Ringu

Rating:
Summary: if you've seen the american version......
Review: then you've seen this movie. except for the esp that the ex-husband exhibits, and the truly creepy girl, this is pretty much the american remake. i liked this one better, it was more atmospheric. it didn't rely on shocking makeup to get the point across. and the flashback history of the esp in the girl was nice (you see none of that in the remake). the esp connection that the ex-husband forged, first with the girl, then between his ex and the girl, was also really nice. this one wasn't dumbed down to explain every little detail to the audience, as the american version was (whorywood seems to think it's audience is stupid), and the actors were very good.

Rating:
Summary: Ringu vs. The Ring
Review: Ringu is a very well made movie with an original idea. It is based on Koji Suzuki's novel (although it's plot deviates quite a bit). This, the original Japanese version, works on a completely different level than the US remake, The Ring. Ringu is more of a suspense film that succeeds in being sinister and very creepy. The Ring succeeds in being a well made Horror/mystery BUT it is important to remember that it is based on all three of the Japanese movies (Ring 0, Ring, and Ring 2) as well as the earlier Korean remake, not just on the original Ring (aka Ringu). Thus, it is not logical to compare 'The Ring' to 'Ringu', when it comes to deciding which one is better. While it is true that The Ring does consistently explain itself it must be said that for an American audience, this is often necessary because most of us are not accustomed to open-ended plot lines. In fact, many people had to see it a second time to fully understand it, including myself, despite complaints of "spoon-feeding" from some. In contrast to 'The Ring', Ringu is able to ground this fantastical story into a realistic setting. The Ring however is much more implausible, though that hardly detracts from the horror. If you are looking for an entertaining Horror/mystery that is visually stunning, not just in it's special effects, but also in it's cinematography, I recommend you watch 'The Ring' first. If you are looking for a dark, moody suspense film, and don't mind/enjoy cultural differences or reading subtitles, I recommend you watch 'Ringu' first. However it is important to remember that the movie you see first will detract from the effect of the movie you view second. Both are highly recommended. My personal preference, however, being more of a horror fan, is 'The Ring'.

Rating:
Summary: A true eerie atmosphere when the tape rolls...
Review: A teenage girl dies after she has watched a video and her cousin Reiko, who is a reporter, begins to investigate what killed her niece. Reiko gets a hold of the same tape, which she watches and odd things begin to happen. She asks her ex-husband Ryuji to help her and he watches the tape too. Their research and the myths say that one will die seven days after one has seen the tape. Reiko and Ryuji now have to fight time in order to not only find an answer as to why people die, but also save their own lives. Ringu is a very chilling horror story that uses the technique of both contemporary horror as well as old fashion horror with a delicate touch. The film masters the elements of both surprise and expectation, and this crafts a truly great horror story that will keep the audience squirming and sweating in their seats.

Rating:
Summary: Lean
Review: This is the original Japanese version of the American "The Ring."
What is so striking about this Japanese version is that it is so lean, devoid of extraneous, supposedly illuminating detail. The Japanese get right to the meat of a particular scene assuming that we will put the pieces together in our mind and therefore there is no reason to spell it out/hammer us over the head with extraneous exposition. In the process they anoint their audience with a lot more credit for being intelligent than do the Americans.
Another interesting point is that, in the American version, the Naomi Watts character is the main protagonist while her ex is merely eye-candy. But in this film Asagawa, the female lead shares the spotlight with her ex-husband who has a lot to do with the denouement and therefore the solving of the mystery.
As to the question, which version is scarier: it's a draw with the American version having a slight edge I think because the world of "The Ring" is more familiar to us than is that of "Ringu" and as such we can relate more to the everyday horror of it.

Rating:
Summary: Better than the remake in every way!
Review: There's no chance you haven't heard of 'The Ring', probably the only horror-movie to be a major box-office hit in years (and I'm not counting Wes Craven's recent efforts as horror because they're not!). It was worldfamous before it was even released. The concept was pretty freaky of course: when you watched this cursed video tape the phone would ring and a voice would say: Seven days, meaning you would die in ehm... yeah that's right, seven days. What some (or many, I don't really know actually) people don't know is that The Ring is a remake. The original Ring is a 1998 Japanese movie, but because Americans are too lazy to read subtitles plus the fact that a great part of them is too nationalist too withstand foreigners longer than an hour, this movie was remade into, yup, The Ring.
The original movie was based on the book Ring, by writer Suzuki Koji. The book was made into a tv-series at first in 1995. The series was named Ring: Kanzen-ban, but it was quite a disaster. In 1998 Nakata Hideo made a second attempt. This attempt was this movie, called 'Ring', after the book (Ringu in Japanese). And it turned out great, I can tell you. Although the book's story was changed here and there (and here, and there) these interventions didn't do the story any harm. The changes were drastic though; in the book Sadako was a sort of virus, in the movie she's a real girl. In the book the main character was a man, in the movie a woman. Talk about drastic changes! But as said, this wasn't bad. Not bad at all.
The storyline in short: There have been rumours that there's a cursed video somewhere, and everyone who watches it will get a phonecall. And seven days later, you'll die. When Reiko's (the main character) niece dies in a strange way after having seen the movie, Reiko (being a journalist) tries to find out more about this. She actually finds a weird tape and watches it. The images on the tape are disturbing and when the tape ends, the phone rings! Scary as hell! Of course Reiko has no intention of dying yet so she tries to stop the curse. This is just the plot in short and if it doesn't sound very creepy, believe me, this movie is! A must-see!

Rating:
Summary: Ringu scariest movie ever!
Review: This was a great movie but I don't think people should be comparing it to The Ring. Each movie was going for a differnt feel. Ringu was going for a more sort of dream world were people are phycic and can read minds. The Ring was going for a real world feel where every thing had to make sense and every thing had to be logocal. Both movies pulled it off. I recamend you you buy both. They are really scary.

Rating:
Summary: Ringu, a good horror and suspense film
Review: If you are a person who love horror movies, because they can scare or make you think about what could be in the world, then Ringu is a movie for you. Yes the American version is a high quality movie, but the graphics like any american movie are what try to scare you and not what is actually going on in the movie or plot. Ringu scares the audience by twisting your mind into thinking what is on the screen could be real. If you love horror movies that make you think and not just graphics or blood, this ONE is for you.

Rating:
Summary: good but the remake was better
Review: Very smart idea and a different kind of film. But the
american version is more artistic. This one is a bit dry
for western audiences.

Rating:
Summary: Real Deal.
Review: Ringu is adapted from a Japanese "Made for TV" series made into a 3 part sequel Ringu, Ring 2 & Ring O. I own both "The Ring" and Ringu. I enjoyed both, but Ringu gave me that chill you look for in a good horror movie. Yes, the spoken language is Japanese w/English subtitles, but it takes away nothing from the movie.

Rating:
Summary: Before you snoor you see the Ringu
Review: I'm sure for Japanese viewers this must be a really good movie but I think that something is lost when the average American viewers watch this film, myself included.
It is not the captions that make this movie unwatchable but rather that the performances are not done in the same style and tones that the Western viewer is comfortable with.
For those who loved the American version of this film, don't expect the same impact as in The Ring.