Rating: Summary: Boring!! Review: Watch this movie by yourself at midnight and it still won't be scary. This movie is OVERRATED I would strongly suggest you to ignore this movie and the hype but if you have to go see it rent it first and see for yourself.
Rating: Summary: "You have seven days..." Review: If you're looking for a bloody and gorey movie, The Ring isn't the movie to watch. Nonetheless, its still a complex and disturbing movie which should be creepy enough for those who liked to be scared and not grossed out. The first half of the film is a bit confusing, but by the end almost everything starts to fall into place. Mind you this isn't one of those movies where the entire plot is spoonfed to you, but its fairly easy to understand MOST of what's going on. I felt that it was less of a ghost story and more of a 'mystery' type thing. Either way, the whole premise of a videotape that can kill you is creepy in itself. The movie's ending is a bit bizarre and frightening at the same time; I've yet to comprehend some of what was going on.Anyways, the DVD isn't that spectacular; the only extra features are a short-film(which fills up some of the plot-holes and shows some new scenes and what seems to be an alternate ending) and a trailer for Ringu and one for Catch Me If You Can. The DVD also has the French audio track and some captions and such. If you like your movies with creepy suspense and some thought, then you should see The Ring. But be cautious; you wouldn't want to get an unexpected visit from a certain little girl..
Rating: Summary: The Horror... Review: The Ring is a top notch horror flick, right up to the end. It definitely keeps you guessing the entire way, it's spaced well, and it does have a rather original plot when compared to the other horror fare out there. A reporter starts investigating after a neice and company die after watching a tape. Her boyfriend and son gradually get dragged in, multiplying the sympathy level (frankly I couldn't get myself to care much for the reporter character). Eventually, she tracks down the source of the videotape. What really drags you along is whether she will discover enough in time, or if it will even matter. You get several takes of the 'killer' videotape, which is very bizarre, and fits nicely once you understand where it all comes from. It would, frankly, take too long to explain it here. Suffice to say, it seems more psychotic and disjointed than the imagery placed in "The Natural Born Killers" If horror movies scare you, this one will scare the bejesis out of you. That being said, the reason I rated it so low is that the ending, reminiscent of Arlington Road for its' cynicism, ruined it for me. I won't spoil it for you, but what the reporter does at the end of the movie makes me ill. Great movie, ruined by a vicious ending.
Rating: Summary: This movie just doesn't deliver Review: This movie has a very shaky story premise to start with: if you watch the video tape, some nasty monster will crawl out of the screen and scare you to death in seven days. Ummmm, think about that for a moment. Being in the internet age and considering this is a contemporary story, what's stopping any of the characters in the movie, especially the main character who's a news reporter from uploading the video on the internet and let half of the world see it? Are you telling me this tape is gonna wipe out half of the world's population who watched it? Maybe we need to send in the military coz it certainly would qualify as a weapon of mass destruction. Ok, the acting is pretty good and the direction, cinematography is not too bad. I can give you my suspension of disbelief and it actually keeps me somewhat entertained anticipating what might happen to the beautiful Naomi Watts. Unfortunately the end of this movie is so out of whack it really ruins the whole experience. If the movie ends where they discover the little girl's body in the well putting the girl's spirit to rest and starts rolling credits, it would have been a decent film despite the weak story premise. But no, they have to remind the audience how weak the premise is and trash the whole picture by putting in this stupid, generic twist ending: the little girl's spirit is evil and it is a mistake for Naomi to save her. Now after the spirit kills Naomi's lover, Naomi has to protect their son by having him make a copy of the video tape like she did to avoid getting killed, because that's what the spirit wants: to make herself seen by more people. Hey, don't just make another copy. Broadcast the ...tape on the net and the spirit would really be happy killing billions of people. I bet that's what they are cooking up at the movie studio right now for the sequel.
Rating: Summary: Best Horror/Ghost Story In A Long Time Review: I wont give away any part of this story, rather I will describe the emotion/feeling imparted from this movie. I saw this over a month ago and still the images pop in my head! No other horror movie has had such an effect for me since I saw the Exorcist years ago. The Ring is definitely not your typical horror story. It doesn't have scenes that make you jump out of your skin, nor does it have gory, bloody imagery. Rather, you are at the edge of your seat wondering how this story will continue to unfold as the mytery deepens. The director makes excellent use of the natural surroundings to provide a dark, creepy backdrop enfolding this story. Plus the music score adds a level of discordant creepy ambience. The viewer is totally drawn in to discovering what the source of evil is and how the characters will manage to escape (or can they?). Totally engrossing, unnerving, horrying ...and satisfying to watch! The last scene blew me away. PS.. I also saw Ringu and kudos to the Japanese version for such an original story. But the Ring beats Ringu hands down for creep factor.
Rating: Summary: a ridiculously meaningless movie Review: This movie is very boring, and it doesn't make any sense. And the worst part is... NOTHING ever happens in it. Two hours of random images that have nothing to do with each other. It has no plot whatsoever, and it doesn't even try to look otherwise. I think it is highly overrated. TERRIBLE WORK.
