The Ring (a review)

[Sene Unty]

Let me start this by saying I hate scary movies. Most often I find them to be dull and uninspired.....basically pieces of crud. So I was skeptical when my girlfriend wanted to see the Ring.

I left the theater shaking with fear.

Last night I was unable to sleep, because the images were scratched into my brain.

This movie is perfect. From the acting to the directing it is a masterpiece of horror (though I would not classify it has simply that.....call it a psychological thriller horror extravaganza.)

The movie will seep into your mind and leave you speachless. I was horrified by the images that were displayed so easily on the screen. Why has no one done this? There was little blood and the gore was justified. That was not what scared you though. It wasn't the quick sound changes and the things that jumped out at you. It wasn't even the waiting for the next bad thing to happen. It was the images. The endless repeating of shocking pictures that climbed inside your head and nested there. You cannot help but cover your eyes. You do not smile. You do not laugh. Nothing is cheesy and nothing is left unexplained.....you are simply scared out of your mind.

I don't know how long this will last for. I don't know when I will be able to rest......because she never sleeps.

See this movie. That is all I have to say.

4 stars out of 4 stars.

-Sene

[JonathanLB]

I have found that most people I talked to either really liked it (the vast majority), or they found it corny (not sure why).

I gave it what Entertainment Weekly did -- B rating, or on my scale, 3 stars (high three stars, though, closer to 3.5).

Too bad my review isn't actually up or I'd post a link, but I'll get it up soon. It's written and awaiting posting, hehe.

[foxdvd]

I really liked it and even though most would argue just because they always do when it comes to an original version, I think it is better then the Japanese version. Still, I like the Korean version best of all, which again seems to be in the minority.

[JonathanLB]

Fox, are there any movies you have not seen? I mean, at least, on this planet? :)

[darth_mcbain]

Interesting - I really didn't like it. I did think it was really creepy, but it just didn't do it for me. I'm not quite sure what it was about it, just didn't like it... One thing I definitely didn't like was Aiden - he just didn't work, and I am tired of creepy kids who somehow know exactly what's going on and can communicate with the monster. That was a little too 6th sense for me...

[Diego Van Derveld]

It was awesome and creeptastic :)

[Sene Unty]

Definently creeptastic :D

[Nupraptor]

This isn't really a review, per se, as I don't want to go into many details about the movie itself. Just trying to focus on my reactions to the movie, while spoiling it as little as possible.

After hearing lots and lots and lots of good things about this movie, I decided to go see it. Initially, I was under the impression that this was the Japanese version which was simply dubbed and released here. But, alas... I should have known that a foreign film probably wouldn't be this mainstream. As soon as the (rather hokey) opening scene of the movie started playing, I already was feeling disappointed. I was expecting a psychological thriller... instead, I got a lukewarm adaptation of Bloody Mary.

Still, the film wasn't horrible. I'd wager that it's much better than recent offerings such as Swimf@n and FearDotCom (ug, who thought up that name, anyway?). In fact, I heard some comparisons drawn between the Ring and FearDotCom, saying that the former is a rip-off of the latter. Quite an ill-informed, anachronistic view of things, seeing as how the original version of The Ring came out in 1998.

The camerawork and direction in the movie was definitely excellent. There was just about no gore to speak of in the movie - everything was either implied, or very briefly shown. There was some interesting imagery throughout, and only a few of what I call the "Shock-Scares" (where something basically jumps out and goes "Boo!"). Still... since I hadn't seen the trailer, and was only going by the local Word of Mouth, I was expecting something much deeper.

Spoiler regarding the ending: I thought the ending was simultaneously both clever, and cheesy. It didn't wrap up the movie well enough, and left several inconsistancies unexplained.

[JonathanLB]

I have changed my review of The Ring after seeing a few other movies and after careful consideration.

My review is 3.5 stars now, not 3. I'll make changes on my site today.

I saw the movie "Below" and felt it was nearly a 3.5 star movie, and was about to give it 3.5, then I thought, "Wait, this was NOT better at all than The Ring, which was actually quite a ways better. So... either I give Below 3 stars and keep The Ring at 3, or I raise The Ring to 3.5 and keep Below at 3 stars, a high 3 star, B grade." I already was conflicted when I saw The Ring because I felt it deserved 3.5, but I somehow decided upon 3 and there were not enough reasons to give it 3 instead of 3.5.

I admit I am wrong sometimes by 1/2 star in my initial review of something, like when I gave Snatch 3 stars. It is a classic film to me now and I feel it deserves 3.5, B+. Sometimes after seeing something again, too, I will re-rate it. An example is Training Day. I gave that movie 3 stars and was a bit disappointed with it, then I saw it again on DVD and I just thought it was much better, definitely deserving of 3.5 stars and not far from 4. I think my mood the first time just ruined my review or something.

I stick to my initial review of a movie 95 times in 100 or more, but hey, every once in a while my actual opinion of a movie does not translate accurately to the star rating (i.e. with The Ring), or my impression the first time is not what it is the second time (Training Day and Snatch), or some combination of the two.

[CMJ]

Rented it last night. It was one of the creepier films I've seen in awhile, and during the running time I was enthralled. BUT upon reflection I had some big logic errors with it.

As was stated, even if the ending was "clever" it opened up too many holes in the plot. Still I think I'd rate it a 3 1/2 star film as well.

