Paul Magne Haakonsen
Well, at least it was better than the original first "Tomie" movie, but not much. "Tomie: Replay", like the "Tomie" movie, was suffering from a very long and dragged out story that told very little, thus making it seem to drag on forever and ever. And also like "Tomie", there was absolutely no horror in this movie, either that or I have become too seasoned to Japanese horror movies.The story, however, is a tad more well-constructed than the one told in "Tomie". Although, again as with the first "Tomie" movie, then it was suffering from a lack of clear red line in the story; there was just too much side tracking and telling stuff that really didn't further the already slow-paced storyline. The story is about Tomie being reborn in a hospital, and those who participated in this event have either disappeared or stopped working. Finding her father's notes, a young student sets out to find out the reason behind these odd events, and she is helped by a young man who is out on a similar quest, to find out why his long-time friend suddenly started to behave weird.Unlike the first movie, then there is a much more clear and visible production value to this movie, which is a step upward on the enjoyment scale. And the someone, although not much, improved storyline was also a boost upward.But in overall, then "Tomie: Replay" is not all that much of an improvement, and if you have seen "Tomie", then you will be entertained by "Tomie: Replay". But personally, I am hoping that the other movies in the series will prove more scary and entertaining.For a Japanese horror movie, then "Tomie: Replay" was surprisingly devoid of scares, spooky stuff and horror.
Leofwine_draca
TOMIE: REPLAY is the third instalment of this manga-based series about a girl who keeps coming back from the dead. The first film, TOMIE, was very much a unique, weird movie with an atmosphere all its own, while the lamentable shot-on-video sequel, TOMIE: ANOTHER FACE, isn't even worth mentioning. The good news is that TOMIE: REPLAY is on much stronger ground, similar in many aspects to the first film but with a more involved storyline.The horror in this film is far more visceral, with plenty of disturbing imagery. There are body parts galore, as well as scenes of violent murder and just plain weird stuff going on (the opening sequence, in which doctors performing a Caesarian discover a woman's head instead of a baby, is difficult to forget). There are more cast members here, from mad doctors to dedicated daughters and the usual rote of young menfolk who find themselves obsessed with the spectral Tomie.The pacing is slow and the tone subdued for the most part, and if you're looking for well-developed ghost sequences a la RING or THE GRUDGE, then you've come to the wrong place. If, however, you're in the mood for a one-of-a-kind cult oddity then the Tomie series might just be for you.
the_headless_cross
IMO you can add this to the list which contains Terminator 2, Aliens, and Spiderman 2. What list is this? The list of sequels that kick ass! The first Tomie was pretty good and all, but it felt like something was missing. This sequel adds whatever was missing! First, it is fast paced (watched it for the umpteenth time last night and was surprised how fast it moved), second it actually follows a story from the manga. Also a few creepy moments in this one (all about that crawling on the ceiling, wow!), and IMO this one contains the hottest Tomie to appear in all of the movies. So if you want to watch all the Tomie movies I recommend starting with this one (none of the movies have any continuity so it never really matters what order you watch them in).
Company_of_Wolves
I must say, I've seen almost all of the Tomie films and I like this one better. Once i see Re-birth that's them all. it's more accurate to the manga and Tomie is very true to the comic, and for a change she is more beautiful than the heroine (which is the whole point of the manga).She works her magic with the male character's identically with the manga, and they even include her getting cut up. The scene at the beging was lifted straight from the manga, making it in my opinion a better film. Although i do recommend knowing Junji Ito's art before watching the films.