Amazon.com
Disturbing images and a few good shocks don’t stop The Ring from being a hash of half-baked ideas. It’s the kind of frightfest you’ll watch to set a chilling mood or spook your susceptible friends, but when you try to sort it out, this well-mounted American remake (of the 1998 Japanese hit Ringu, based on Koji Suzuki’s popular novel) collapses into a heap of incoherent parts. The negligible plot follows a Seattle reporter (Naomi Watts) as she investigates the death of her ni… More >>
#1 by Ace-of-Stars on March 18, 2010 - 1:11 pm
*
[[Please Note: A few things in this review may be considered ''spoilers'' ... proceed with caution.]]
Just a few months prior to the theatrical release of the American REMAKE of this Japanese horror/suspense sensation, I gave it a ”five star” rating (based upon my impression of the Japanese Original) and suggested that it was worth a sit-down viewing, since I was basing my suggestion on what others who had seen both versions were saying (…they had claimed that the American ”remake” remained ”faithful” to the Japanese Original).
“The Ring” is based on the original Japanese horror sensation, “Lingu,” which, when it was originally released in 1998, was Japan’s highest grossing horror/suspense film of all time.
The story revolves around a news reporter who learns about an obscure video tape with a gruesome reputation: Anyone who views its brief and incomprehensible contents is guaranteed to die within seven days. Once dismissed as an urban legend circulating among the high school set, the reporter confirms the actual existence of the tape and unwittingly views it herself. She soon comes to the realization that the rumors about the tape’s deadly effects are also true, and with the assistance of her ex-husband tries to determine the tape’s sinister origins and to see if they can figure out how to break the curse before their remaining week of life reaches its deadline — literally.
The original Japanese film is dark, eerie and, though not particularly scary, is intense and engaging. Slow paced at times, and yet there’s never a dull moment — you’ll not want to leave your seat.
Well… if you’ve NEVER seen the Japanese Original, I’m about to make a suggestion: DON’T waste your time with the ”American” remake … at the very least, not ”UNTIL” you’ve seen the Japanese Original! (There seems to be some indication that the original version can expect an official DVD release for the American market sometime in the near future. For the time being, however, it is only available on the Asian market.)
Why and how did I change my recommendation so quickly? Simply because I had the good fortune (or, perhaps, misfortune) to see one of those pesky little things called ”Theatrical Trailers!”
The movie trailer for the American remake reveals MORE THAN ENOUGH to show that far too many significant changes were made to the story to make recommending it virtually impossible! If you still want to see the ”Americanized” version, regardless, then please be aware of these few important deviations and departures from the Original:
(1): The ”Title” —
The ”American” version emphasizes the ”meaning” of the movie’s title by repeatedly slapping us over the head with the phrase, ”Before you die, you see the Ring.” Uhhh… ‘Sorry, Charlie,’ but in the Japanese Original NO EXPLANATION OF ANY SORT was ever given as to the meaning of the film’s title! The title was DELIBERATELY ambiguous! Does the ”ring” refer to the image on the cursed video? Does it refer to the ”ring” of the telephone which the unfortunates receive immediately after viewing said video? Does it refer to the endless cycle of death brought about by the endless recopying and distribution of the cursed tape? Etc., Etc., Etc.
(2): The ”Horses” —
What the hell did ”dying horses” have to do with the movie??? ”Horses” (dead or alive) played absolutely no role in the Original!
(3): The ”Phone Message” —
There was NO VOICE (little girl’s or otherwise) in the phone calls which followed the viewing of the cursed video! What was heard in the Original was an incoherent and indecipherable high-pitched electronic-like ‘’squeal” (for lack of a better descriptive term) … no words were ever uttered!
(4): The Irritating ”Precocious Little Boy” —
In the Original, the reporter’s son was no one spectacular and played no real role in the movie, except by privately viewing the video himself and relating to his mother one or two post-mortem communications he supposedly had with one of the people recently ”killed by the curse” who happened to be a family friend of sorts. Those mysterious contacts between him and the recently dead girl, though adding to the suspense just a tad, were ultimately meaningless to the plot.
(5): The ”Creepy Girl” —
Perhaps the most unforgivable overstepping of the American filmmakers. The face of ”Sadako” (the name of the demon girl in the Original) WAS NEVER REVEALED (save for a solitary blood vessel laden eye), which only added to her creepiness and made her even more scary!
(5b): The ”Squeaky-Clean Creepy Girl” —
Though not presented as an image on the actual film trailer, I did run across images of the girl’s body being found in her watery grave. In the original, Sadako was found very, Very, …VERY DEAD in the well! Completely decomposed flesh, slimy green goo and all! How did the American filmmakers justify ”uncovering” her dead body fresh fleshed and fully clothed in a clean cream-colored gown? Anybody?
