The Ring Two (2005)

I think I'm gonna hafta 'fess up and admit that the low-key entries in the new J-horror renaissance just ain't cutting it for me. It's always atmosphere and visuals at the expense of everything else. That might do well in fifteen-minute bursts, but over the course of a feature I need more to hold onto. Slow pacing might help make your weird visuals seem a li'l bit creepier, Mister Japanese Director-san, but it also leaves me free to pick at the film's logical absence once I get over the brief "hey, that's kinda cool" reaction. For the record, this is weaker than The Eye or Gore Verbinski's remake (still haven't seen Ringu), but it's slightly better than anything Grudge-related. The search continues. (BTW, what the hell is up with Hideo Hackata's obsession with water imagery? Dude. Let it go. It ain't that interesting.)

Grade: C