After Takashi Shimizu's fifth examination of always the same curse became a huge success with only little budget in the United States a sixth installment was probably assured the day after its release.
However, The Grudge 2 presents the weakest of the movies, even though the first US remake was almost nothing to speak of as well. Amber Tamblyn's character is a pain, the school girls are annoying (as usual if the movie doesn't ask for them to kill each other off)and the entire plot in the USA is too distanced from the rest of the movie. The shocks keep within a limit and anyone who knows the Japanese movies and the Japanese remakes for theaters will experience a suspense-free time and practically awaits the ending finally resolving the complicated plot construct with one eye always watching the clock.

The Unrated Version comes close to the one of the predecessor. Some violence extensions here and there which probably were too much for the PG-13 rating but come off pretty soft in compariosn to other current horror movies. Furthermore Shimizu reworked some small scenes and added a few sequences which make the Unrated Version a little more comprehensible. But this doesn't make The Grudge 2 a really good movie.

Theatrical Version 102:08 minutes NTSC
Unrated Director’s Cut 107:44 minutes NTSC

NOTE:
The pictures are taken from the German report. The author marked those pictures for clarity with "DC" and "KF", "DC" obviously meaning "Director's Cut" and "KF" (Kinofassung) meaning "Theatrical Version". - the translator

Chicago

Alternate shot
A shot of Trish's husband Bill at the breakfast table has been mirrored and is framed differently.
no time difference

Alternate shot
After the hot cooking oil was poured over Bill's head there's more vapor going up in the Director's Cut before Trish hits him with the pan in the same shot. In the Theatrical Version one sees neither the vapor nor the hit (it's rather audible off screen). In excahnge there's a close-up of Trish.
Director's Cut is 7 frames longer

Alternate shot
As Bill falls of the chair the Theatrical Version runs longer in the first shot, the Director's Cut runs longer in the following shot.
In each case 5 frames
no time difference

Alternate shot
The Theatrical Version shows Bill from above (a conclusion of a prior shot). 13 Frames The Director's Cut presents a whole new and longer shot of the twitching man underneath the table.
Director's Cut is 3,5 seconds longer

Alternate shot
Shortly after that both versions again show the same shot of the prior cut. In other words, the Theatrical Version shows Bill from above, the Director's Cut from under the table.
no time difference

The transistion to the title sequence is a different one. The Theatrical Version shows Trish drinking coffee, then the frame fades to white. The Director's Cut takes more time and again shows Bill under the table. Blood flows from his head.
Director's Cut is 4,5 seconds longer

The title sequence is longer in the Director's Cut. It shows a little more of the flashbacks of the murders of the Japanese family from Part 1.
Several short scenes, 7 seconds longer altogether

Schoolgirls

After Lacey told that Karen killed her boyfriend right at this spot in the house as she put on the fire and Miyuki says Maybe they came here to ... you know. Lacey responds with "What, Miyuki? Get it on?". Miyuki: "Yeah."
4,5 seconds

The girls sneaking around in the house before entering the bedroom on the second floor was recut for the Director's Cut and comes with lots of alternate shots. This is mainly because Miyuki has an additional scene in the bathroom where the boy has been drowned. In the Theatrical Version it seemed like the girls were together the whole time.

In the bathroom Miyuki notices the black water in the tub, which satrts to bubble. Scared she steps back and is surprised by Lacey.

Added up the Director's Cut is 69,5 seconds longer.

The blackscreen at the transistion to California is slightly longer in the Director's Cut.
5 frames

Aubrey

Outside Karen's sick room a police officer asks Abrey for her ID.
4,5 seconds

Alternate arrangement
After Aubrey has left the sick room a scene of Trish moving into the Chicago apartment follows in the Dirctor's Cut. This scene comes much later in the Theatrical Version, after Karen fell off the roof.
-

Chicago

As Trish moves in with Bill they meet the neighbors John und Annie Flemming in the hallway and they smalltalk.
23,5 seconds

After Trish apologized to Jake because he had to make room in the closet he gets up and closes it. He says that it's okay because he needed to get rid of some trash anyway.
10,5 seconds

In the scene in which the Flemings from next door sneak Allison past Jake to their apartment Allison is more clearly visible thus the viewer gets a hint in the Director's Cut who's beneath the hood.
7,5 seconds

Aubrey

After Karen untied herself from her bed she walks to the door. In the background the ghost is visible.
5 seconds