(6): Those ”Two Old Ladies” —
The two ‘’schoolgirls” at the opening of ”Lingu” actually LOOKED like schoolgirls, because the Japanese filmmakers actually used real live ”GIRLS” to portray them! Who were those two old hags ”DreamWorks” dug up and expected us to relate to as ‘’school-GIRLS,” huh?
(7): The ‘Film Sets’ and The ‘Mood’ —
In the Original, EVERYTHING about the movie was dark, gloomy and eerie… the set designs, the music, the cinematography, even the actors themselves …everything had an uneasy, creepy & depressing quality to it, as any good horror/suspense movie should; The American version looks much too upbeat, bright and ‘user-friendly.’
Yes, ALL OF THAT is what I was able to decipher from just the American version’s ”movie trailer” ALONE! (…paragraph ”5b” excepted) — Which leaves me to wonder just how much MORE damage the American team inflicted upon this movie which the trailer was NOT able to reveal???
I’m not saying don’t see this movie. But I indeed AM suggesting that you wait until you get a chance to view the Original Japanese masterpiece first before doing so.
Have I seen the American remake version? No. Am I ”planning” on seeing the American remake version? Not any more! — Not since viewing the ”trailer!”
Thanks, DreamWorks and Mr. Verbinski, but no thanks! For myself, personally, I’m sticking with the JAPANESE ORIGINAL!
(I give ”American” version ”two stars” here because, judging from the story it was originally adapted from, I’m sure it’s probably still a pretty good and nicely done movie … though I’ll never see it personally to know that for certain.)
Dewa mata!
_
Rating: 2 / 5
#2 by Eran Cohen on March 18, 2010 - 1:57 pm
That’s right. That’s exactly the question you’re going to ask yourself after watching this film. I am writing this review to help you decide to avoid a mistake you might regret. I have to admit I’d had no great expectations prior to watching this movie (I must admit that I had nothing better to do either); I’d thought it should be a standard horror flick that may try to scare me a little bit, give me a rush and possibly a few entertaining moments. Well, not this nor that.
Briefly, the story deals with a cursed video tape; the people that had watched it had a week before experiencing a horrible death. In the course of the movie the viewer will find out what it’s all about.
From the beginning I ’sensed’ this was “The Sixth Sense” wanna-be; a haunted child, a single mother, gruesome death incident, a video tape, hidden messages, strange events – all the components are there – but alas, Mr. Willis and Mr. Osment are absent ! The producers had decided to save considerable amount of money, and so they hired anonymous actors that did not deliver. This fact leaves the viewer with some frightening moments, that have no real impact since he does not really care for the fate of the protagonists. In all, it does not even begin to compare to the famous predecessor.
You see, there was no genuine effort to develop the characters; They all seemed like cardboard ones from the silliest low budget horror film. In essence, there was the story that should have been so gripping and interesting, that it would make the viewers forget about everything else that was not right or well-done in the motion picture. I have news for the producers – it does not work that way.
Bottom line – don’t waste your time.
Rating: 1 / 5
#3 by Anonymous on March 18, 2010 - 4:30 pm
I knew this movie was going to blow because it was only rated PG-13. The ticket guy at the theater told me, “No man, some of these PG-13 movies can scare you good.” Whatever. This movie is long, slow and really, really stupid. The ending….OMG; I wanted to put a hole in the theater screen. It looks like they spent all their money on the rest of the movie and then ran out of both money and brain cells for the ending. The whole climax of the movie revolves around a technicality so insanely random that it ruins the entire movie.
There are maybe three “scary” parts (translation: “make you jump” parts).
Stay away from this bad movie. Don’t waste your time or money on seeing it; just ask someone who did to tell you everything about it, including the stupid plot.
Rating: 1 / 5
#4 by Anonymous on March 18, 2010 - 5:24 pm
This non stop CONFUSION of a film had got to be the worst horror movie of all time! The plots made NO sense, the ending was horrible and the ultimate ’scare’ scene proved more amusing then scary. I actually paid money to watch this in the movie theater and nearly 3/4 of the way through the film, I had to ask my friend with me what the plot was actually about! Save your money! This movie isn’t even worth renting! I would say wait for it to come on HBO!!
Rating: 1 / 5
#5 by Anonymous on March 18, 2010 - 6:03 pm
I went to the theather to see this movie expecting that it would be different. I had no idea what this film was about. After seeing “The Ring” I experienced many unusual things at my house. I heard noises and even saw the little girl. I wish that I was joking but that movie really FREAKED ME OUT!! I will never watch that movie again. The flashes on the screen come back at you after seeing the movie and if you notice there really isn’t any kind of music in this film. I know that many people are probably reading this and thinking what a wimp…but I have been watching scary movies since I was five and I have never seen anything like this. I would not recommend this movie especially to kids. I think that this movie has a lot of evil in it. If I could I wouldn’t even give this a star because it doesn’t deserve it. I know that many people will think that it is just another “spooky” movie with no story line. I think that there is a lot more behind this movie that meets the eye.
Rating: 1 / 5