
With the aforementioned, I wouldn't want to give the impression that the sequel is bad, because it's not; it has its merits and meets its objective. In fact, it is a coherent and understandable sequel given the background of its production, but it should be noted that it is not better than its predecessor. Even so, it is good to have a bit more information, and that is appreciated.
The musical score, the sounds, the costumes, the staging, the makeup, and other cinematic aspects are once again decent, simple, but very much in line with the esthetic of this horror film. The script, despite having the aforementioned actions, has its logic and main focus. It's all a matter of expectation and interpretation, however, it's debatable.
"Ju-on: The Curse 2" once again takes up those reflective messages about trauma, the loss of loved ones, mourning, despair, fear, double personalities, murders, disbelief from security entities, family ties, desperation, and how many families live with supernatural themes. "The Curse 2" once again revisits those reflective messages about trauma, the loss of loved ones, mourning, despair, fear, split personalities, murders, disbelief from security entities, family ties, desperation, and how many families live with supernatural themes. Once again, the metaphor of how anger and revenge become curses is established, greatly affecting people in an environment and gaining momentum over time. On the other hand, the concept of the house escalates even further, knowing that it can be considered the epicenter of evil and curses themselves, drawing a parallel with external problems and the consequences they bring, providing a focus on reproduction in many households and that it may be more common than we believe. It is a window to analyze the limits of the human being in the face of personal problems, revenge, anger, cruelty, and those negative aspects that abound in the minds of many people.
In summary, it is a sequel of just 70 minutes that wastes the addition of other ideas that could have made an impact; however, it fulfills its entertainment objective and slightly expands the lore of this saga. The movie could undoubtedly have been better, and it doesn't mean it's bad; it just lacked something more to be almost on the same level as its predecessor.
5.5/10.
