One Missed Call 2

A sequel to Takashi Miike's fun and frightful "One Missed Call," this follow-up set a year later is entertaining, but the mystery becomes a convoluted mess by the end.

The introduction of new characters, a child in Taiwan with frightening abilities and a reporter who's past is possibly(?) connected to the multiple malicious spirits involved, make this sequel harder to keep up with while also making the events of the original film feel accidental.

There's still some great performances and gnarly scares, but this sequel is not necessary viewing, especially if you're a fan of the first film and don't want to see the story become a weird mess.

It's not bad, though. Just okay.

It has not that punch of the first one, but for a sequel it still hits you and surprises you from times. It has the same dark, ominous feeling, and you don't know if you love or hate it when you hear that tune on the phone.

Not only that, but it's a very good movie you really can enjoy.

So just sit back and relax and keep your phone close.

After the ultimate success of its predecessor, "One Missed Call 2" is released in 2005 with a different crew on-board. Having an upgraded premise, you'd expect this sequel to be better--but it really isn't. Sure, the deaths are more intriguing, but you've got to listen--the film has more cons than expected. The ending is somewhat unsatisfying, and it seems that a brand new story is attempted to be forced into the original lore of Mimiko from the first "One Missed Call" film. Fortunately, the runtime is much more reasonable than the first film, and the terror stays the same, not changing much from the original film!

Chakushin ari 2 is a worthy addition to the One Missed Call franchise. It has a strong sense of narrative that drives the film, with enough twists to thwart the viewer when he thinks he already sees what's to come next. Certain scenes offer up subtle but truthful commentaries regarding man's mediated communication through technology, man's mediated relationships, and the obvious message of the first--abuse spawns more abuse.

This sequel is as good as the first in its attempt to create a world all too real and similar to our own yet with its own quirks and rules that gives possible space for the supernatural narrative. There may be times when the film lags with certain scenes that stay too long on screen but the general idea is one worth watching, not to mention the killer ending! :)

The strangest thing about this movie is that even though all of the characters are speaking Japanese, the whole affair feels like an American remake of a Japanese horror film.

The first One Missed Call was quite the rip-off of the current flavor of the month, when it comes to Japanese-style horror films. Fortunately, it had the talented Takahashi Miike at the helm, therefore even though it didn't really offer the viewer anything new, it still had that Miike flare to it that made all the difference.

One Missed Call 2, is brought to us without Miike and it is apparent to us from start to finish. And we end up with a bland rehashing of old themes, average acting, and nothing special in the dialogue department. Admittedly it is still scary at times, still no where as near as its predecessors of the genre. And the ghost story behind it all is not as compelling either.

One Missed Call 2 is not a waste of money, however, and can still entertain you if you are a big fan of the Japanese horror genre, or even of horror films in general.