While still nowhere close to the original "Ringu" trilogy, at least "Sadako 3D 2" was a step up from its abysmal predecessor "Sadako 3D" - not much, but still noticeably improved.
What made "Sadako 3D 2" better than the previous was a more solid and thought through storyline as there was a red line throughout the movie, whereas the previous movie was messy, confusing and seemed mostly like random clips put together.
But still for a Japanese horror movie of this genre "Sadako 3D 2" wasn't particularly scary. Sure, there were some nice scenes here and there throughout the movie, but as a whole there just wasn't enough scares in the movie to match other similar movies.
One thing that impressed me was the acting performance put on by child actress Kokoro Hirasawa (playing Nagi). She, and she alone, was carrying this movie without a doubt, and she was genuinely capable of portraying some rather disturbing and spooky scenes with her body language and facial expression. Thumbs up for that! The effects in "Sadako 3D 2" also had a very noticeable improvement from the previous movies and it was more of an enjoyable experience to sit through this movie than it was with part one.
Still, the plot had strayed quite far from the original trilogy. And whether or not you like that or not is, of course, a personal preference. Of course it is good with new ideas and new blood, but if why change something that isn't broken? These two additions to the "Ringu" legacy seems to have set out to accomplish a little bit too much or going for a grander and more epic scale, but failed to fully grasp it and deliver where it would impress.
It was a good thing that director Tsutomu Hanabusa didn't include those laughable creatures that make their appearance in the first "Sadako 3D" movie. They were just ridiculous.
While not fully there yet, "Sadako 3D 2" is a mediocre addition to the "Ringu" legacy, and your overall experience would not be any less if you miss out on this movie (or the previous one).
