Alright, so what is the verdict? How do ya'll think The Grudge stacks up against the original Ju-On (video or film version)? Can the same director make the same film three times and improve it?

I can't really answer, as I've read that THE GRUDGE incorporates bits and pieces from all of the JU-ON films, and I've only seen the first.

Given the use of the same director and Japanese setting (and maybe some other JU-ON personnel; I'm no expert on the series), it's certainly respectful, and serious; there's little intentional humor here, and I didn't hear too much from fellow viewers from something that was unintentional, either. The scenes I recognized were so close to the original (minus a somewhat intrusive Christopher Young score), it was as if the American actors were digitally lacquered over the Japanese ones. It must be said, though, that the casting of the US actors felt forced; are there any "English-language-only home health aid workers" in the country? Couldn't Gellar's character have been an English-language teacher or something? And, having seen JU-ON, THE GRUDGE felt disposable to me; not bad, but more a Xerox than its own individual thing (the US RING was more satisfactory in this regard).

But, on a $10 million budget, THE GRUDGE grossed $40 million in its first weekend, so the filmmakers can perhaps go in a more distinctive direction for the inevitable sequels.

Well it’s hard to get frightened by the same gimmick over and over and seeing that I’ve now seen the two Japanese TV movies and the two feature films... However I have the feeling that even if this were my first JU-ON outing I wouldn’t find it as successful as the others. It’s certainly been simplified and well explained (maybe too well). The American expats are actually well integrated and while the acting isn’t superb it’s fine. What really bothered me was the change in tone to suit the current American taste (i.e. not enough lingering on the creepy things and too many of the flashy, loud, sudden, jumpy scares). However what hurts this film most imo is the lack of a really good sound design (one of the more lingering elements of the earlier films). Fun seeing at the very end of the credit roll our beloved Alvin Lu and Patrick Macias in the list of those being thanked. :)