Jake (Matthew Knight) is the only survivor of the events that conclude The Grudge 2, and he's certain that something terrible is going to happen in the Chicago apartment building where he used to live. Dr. Sullivan (Shawnee Smith), assigned to watch Jake at the psychiatric ward where he's currently being held, decides to investigate at the scene of the incident, where she meets Max (Gil McKinney), the landlord, his older sister Lisa (Johanna Braddy) and their younger, asthma-afflicted sister Rose (Jadie Hobson), who are beginning to notice strange occurrences in the building. When a mysterious stranger (Emi Ikehata) arrives from Japan and informs them of the terrible curse upon their building, they have to band together and seal the evil away before it's too late.

It sounds like a backhanded compliment, but I'd enthusiastically call The Grudge 3 "pleasantly mediocre" and mean it. Most middling movies are frustrating, thanks to either a few avoidable disappointing mistakes or brief flashes of the better movie that could have been, but here we get neither: the film's mildly entertaining throughout all of its 90 minutes. Yeah, anyone who saw director Joe Lynch's Wrong Turn 2 is in for a disappointment, but The Grudge 3 compares favorably to pretty much every other direct-to-video sequel ever made. The fact that it's better than a Sci-Fi Channel original movie should easily trump the expectations of the most hopeful viewer.

The biggest coup for the movie is its surprisingly competent cast. The DVD box wants you to think that returning Grudge 2 cast member Knight and Saw star Smith are the movie's major players, but Braddy is the real lead, and she's especially appealing in a girl-next-door kind of way. I don't want to oversell it, because it's more personality than performance, but she might be the most likable lead actress in a horror movie I've seen in a long time. She delivers her lines naturally instead of imposing dramatic weight upon them or trying to play her character like some sort of social or political statement (I believe girls can and should kick ass in movies, but too many movies belabor the point instead of just allowing their characters to do so naturally), and I wouldn't be surprised if she starts popping up in supporting roles in bigger projects. As for her co-stars, McKinney and Hobson are not so much outstanding as they are good enough to avoid making their characters consistently annoying, and Ikehata is passable as well.

I chose The Grudge 3 when I noticed that Toby Wilkins, director of magnolia's Splinter was at the helm. I still haven't managed to see Splinter, but there are moments in The Grudge 3 that hint at his capabilities. Not everyone can make a Mr. Potato Head scary, but Wilkins tries his darndest. On the other hand, it's hard to tell if Wilkins' occasional inspiration (long stretches of the film are pretty straightforward) are the exception or the rule. Is Wilkins injecting interesting compositions into a boring script, or is what little inspiration appears on screen all Wilkins has to offer? Like the rest of the movie, given the usual quality of direct-to-DVD sequels, I'll give Wilkins a pass.

I probably don't sound like I loved The Grudge 3, and I didn't. It isn't anything more than a decent time-waster, and it'll probably only appeal to hardcore fans of The Grudge or Ju-On series. Still, most direct-to-video sequels (like, say. Into The Blue 2: The Reef) are cheap, poorly-made cash-ins where the studio cuts every corner possible and then slaps the name of the franchise on the front just to make a quick buck, so if Wrong Turn 2 is the Mona Lisa of DTV sequels, that makes The Grudge 3 The Last Supper, or something. You'd probably be better off renting a copy of any of the original Japanese entries in the series, but this third American chapter isn't the wrong kind of terrifying experience.

The DVD
More hair covering creepy wide-eyed expressions are the order of the day. The disc label has yet another iteration of eyes and hair, there's no insert, and the design is fairly clean on both front and back. Again, take the synopsis with a grain of salt: most of the cast get more screen time than Knight or Smith. The single-width case in question is one of those recycled, eco-friendly cases with a huge recycling symbol punched out in the front and more big holes underneath the disc. The menus are as straightforward as they get.

The Video
The Grudge 3 definitely looks lower-budget than the other two, and the footage seems on the soft side, but this 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation is clean, with solid colors and a reasonably high amount of detail and clarity. As far as I can tell, this isn't a digital picture, so there isn't any ghosting/interlacing. It's nothing to write home about, but it gets the job done.

The Audio
The same can be said for this English 5.1 Dolby Digital track, which feels a little pedestrian. There's some half-hearted attempts to bring in the surrounds during intense parts of the film, but it's not particularly immersive. It's clean and free of hiss or noise, though, so it certainly won't detract from your viewing experience.

The Extras
Two paltry featurettes are included. "Tokyāgöaria" (9:45) documents their shooting in Tokyo, Chicago and Bulgaria (get it?) and the challenges of recreating things such as the apartment hallway from The Grudge 2, while "The Curse Continues" (5:55) is your basic making-of piece. Neither of these featurettes is wildly interesting, although the latter feature discusses the movie's ending. While I usually feel like a commentary might have sweetened the deal, I feel like I watched one just getting through the 15 minutes of video features, so I'm glad I didn't need to sit through the hypothetical other 75 minutes worth.

Trailers for Blu-Ray Disc, Nothing But the Truth, The Messengers 2: The Scarecrow and Vinyan play automatically when loading the disc, while the menu also includes (deep breath): What Doesn't Kill You, Boogeyman 3, [REC], Anaconda: Trail of Blood, Against the Dark, The Lodger, Red Sands, Resident Evil: Degeneration, Passengers, "Breaking Bad", Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour and FearNet.com.

Conclusion
If the sound of a clicking throat still inspires a bit of fear in you, then there's probably enough good stuff in The Grudge 3 to make it worth renting. Just keep your expectations in check: the movie is pleasant, not a masterpiece.