Rating: 
Summary: BEFORE YOU SEE ''The Ring'' ... SEE THE ''ORIGINAL''!
Review: *
[[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: 
Summary: Not bad, but see the original
Review: Having watched the original (which I liked), I made a super conscious effort not to compare the two. But really, the remake leaves much to be desired even without comparing the two. We get the customary recycled scenes from horror movies past - dumb teens from a hundred slasher movies discussing boys ("did you sleep with him? Omigod you did!") and urban legends; Naomi choking on electrodes (beats throwing up bugs and other crawlies I expect); the super insightful child with lousy social skills (at least Haley Osment was likeable); the really evil child a' la Damien (Damien was the devil's son, but what's up with this girl?); animals (horses in this case) spooked by the evil presence (remember the zoo scene in the Omen - that was way scarier); and the list goes on. For me, the last straw was showing the evil girl's face in all its gory detail at the end. Was I the only one who thought she was a dead ringer (pardon me Mr Cronenberg) for Linda Blair? Or was that effect intentional? In the original, the girl's face remains masked by her hair - a much creepier effect. She "senses" her way towards the victims without making eye contact - killing is impersonal and senseless "nothing personal mate, but you're next". And you wait in anticipation for the hair to part, which it doesn't and preserves the enigma and the mystery.
Having said that, the remake is standard horror fare and gets 3 stars for effort. If you can, catch the original. There is a real sense of melancholia in the original - it is essentially a terribly sad story about betrayal (in the case of the child in the well), and redemption where the protagonists risk their lives to save their own child who has seen the video. Even in redemption, there is loss, as the child's father loses his life in the end. Hope you sense like I did at the end of the movie (either one) that somehow The Ring is a veiled reference to those pesky chain letters one receives, and discards with great trembling hands.
Rating: 
Summary: A Horror Movie that doesn't resort to Gore
Review: I think what impressed me most about this movie is that it was the scariest that I had seen since "The Exorcist". And yet it was not at all gory or gross; it definitely doesn't play to the lowest common denominator. And let's face it: today's audiences have been so innudated what blood, gore, and gross-out movie effects, that such things just aren't scary anymore. Now, when I see a particularly graphic movie, I'm not thinking "Oh my God!", I'm thinking, "How did they create that effect?". Many times, I have heard movie audiences laugh or hoot when someone gets eviscerated. The gross-out factor actually works AGAINST creating a sense of horror. But in this movie, the shocking shots are so brief, they're almost subliminal. Somehow, that makes them VERY frightening; you're left thinking, "What the hell was that?" Believe me, this movie will stay with you long after the last frame.
Rating: 
Summary: The Ring, better or worse than the original Japanese hit?
Review: Having seen both of them, and having liked the original alot I came into the theatre very skeptical. Being an Otaku of years past I had come to believe that all things in Japan were better than anything America could conjure up. I sat down and I was scared. This movie is visually more frightening and more scary than the Japanese. I also like the fact that they took out that the report's boyfriend was somewhat of a telepath. I felt that didn't really add to the story or aid it in any way. Overall I liked The Ring and I found it more scary than the original.
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre at best
Review: Despite what the majority of reviewers have said, this is not the greatest horror film ever made. It's not even close. While the concept is intriguing, some of the images disturbing, and the end suitably twisted, the writers missed Ghost Stories 101. What makes a great ghost story is history. The Ring had too many holes in the story for it to really be effective. I haven't seen the DVD, so maybe some of that problem will be alleviated with the bonus material, but my initial impression is one of either poor writing or poor story editing. The most effective device in this film was the use of sound. Rarely have I encountered a film in which the sound acts like a character. For a truly frightening film, try The Changeling or The Haunting (the original).
