Story: On the surface this movie seems like a carbon copy sequel to the original, with no new plot lines - just new faces. However, I actually enjoyed this movie more than its predecessor due to the fact it actually was not the same story. Yes, the are phone calls that predict death but the manner in which it happens is new. The story was written in a more evolved and self aware manner that added to the experience; this curse is not stagnant it evolves, thinks and manipulates - making it that much more dangerous and creepy to watch. A wonderful aspect to this script was there was just enough background founded but not enough to dull the story and slow the pace to a crawl. A more coherent urban legend foundation is built, some loose ends are tied and groundwork for a future film are all set within under 2 hours. That being said, this film was not without some weak spots. This is a Japanese horror film and has many of the elements that you see in many of the films in the same area: angry ghosts, creepy children, crawling things, strange noises etc. but they used them fairly well so it wasn't a let down (especially considering the year of this movie being 2005).

Cast: The cast wasn't bad, but not really standouts either. Everyone was enjoyable and fit their roles well, although the chemistry between one couple wasn't 100% there. That doesn't detract from the watching experience though because it somewhat fit their characters' situation and this is a horror movie, not a rom-com.  

Music: The music and sound effects worked really well for this movie. The full songs were haunting and gave an eerie edge to watching, while the sound effects definitely added suspense. I would find myself tense at times, not from what was actually on the screen but what I could hear off screen and that's almost always a good thing for movies of this genre.

Rewatch: The movie is definitely good and rewatchable, but I would probably only rewatch it once in a while.

Compared to the first movie, this one is better (in my opinion). The creep factor is there, balanced by myth and even a very, very little bit of comedy at times. Overall, this is a 7.5 for me! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and happy watching :)