Rating: Summary: Only Okay Review: Although parts of this movie qualify as "freaky", I would only recommend viewing it if you have nothing else to watch. The plot is kind of interesting, however, the movie doesn't explain everything it should. The acting is only so-so and the ending is anti-climatic. If you don't mind having questions about the movie that will not get answered, the visual effects might keep you happy. If you can't stop yourself from asking "why?" or "how come?", this movie will be too frustrating for you to enjoy. All in all, I would say that this is not the WORST movie you'll ever see, but it definately isn't the best.
Rating: Summary: The Ring is the best horror movie I've ever seen!!! Review: "The Ring" is scary. That movie is so good that I actually brought it on DVD. I don't buy movies. They have to be real good for me to buy them. The Ring actually scared me and made me jump. There are not many horror movies that are scary, but "The Ring" was scary. The ending is the best part of the movie. You have to see the whole movie to really understand it.
Rating: Summary: Stylish horror thriller is anything but profound Review: "The Ring" is one of the most successful horror movies of recent years and is sure to spawn a series of sequels. I have mixed feeling about it. It is meticulously crafted. The cinematography is some of the best I saw in 2002. It is nothing if not atmospheric. The problem I have with it is that it seems to be all about technique. I don't find it particularly scary, although that may be because its premise doesn't arouse any of my personal phobias. And I think it's choppy script structure gives it an ambiguity which leads many viewers to think it has hidden meaning. It doesn't, as far as I can see. Rachel Keller [Naomi Watts] is a young reporter whose life is thrown into disarray after her teenaged niece dies mysteriously of a heart attack. Friends of the deceased tell her that the girl watched a bizarre videotape with three of her friends. They say that anyone who watched it does in seven days. When Rachel discovers that all four teens dies at the same time on the same day, she starts to investigate. She locates the tape, which she watches. Moments later the phone rings, and a voice tells her that she has a week left to live. Soon, both her ex-boyfriend and her young son have seen it. Rachel begins a frantic search to find the tape's origin and to undo its curse. The movie's high visual style and competent acting were enough to make me find it fairly enjoyable. Towards the end, there is explanation after explanation, which I found tedious because, rather than leaving the viewer with tantalizing ambiguities, the movie insists on providing answers which are increasingly silly. It becomes complex for no valid reason, other than to show a triumph of style over substance. This isn't to say that the movie isn't fun, it's to say that that's all it is.
Rating: Summary: Visually brilliant Review: Thought this movie was very scary - I'm 50 years old and have a large # of scary films to compare this to; it's VERY scary, partly because it's "underdone" in explicitness. But what I loved about this film was the way that it was filmed and edited -I thought that it was brilliantly done.
Rating: Summary: Best horror movie to come along in a long time Review: A remake of the Japanese movie "Ringu", the Ring is a surprisingly effective horror flick. The story centers on a video tape that when watched, will find the viewer dead in exactly 7 days time. Naomi Watts plays a Seattle reporter who investigates the death of her niece, a victim of said video tape. When Naomi watches the tape the countdown to her own death begins. What follows is her search to uncover the mystery of the tape to save her life as well as her son's and her estranged boyfriend. The road leads to a frightening little girl with supernatural powers named Samara. I understand there is a Japanese sequel that fleshes out the story of Samara. Based on how well this movie did, I would guess we may get a remake of that sequel as well. The movie is full of disturbing and unsettling images. The atmosphere is kept "cold" and dark throughout. In my opinion, it is difficult to make a movie that's actually scary. So many things have been done before. The Ring succeeds in doing something different. I got more than my share of chills while watching this movie. The DVD transfer is stunning. The subdued colors of the rainy Seattle days look great. The sound track has both Dolby 5.1 and dts. The dts track was so clear it sounded as if it was actually raining in my room. The extras are limited to a couple of trailers (including one for the DVD of the original film, Ringu) and a short film which is really a series of deleted and alternate scenes. I have seen criticism of this extra, but I though it was quite well put together. The movie is far from perfect, but all in all, the Ring is full of enough frights to recommend to horror fans. Buy it for a Friday night fright fest with friends and pass the popcorn. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: Summary: The best movie ever Review: All I can say is "WOW". I fully expected to be let down after all the hoopla surrounding this movie, but it held up its end of the deal. I have never been so scared or intrigued in my life. I love the fact that it forces you to think along with the characters, not just sit there and watch. You get [drawn] into the movie right along with them and it is almost as if your life depends on them solving the mystery as well. Once you have something figured out, it then takes it away and laughs in your face. Everything is not what you thought but is at the same time. Just pay attention and make sure that at least one light is on in the house cause you are going to need it once this movie is over. ENJOY!!
