New U.S. Release

Shutter

By DENNIS HARVEY

Rachael Taylor (pictured) stars opposite Joshua Jackson in the horror remake, 'Shutter.'

A 20th Century Fox release of a Regency Enterprises presentation of a New Regency, Vertigo Entertainment, Ozla Pictures production. Produced by Taka Ichise, Roy Lee, Doug Davison. Executive producers, Arnon Milchan, Sonny Mallhi, Gloria Fan. Co-producers, Paiboon Damrongchaitham, Boosaba Daorueng, Visute Poolvoralaks, Yodphet Sudsawat. Directed by Masayuki Ochiai. Screenplay, Luke Dawson, based on the 2004 Thai motion picture "Sutter kodtid winyan" directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun, Parkpoom Wongpoom/screenplay by Pisanthanakun, Wongpoom, Sopon Sukdapisit.
 
Ben - Joshua Jackson
Jane - Rachael Taylor
Megumi - Megumi Okina
Bruno - David Denman
Adam - John Hensley
Seiko - Maya Hazen
Ritsuo - James Kyson Lee
Akiko - Yoshiko Miyazaki
Murase - Kei Yamamoto
 

Yet another black-haired, pale-faced, wraithlike ghost girl comes crawling back to terrorize the living in "Shutter." First English-language feature for Japanese horror specialist Masayuki Ochiai ("Infection") is a blandly cast and crafted remake of the same-titled 2004 Thai pic that itself emulated J-horror norms, which seemed a lot fresher back then. Low on real scares, atmosphere and character (both human and directorial), mediocre pic looks to do commensurately pedestrian biz.

Boring perfect couple Ben ("Dawson's Creek's" Joshua Jackson) and Jane (Rachael Taylor, "Transformers") go directly from their Stateside wedding to Tokyo, where he has a lucrative fashion-photography gig. A nighttime drive in the countryside derails when a young woman suddenly materializes in the middle of the road and is seemingly run over before the couple's swerving car crashes. When they regain consciousness, there's no blood or body to be found. Ben, who didn't see the woman, thinks Jane imagined her -- and later ungraciously suggests she's made up this crisis because he doesn't pay enough attention to her.

Soon both Yanks are experiencing odd phenomena, however, with his professional photos and her tourist snaps marred by mysterious, foggy specters. Those "spirit photos," plus some poltergeisty activity, lead Jane to discover the identity of the woman apparently haunting them is one Megumi (Megumi Okina, from the original Japanese "Ju-on: The Grudge") -- and that Ben was involved with her during his prior Tokyo stint two years earlier.

Ben tells his wife Megumi turned into a needy-girlfriend-cum-stalker he couldn't shake until fellow expats Bruno ("The Office's" David Denman) and Adam (John Hensley, "Nip/Tuck") prevailed upon her to leave him alone. Natch, that turns out to be less than the whole truth. And natch, the ghost makes sure those two buddies get some haunting of their own before she wreaks maximum havoc on the lead protags.

By turning the story into one about Americans abroad, first-timer Luke Dawson's OK screenplay should have allowed Ochiai to comfortably reach new audiences while working primarily on home ground. (Prologue and epilogue are set in the U.S.) But pic's portrayal of Japan is glib and oddly Westernized, with a couple of significant Japanese characters that seem Japanese-American, sans explanation. Performers make too lightweight impressions, though they're not so much miscast as flatly handled.

Worse, the original's surprises don't play very surprisingly at all here. Scares are mostly a rote matter of silence followed by loud sounds, sudden hands on shoulders, or a few PG-13 gross-but-not-gory "eww!" moments. In a better film -- like the original, which conveyed real emotional gravity -- the fadeout image would provide a lingering chill. Here, it's just a mild goosing after formulaic genre slog.

Packaging is pro but routine, with regular Takeshi Kitano d.p. Katsumi Yanagijima's flavorless lensing a particular disappointment. Nathan Barr's discreet score is perhaps the most effectively creepy element.

Camera (color), Katsumi Yanagijima; editors, Michael N. Knue, Tim Alverson; music, Nathan Barr; music supervisors, Dave Jordan, Jojo Villanueva; production designer, Norifumi Ataka; art director, Ayaki Takagi; set decorator, Fumiaki Suzaka; sound (Dolby Digital/DTS), Jim Bolt, Masato Komatsu; supervising sound editor/sound designer, Chuck Michael; visual effects supervisors, Hajimie Matsumoto, Raymond McIntyre Jr.; visual effects, BIG-X, Pixel Magic; stunt coordinator, Masanori Saito; line producer, Satoshi Fukushima; associate producer, Richard Guay; assistant director, Edward Licht; casting, Donna Isaacson, Christian Kaplan. Reviewed at Sony Metreon, San Francisco, March 20, 2008. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 85 MIN.