Stevecorp
Don't listen to the negative reviews
Afouotos
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
FuzzyTagz
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
Enosh Sunny
A tale of misery and betrayal witnessed in manifolds; A woman agonized by some men returns for revenge and claims the lives that took hers. The film offers several instances that are riveting and startling enough to make you shudder at times, especially teens I guess as most of the people in my theater hall were young adults and cringing. Definitely not those who are more than familiar with predictable Horror sequences and adult audiences who squint their eyes at the thump of abrupt background din, which seems to have become mandatory in chilling scenes these days. But the way the film is presented makes you yawn sporadically a couple of times, or maybe it was just my short 6 hour night nap. None of the deaths are meticulous enough to demand positive reviews, except the climax with Joshua Jackson, in which he doesn't die but becomes deranged. Overall a good performance by Rachel Taylor, but still not sufficient to provide the film an edge-of-the-seat fright tag. Could have been made better. Could have been skipped. 5 out of 10. Right there in the middle.
Scarecrow-88
American photographer and his sweet wife (Joshua Jackson and Rachael Taylor) find a new home in Tokyo thanks to a friend of theirs (David Denman) who sets them up in a building to both live and work, but they encounter a lingering, pestering spirit. This Onryō could very well have a reason for showing up (and ruining) Jackson's photographic sessions with models in/outdoors, as well as, constantly turning up to haunt them. It seems Jackson and Denman (and also their mutual friend, played by John Hensley) eventually recognize exactly who this spirit is and why she is hanging around to remind them of past sins. Formulaic, dull plotting (the sheen had then worn off the allure of American remakes of Asian horror so popular in the late 90s/early 2000s by 2008), and a severe lack of imagination leave this remake dying on the screen without much to grab us. An image of why Jackson feels such a weight on his shoulders seems to be one of the few scenes (I also dug the scene where Taylor visits the magazine popular for showing (and creating, especially) spirit photography, and is shown a room with authentic photographs of specters on film) that leave an impression at all, but even it has been better executed before. You can just revisit (or watch for the first time) the Thai Shutter film and experience better creeps than what are available in this uninspired remake. One of the shining examples of how remaking past films over a period of time can numb the senses of horror fans, eventually draining our desire to even watch their Asian counterparts. The finale, where Jackson goes to great lengths to remove what is haunting him, is the death knell in this rather worthless remake. Taylor tries her best to encourage our sympathies for her difficult situation (not of her making; she's a victim of circumstance, unaware of what her husband done), but her character is basically reactionary, while Jackson bores with a performance and character that aren't able to rise above the material. Encountering a dead body with flies out her mouth may be the lone scary scene in the whole film.
mfnmbessert-224-279128
As much as I wanted to enjoy 'Shutter' and as intriguing as the premise was, this film just fails to deliver on so many levels. The writing is lackluster, and has clearly been written with haste and was obviously doctored by three or more people. The acting isn't terrible, Joshua Jackson has always been convincing, even in a sh**ty role, and John Hensley of 'Fifty Pills' fame is a nice added touch. Rachael Taylor is a beautiful new face to me, but she isn't really anything to brag about, and I feel like she was probably only given the role because of her similarities to Naomi Watts.No real scares to be had here at all, although I suppose if you were watching it alone late at night & if you scare particularly easily, the film does give off a creepy vibe in the scene with James Kyson Lee at the spirit photography office. Although, I must admit, I would much rather skip this film and just watch the episode of 'Celebrity Ghost Stories' with James Kyson Lee in it, because that is actually scary and is actually real.SHUTTER -----5/10.
Nitzan Havoc
I've always been a fan of Horror films, but it's only in this year that I've become a real devout fan and started to really peer into the depths of the genre. For instance, I used to have a very big problem with watching foreign films, simply wasn't able to connect with a film in a language I couldn't understand. However, luckily the Horror genre really cured me of that, and today Japanese Ghost stories are one of my favorite sub-genres.Shutter is the only Hollywood remake of a Japanese Horror film that I've seen after already seeing the original (haven't seen A Tale of Two Sister before The Uninvited, or the original Ring and Grudge before the remakes). It takes a lot out of the experience of watching such a film, as it's very loyal to the original, so anyone who's seen the original will not be surprised by the turn of events and twists...The real compliments I have for this film are for the excellent story and surprising twists that really caught me off guard, and should therefore go to the original version. This remake is, however, very well done.All I can say is that this film is recommended for all you Ghost stories fans who enjoy Hollywood more than Japanese cinema, or for you truly devout Horror freaks who'd like to compare this to the original. In any case, make sure not to pass on this one!