Alternate shots
A short part of the escape of Karen through the hospital uses different shots. The ghost behind the curtains is only appearing in the Theatrical Version.
Theatrical Version is 9 frames longer

Only the Theatrical Version shows the face of the ghost behind Karen in the last scene on the roof. In exchange the Director's Cut shows a slightly longer black screen.
Theatrical Version is 5 frames longer

As Karen crashes down in front of Aubrey and Eason there's blood spraying over their feet.
14 frames

Digital alteration
As the face of Karen is shown blood flows from under her head in the Director's Cut. In the Theatrical Version the blood is blackened and the flowing isn't noticable anymore. Aside from that the DC is a little longer.
1 second

Digital alteration
In the next shot the blood's been blackened as well and another framing has been used.
no time difference

Again the same shot like the one before the prior cut. It is missing in the Theatrical Version.
3,5 seconds

Schoolgirls

Japanese class goes on a little longer.
6 seconds

At the motel (charging by the hour) Miyuki holds the condom longer in her hands.
6 seconds

Aubrey

Before Aubrey enters the place of Karen there's a shot of the moon in the Director's Cut.
5,5 seconds

As Eason looks for Aubrey in Karen's apartment Aubrey's sleeping in the Theatrical Version. In the Director's Cut she is walking towards the door in an extended shot.
Theatrical Version is 10 seconds longer

Chicago

Jake follows Allison as she walks into the courtyard.
20 seconds

Jake hides longer from Allison as she walks past him. He also watches tow other pass whose shoes and socks look like the ones of school girls. The Theatrical Version shows an alternate shot of Jake.
Director's Cut is 20,5 seconds longer

Eventually Jake comes out of his hideout.
11,5 seconds

Aubrey

Alternate arrangment
Back in Japan the strucutre was changed once again. The Theatrical Version continues with the scene of Allison and Lacey at the school's psychiatrist in which Lacey is confronted with the ghost. The Director's Cut first shows the scene with Aubrey and Eason visiting the cursed house. Other differences within these two scenes aren't existent but because of the different lenghts of black screens during transistions the Theatrical Version runs a little longer.
Theatrical Version is 2,5 seconds longer

As Eason and Aubrey look through the diary the Theatrical Version as a little longer in the beginning.
Theatrical Version is 9,5 seconds longer

As Eason reaches for the phone to call the expert the Theatrical Version is longer as well.
1,5 seconds

In exchange the Director's Cut follows with a long new sequence. While Eason talks to the expert over the phone and makes an appointment Allison looks around Karen's place.
51,5 seconds

As Eason sits down next to Aubrey the Theatrical Version shows him walking over to her. The Director's Cut only focuses on Aubrey.
Theatrical Version is 1,5 seconds longer

Longer shot of Eason watching a photo of the house in front of which the ghost appears in the darkroom.
3 seconds

As the ghost attacks Eason the Theatrical Version fades out. In the Director's Cut Eason goes down. The ghost completely crawls out of the basin and towards Eason. Then the DC fades out.
11,5 seconds

Longer shot of the photo falling out of Aubrey's hand right before she discovers the paralysed Eason.
1 seconds

Chicago

Alternate shots
As Vanessa walks away in shock over her milk drinking friend she just does it in the Theatrical Version. In the Director's Cut she comes up with an excuse.
Director's Cut is here 10 seconds longer.

In the Theatrical Version there's a longer shot of Jake entering the room of Allison.
2 seconds

Aubrey

Alternate shots
As Aubrey talks with her mother over the phone the beginning of the scene has been edited differently.. The Theatrical Version begins with Aubrey taking out her cell phone. The Director's Cut begins with the mother being awakened by the ringing phone.
Director's Cut is here 15,5 seconds longer.

Chicago

As Jake finds the dead father there's a longer shot of the man in the flash light.
1,5 seconds

Aubrey

Alternate finale
The entire murder of Aubrey is different in the Director's Cut. In the Theatrical Version there are only scenes of Aubrey and the murderer. The Director's Cut presents numerous flashbacks to the murder of the first woman from Part 1 - parallel to the events during Abrey's murder. Both killings proceed the same way. Additionally the scenes with Aubrey are more graphic in the Director's Cut. Above all the breaking neck in the end is more explicit and brutal.
Added up the Director's Cut is here 34 seconds longer.

The father noticing the boy on the second floor is a little longer in the Theatrical Version.
3 seconds