[Mu Satach]

I thought the camera work in the video was somewhat similar to Lynch's early work before he did Eraserhead. I also liked the way that the sound and music was used to up the creep factor. And the effect at the end was kinda cool.

Ultimately though I sat there and laughed my head off as the credits began to roll. Was a good scare, but didn't stick with me after I left the theater. :)

[Master Yoghurt]

It was definitely one of the creepiest movies I have seen for a while :)

Thumbs up 4/4

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well I watched it tonight and well I thought it was creepy and enjoyed it for 2/3 of the way through but the ended just didn't do it for me I say that because man it didn't resolve anything where did this tape come from??? Was the girl Satan's daughter or something? If she was Satan's daugher I don't think she could have been killed that easily and could have escaped before this point and time. There are more plot hole and I hate movies that have that many holes I would like to at least figure out what happened. But can't and that bothers me I don't like dreading on a movie for a month to try to figure out movie. And plus there are no explanation, they left no clues to where the tape came from or about why everything happened. And their was a lot of inconsitencies, the horses dying, the daughter in the hospital, etc. That really didn't make since with the ending.

[Mu Satach]

I think, (from what I remember) she had the psychic ability to put pictures on film with her mind. At least I think that's what was happening and what they found in her files from the mental hospital. So the tape came from her down in the well. She psychically reached out and recorded the images on the tape with her mind. That's why there were no counter numbers. The tape was made without a machine.
It bugs me too that I didn't pick up where she came from. Just some creepy person child thing that was causing the horses to go nuts and die and then was tossed into a well and died and drowned there. Got revenge by making the tape and is now out and about as a spirit scaring the crap out of people. Except for those that help her proliferate her creepyness.

But since I have no desire to spend anymore money on it I content to let it go without caring about the answers. :D

[Jedi Master Carr]

Yeah I agree with you Mu
I guess that is my problem I can't come up with answers, I wanted more explained and it just didn't I don't like that especially since I can't see how she could have copied images on a tape, especially since that was never mentioned. And I am guessing Satan had to be involved in all of this somehow but that was never brought up either, if the Devil is involved at least bring it up, because otherwise nothing makes sense. Also me and CMJ were chatting and he came up with another plot hole about why did she keep having visions and stuff after she copied the tape? Because according to the end of the movie that was the reason she was spared. It would make more sense if she was sparred because she saved her from the well but that wasn't the reason she was, if that makes any sense. Also why didn't anybody else question why the bodies looked so awful? If somebody died looking with a face like that I am sure there would be some questions, and nobody seemed to bring that up at all. Also of the first four people who died, three of them died no where near a TV, two died a car, so how did she reach them. You see the story to me falls apart and that is my problem I don't like it when the story really doesn't make sense.

[Mu Satach]

:lol Your right. That's mostly why at the end of the movie I was laughing my <smallfont color={hovercolor}>-Censored-</smallfont> off. After all that suspense and build up... it's like the Marx brothers jumped out and went "PSYC! We scared you!!!! A-Hahaahaha... it's just a silly summer campfire story after all."

[Jedi Master Carr]

You right :lol that is pretty much what it is.

[Jedi Master Carr]

And guess what I think I was right they are setting it up for a sequel
The Ringworld Web site reported a rumor that a proposed U.S. sequel to last year's hit horror film The Ring will not be based on the Japanese sequel. According to an anonymous tipster, the site reported that a rough script will be delivered by December, with an eye to an October 2004 release.

Ring director Gore Verbinski may not return, Ehren Kruger will again write, and Naomi Watts is in talks to star again and is about to sign, the site reported

That still sucks though at least maybe they will explain what the heck happened in the first movie.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

personally I wasn't scared a bit of that movie, the plot holes kept bugging me too much, the only thing that kinda messed with me was the horse since I worked with em for years and it died so bloodily but I wasn't scared of that or anything else...I don't see why ppl thought it was so scary, I wasn't scared once the entire movie....in short, I'm not the date to take to a scary movie cuz I won't get scared.....:lol

[JonathanLB]

Movies, for the most part, do not scare me. Nonetheless, I appreciate the horror genre of course. I thought The Ring was really good...

Actually my favorite horror film from last year besides The Ring, or maybe even slightly above it, was "They," or "Wes Craven Presents: They." I know it got panned from a lot of critics, my friend Sean hated it, thought it blew chunks, but I was very impressed. I found it incredibly well done...

[Shawn]

The Ringworld Web site reported a rumor that a proposed U.S. sequel to last year's hit horror film The Ring will not be based on the Japanese sequel.Why does this sound like a recipe for disaster?

The one thing I did like about the film was that it was directed very well. The director could build up tension well. If he isn't doing the sequel, then I see very little hope for it.

I still haven't seen all of the Japanese version of Ring, nor any of the sequels. Been trying to get my hands on it, since I've heard that it has a different ending and is notably "better".

[Jedi Master Carr]

It has a different ending? I think I might check that out as well.

[JonathanLB]

Hey I checked Blockbuster.com and apparently Ringu (the Japanese film) became available on DVD 3/4/03?! That's tight, I remember hearing before that it was not in English subtitled so would be pointless to watch, but now I'd love to check it out.

Actually I'd still very much like to see the original film of Insomnia. Another on my list is the Spanish version, the first one, of Vanilla Sky, which is like Open Your Eyes, or I forget how to say it in Spanish.