Rating:
Summary: One of the scariest movies I've ever seen
Review: "The Ring" is set in the Pacific Northwest, with every outdoor shot under a rainy and drab sky. This setting is perfect for the gloomy, claustrophobic atmosphere that never lets up. Even the interior sets have an overall greenish gray color with some amazing cinematography. Naomi Watts is a strong lead and after this and "Mullhollard Drive" she should have a great career in the future. There have been numerous comparisons between her son in the movie and Haley Joel Osment in "The Sixth Sense," and I'm sad to say that I agree--he seems like a very creepy rip-off of that character. That is, however, one of the few weak points in the film. There is very little onscreen violence, but don't think that you won't be flinching away from the screen anyway. There are some disturbing images that haunt you in a way that blood and gore can't. The video doesn't have any images that are stand-alone scary, but you feel you are watching something that will shock you at any second. When the last ring comes up to signify the video's end, it comes with a sense of dread and of "what did I just watch?" Then the phone rings. . . I can honestly say that no movie has terrified me as much as this one. The images and static crackling of that haunting video will stay with you for weeks--not to mention the girl in the closet! And do you know any other horror movie that has its climax (a real jaw-dropper) take place at around 8:30 in the morning? You may be left wondering, "Just how did the victims die?" The film answers this question pretty clearly, but at the same time leaves the macabre details up to the viewer, and any conclusion you draw will undoubtedly be horrifying.
Rating:
Summary: read why this is 5 stars
Review: when i first saw the commercials for "the ring", i knew that this movie was going to be something different than the run of the mill horror movie, and couldn't wait to watch it. (i'm not even a horror movie lover)
i must say, this is the SCARIEST movie i have ever seen. from the beginning sequence, your curiosity is tweaked as to why someone dies seven days from watching a mysterious (and disturbing) video. as the movie progresses, the deeper and more unpredictable it gets, with each scene relevant in leading up to a killer, twisted ending.
i don't go into details about the plot b/c the more the story is revealed, the less entertaining it is. so entertaining, i couldn't sleep for days after this movie. i applaud anyone who puts this in the dvd player more than once.
Rating:
Summary: Good mindless fun
Review: This American remake of the 1998 Japanese classic "Ringu" does a fairly good job of staying true to the original film, and novel somewhat. The story is new to the horror genre in the west, which revolves around a cursed videotape that kills its viewers seven days after viewing it. Gore Verbinski does a good job of keeping the visuals pretty chilling throughout the film. Unfortunately, the story line lacks somewhat, and the viewer can't helped but feel that the movie is being rushed at some points, and drags on incoherently in others. Still, if you turn your mind off and just take in the movie instead of processing it on your first viewing, you'll get a good deal of the story down; you can then go back and view it again if you have any further questions about where the story is going. In the end, this film is a very decent and fresh addition to a rather stale genre in American cinema. Like the original Japanese version, which spawned three sequels, a hit television series, and popular manga, the American version leaves the ending of the movie very open for a possible sequel. For a step in a new direction, I recommend at least one viewing of this film, if only for fun.
Rating:
Summary: Not half baked, this is WELL DONE!!!
Review: This is the scariest movie of 2002! It's an incredibly SCARY movie that doesn't rely on gore or anything stupid like a guy wearing a mask, this is pure gold for horror fans. I've not yet seen the original, but I will shortly. This is definately worth your time. It's very scary, and nobody can say honestly that they weren't scared in it. THE SCARIEST MOVIE OF 2002! It's not scarier than The Exorcist, but then again what is?
Rating:
Summary: The Ring may be the creepiest film I've ever seen!
Review: Ignore the Amazon Editorial on this film, this one's a winner! I've probably watched more horror films than most people. Time and time again I'm disappointed in how bad most of them are. There have been a few recent exceptions including The Others and Frailty, but for the most part horror has been awful (e.g., They). I was incredibly impressed with The Ring. Sure, it has a few lose ends, but for pure creep-factor, it ranks up there among the best horror films I've ever seen. This is one of the rare films that actually gave me goosebumps! Normally I'm pretty unflappable when it comes to horror movie scares, but this film has several whoppers, especially the final 10 minutes. This film does everything right; no stupid humor, no Dawson's Creek cast members, and no terrible rock soundtrack that will be outdated a year from now. This film is just crackles with a creepy intensity. From the moment it begins, it moves. You won't be bored for one second. Once it ends, you'll want to watch it again immediately. I've watched it three times and I've learned more and more each time I've watched it. I promise you that you will never look at your television the same way again. . .
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