Rating: Summary: The Ring. :O Review: basicaly this film has to be one of the best modern horror/suspence films that I have seen for a very long time. The last film to even come close to the atmosphere that this film generates was The house on Haunted Hill.. This truely is a woork of art and will likely cause you to have many sleepless nights. If you are a fan of the original you may not appreciate this film as much as others might. However I am a fan of the original. The original 3 infact and Id say this makes many improvements both atmosphreicly and in the general story line. Granted some of the thing should have been let be. But whadya gonna do. I would seriously advise you purchasing this DVD / VHS. you wont regret it. note that the girl who played Samara is also in; Donnie Darko, AI and lilo and stitch. Dont know much about the other actors although they do provide a million dollar performance.
Rating: Summary: Problem with watching the DVD Review: I brought "The Ring" and it came in the mail 2 days ago. I loved the movie in the theatre but the wacko DVD won't even play right on my DVD player! I'm so mad, and I can't return it since i opened the box. There is this big black box on the screen that blocks everything when i try to watch it, and it messes up the other DVD's to for a whle but i guess it goe back to normal after a while. At first I thought it was my DVD playe but so many signs show that it isn't. Another thing is that they sell it for about $... more than other ppl sell it. I'm not sure if I sould blame myself or what but geez, I hate it when things I buy don't work, and that was my 20 bucks too!
Rating: Summary: Ring is Ringu plus some so stop whining Review: Yes, this movie is scary, but you need to work with it. Turn out the lights, pay attention, and go with it. And remember, it's supposed to be fun. Also rememeber this is a movie, it's not something transcendent, it's not some literary masterpiece, it's just a horror flick. And it's damn scary. Don't go into this thinking your gonna be blown away by the plot, because you won't, but if you don't run out of the house the next time your TV turns to static, then you just have no imagination. I've read a lot of reviews that knock this film, talking about plausibility and plot holes. Well, they're right, but some of them are failing to notice that what happened in the American version, is that the writers took elements from the entire Ringu series, and combined them in one film. There was probably no way to determine if the film would do well in the states, so rather than pacing it out the way the Japanese story unfolds (over four movies) they combined it in one. So yes, it seems to jump around and leave unanswered questions. But there's your answer to some of them. Personally, as a former filmmaker and person who worked "in the business" I have to admit that the American version is far better than the original, and that is mostly due to a larger budget and better effects. The story has been updated slightly, in my opinion beneficially, with much more tension added.(my only gripe is that they downplay the cyclical process whereby viewers must get someone to watch the copy they've made, thus creating a RING, a nonstop supply of viewers.) And who really cares about acting in a horror film. I mean come on, it's a horror film for crying out loud. If you get nothing more than several frights out of it, which almost everyone does, then it's done it's job. If you want plot and character development, wait for the book which is being released in America later this year, based on the original japanese book. If you want to watch a scary movie, rent this or buy it. Trust me, it's frightening.
Rating: Summary: SEMI-SPOOKY REMAKE OF SUPERIOR JAPANESE FLICK Review: A dark dimension is explored in the surprise hit THE RING (DreamWorks remake of the much superior Japanese RINGU (also available in DVD from DreamWorks). Thes plot -- very urban legendy, non-sensical, non-linear and non-logical -- is about a whispered tale regarding a nightmarish video that kills the viewer seven days after watching it. When four teenagers die after seeing such a tape, a reporter -- a terrific Naomi Watts -- tracks it down and, uh oh, watches it. Now she has only a week to unravel the mystery and maybe, just maybe, figure out a way to stay alive. Whew! You will be afraid of your VCR.
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