(Reviewed by MonsterMuppetsRevenge) - One thing I think horror has missed for too long is suspense, not the "killer is hiding behind the curtain" suspense, but the "what the fuck is going on here?" type which leaves your stomach in knots.  You know kinda what's going on (well the bodies are usually a give away), but when you try to work out why, you end up with a blank.   I hate it when the reasoning is given away to early, when your spoon-feed so quickly you end up choking.  The grudge managed to accomplish a great balance between keeping the audience in the dark and yet keeping them interested.  So points there.

The opening gets straight to business, and boy business is good.  No time is wasted introducing the characters, instead it sets about knocking em off.  The tale is told in a disjointed fashion, which usually winds me up, but their canny placement enhances the sense of unravelling the mystery.  You're never really allowed to jump ahead of the characters in understanding the events, and it helps you identify with them and sucks you in at the same time.

The idea is an intriguing one, if a life is taken in rage or a state of extreme emotion then it remains in the location, festering and taking a savage revenge through a daisy-chain of victims who unwittingly enter.  No time is wasted on drawn out explanations, you're given just enough for the mist to rise.  Which is actually a good thing because it is delivered at the optimum moment and as soon as it has then the pace goes up several notches for the finale.

The bumping off of characters steers away from the bloodfest we have become accustomed to (usually to make up for a crappy plot), and yet managed to have the hairs on the back of my neck twitching.  Which is a testiment to the strength of the plot and the skills of the director.  The scene where the son discovers his wife dying in bed is fantastic and a close second is his sister's demise (I'll be tucking the duvet under me feet tonight).

The ending was superb.  Having the curse live on, not ending with Gellar escaping was a brilliant touch, I'll say no more here, except to say it was nicely done, very nicely.

It was nice to see Gellar leaving the Buffy-overtones at the door this time, and showcasing some well-hiden talents.  And overall the cast did a good job, although I found Gellar's bf to be a little dim at times (both in performance and in general).

 Now for the bit where I grump it.  While Shimizu threw out the Hitchcock rule of letting the audience in on when something was about to happen, he lost the suspense in places by dragging it out for a bit too long.  When Yoko was in the loft being a fine example.

This movie borrowed heavily from the ring, and to be honest it felt a bit like a copout in places.  While there weren't any kiddies clambering out of any TV sets (although it came damn close at one point), it had all the other ingredients which sadly detracted from the movie in some key places.

Overall, I found the grudge to be a refreshing change from the dull, unimaginative, cliched tripe we've been dished out for the last couple of years.  Not only did it succeed as a creepy tale of horror but was also an artistic treat for the senses.