Rating: Summary: Creepy Instant Horror classic as the Ring keeps you guessing Review: The Ring is a superb hybrid of a thriller/horror film that will keep you enthralled and, in true great horror film fashion, will make your flesh crawl. And that's the point and something that the VAST majority of horror films fail to accomplish. The cinematography reminded me of "Seven" and, as someone else mentioned, "the Cell." Imbued with a seemingly simplistic idea about an urban legend about a tape that kills its viewers within 7 days, this taut film is propelled by superb direction and genuinely creepy shots interspersed throughout the film that will startle and scare. The film's lead character is played quite well by Naomi Watts (who continues sharpening her acting chops following her excellent turn in "Mulholland Drive") from the start. Her race against time is compelling and not without many surprises. The supporting cast is exceptional as well with another great supporting performance from Brian Cox as a troubled father. The make-up work is also quite excellent as I still can't get those dead people out of my head! The horror aspect of the film makes this more of an Exorcist-type film, rather than the twists of "The Others." The audience is not allowed to be de-sensitized to some slasher style ghost or anything and that appears to be the secret to horror for today's jaded audiences. Less is literally more. And it works brilliantly! I would highly recommend watching this film during the day if you want to get a good night's sleep, but if you want a true scare, then do what I did and watch it alone and at night. Have fun!
Rating: Summary: Dirty Dancing is scarier than this Review: This movie had some pretty good camera shots and some fine editing but I found it less than entertaining. I felt that most of the film, except the last seven minutes, to be boring. Even still, the ending was left pretty open. Fine, if you want to make a film that leaves the viewer guessing, but the fact that I had to watch it for two hours before getting to anything really good wasn't worth my time.
Rating: Summary: She never sleeps, nor may you after seeing The Ring Review: As much as I love the horror genre, I will admit that only rarely has such a film aspired to let alone attained the artistic plateau upon which The Ring proudly sits. The movie is an artistic masterpiece, a film whose amazing textures and tones invite multiple viewings and a never-ending search for further insight into its darkly beautiful truth. I find myself examining everything my eyes run across, trying to analyze the pattern of raindrops on a car windshield, watching in curious awe the rushed setting of the sun behind a magnificent tree, wondering if door number 601 means something, etc. While the original state of advanced creepiness and awe-struck surprise fades to some degree after the first viewing, The Ring somehow manages to completely captivate me every time I watch it. The plot is, naturally, a little on the weird side, but it certainly seems straightforward enough for me to wonder why some viewers claim they did not understand the movie. I don't think anyone can truly pick out and digest all of the subtle implications of the film on the first viewing, but there's really nothing incomprehensible about The Ring at all. I won't even try to describe the plot; any iota of preconceived notions or revealed plot points robs the potential viewer of the complete experience this movie takes pride in delivering. One issue of concern with a lot of horror movies is of course the ending, and the anticipation one feels sitting down to watch The Ring for the first time can very well preprogram the brain to expect a let-down of some type. I can assure you that the final plot twists and ultimate ending will delight you and renew your faith in truly original movies of this genre. I should add the fact that the ending does much to counterbalance the riveting early moments of the film. In my opinion, the opening scene here is the creepiest, most powerful beginning to a horror movie I have ever seen, and I assure you that this is a very bold statement on my part. The cast, I must say, is wonderful. Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson help sell the mysterious truth about "the tape" to any viewers reluctant to suspend their disbelief, but it is the children who make this movie a truly creepy good time. David Dorfman makes young Aidan a dark and complex little boy who, one might think just by watching him, could very well be Antichrist material. The mysterious child Samara is the pivotal character in this film, the conduit for all of the horror and psychological manifestations of dread and fear, and Daveigh Chase is uncannily remarkable in the role. While the movie is a horror masterpiece that sells itself, I am a little disappointed at the paucity of extras included with the DVD. With so many artistic nuances complementing a wildly unpredictable plot, I would dearly love to have the director or an actor or two offer their thoughts on the process in the form of a commentary. The "never-before-seen short film" of roughly 15 minutes is good, but I can't say that it really delivered many new revelations about The Ring. There was one additional piece of information I picked up that works on a psychological level, but overall it is certainly not a Rosetta Stone with which to translate the secrets of the film. Consisting of several deleted scenes mixed within a cauldron of images from the film itself, it was little more than interesting to me. It is nice to have a trailer for the original Japanese film Ringu thrown in, but this trailer is the equivalent of a TV commercial and not an extended theatrical trailer. In the end, of course, the extras are just extras; it is the motion picture itself that matters, and The Ring not only delivers the goods, it knocks down your door, grabs you by the throat, and shoves them right down your gullet.
Rating: Summary: Honest Review of the Ring Review: I am a huge horror film fan. From the early classics to the new stuff I like lots of different films. I saw "The Ring" before I saw "Ring". "Ringu" is an excellent movie. One of the best to come out of the horror genre in the last 10 years or so. It is downright creepy and horror movies don't scare me for the most part. As much as I don't want to admit it, I think I like the american version of "ringu", "the ring", a little better. I originally was angry that they didn't just release "Ringu" with subtitles in theaters here in the US. I felt like they were just taking another good movie and re-working it for American audiences. While I still feel that certain parts of the remake or unneccessary, such as the sudden loud noises heard at the beginning of each new scene. This was only to get people to jump. "Ringu" didnt need any of these tricks to create a scary atmosphere. I do however think that the remake has excellent cinematography. The are some very dark settings in this movie that set the mood better than "Ringu". And the scary parts in this film are better layed out than the original film. They are re-worked for the better. I still think the final scenes in "Ringu" are for sure equal to the remake, if not better; but when it comes to the films in whole, the remake suprisingly makes for a more enjoyable movie experience. The film is scary. Not the scariest film ever, but it is creepy. Do not let fanboys or critics tell you "this movie is horrible" just because they saw "Ringu" months before "The Ring" was released. It is not often a remake comes along that works this well. THE DVD: The dvd could have so much more on it. There is a small short film that includes one extremely creepy final shot that would have been great at the end of the movie, though it was not completely necessary. There is also an easter egg in which you can view the actual tape in its whole. And when you are done, your speakers will have a suprise for you that may creep you out. In the end this is a great ride and a great movie. Buy It.
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