Customer Reviews

The Ring (Widescreen)

5 star:		(305)
4 star:		(158)
3 star:		(98)
2 star:		(61)
1 star:		(87)

 

 

alright folks, forget the hype. not only is The Ring just NOT scary at the slightest, but it's exessively boring. i had a difficult time just staying awake during this. the entire film is so gloomy and depressing. although, i do have to admit that the acting was better than most horror movies, it just didn't do anything for me. i would only recommend this if you are a horror flick veteran, but if you're like me, and you think 95% of all horror movies end up sucking major @$$ than stay AWAY.

Dont believe the one star reviews. I love horror, good horror. This is a better adaptation of an ok japanese film.

Its not a classic, but has enought twists, interest and scarey bits in it to keep interest. Like, say, 28 Days Later.

I have to laugh at the 1 star reviewers. One said that we should watch classics like Friday the 13th etc. These films are rubbish, and teen rubbish which is worse. If you knew the genre then you could have sited; Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Evil Dead or the Shining. Clearly you dont know what you are on about.

Another reviewer droned on about scarey kids. Well duh, it and the original version centre around a dead kid. Killed at the hands of the parents. That is the central plot. So what would you have replaced the kid with, a scarey rabbit???

Another 1 star wonder says the end killed it. Jeez thats funny. The end is a horror classic. It was voted top 5 scarey moments on celluloid. So Im not sure how it ruined the film.

However clicking through on some of the one star reviewers, I notice theyve given high marks to rubbish like Ghost Ship, Cradle 2 Grave and low marks to classics like Pulp Fiction, Final Destination. So be warned, either these people are taking the piss, or even more scarey, they are serious!

Good, not a classic, worth seeing with the lights down low for a few shocks. Or you could watch the scarey Ghost Ship, which of course was scarey only in that it was trash! ;-)

The Ring, the Dreamworks Pictures remake of the Japanese film Ringu, is pervasively creepy, etching unsettling images into your head which will make you want to sleep with the lights on. Its enjoyment comes from the ominous visuals and camera shots, and the slowly escalating feeling of doom which drives the movie. It's a different kind of horror movie - there are no jump out of your seat scares, squeemish gore scenes, or any of the usual conventions; instead it's about tension and skin crawling apprehension.

Naomi Watts plays Rachel Keller, a journalist who, at the request of her sister, is investigating the mysterious death of her niece. The trail leads to the cabin where her niece, boyfriend, and teenage friends spent the previous weekend, and she soon learns that everyone from that group died freakishly at exactly the same time as her niece, 7 days to the date. There she finds an unsettling video tape which the group watched - nightmarish images in grainy black and white video which play out like a terrible dream. As soon as Rachel watches the tape, the phone rings and a child's voice says, "Seven days." So the clock starts ticking.

Matters are complicated when her son and ex-boyfriend also view the tape, both receiving the seven day call. From there on the majority of the movie is a creepy mystery - like an X-Files episode - following the dark clues to try and unravel the secret of the video tape before time runs out. Why are the faces of everyone photographed after watching the video distorted? What is the lighthouse seen on the periphery of the video's tracking? Who is the little girl who calls with the seven day warning, or the woman in the mirror on the video, and of course, what is the Ring? The images do serve as a puzzle, and, by the end of the movie you will understand what The Ring is and its dark images mean.

Those expecting in-your-face type of scares will be disappointed, since that's not what this movie is about. It takes its time and uses it to keep upping the ante on the apprehension level. But the creepiness is so thick it makes your skin crawl. This movie is about knowing something horrific is coming for you, and watching it inch closer and closer. It's about mood and atmosphere, about trying to unravel some twisted, dark little puzzle where the consequence of failure is an unspeakibly horrifying death. It's been compared to the Sixth Sense, and I think that's accurate. The Sixth Sense was scary because it got under skin. So does The Ring.

Watch it with the lights out. Enjoy the atmosphere and think about it long after it's over - the Ring makes an excellent addition to the thinking thriller collection.

Okay, the whole idea of viewing a video cassette which brings out the wrath of a demonically possessed ghost child that wastes no time in killing the unsuspecting viewer is silly. I suppose the idea of the ancient technology of a video cassette showing some kind of hypnotic ring that releases an evil curse is not totally outside the realm of horror filmdom, but the film really fails in helping the viewer understand where the curse comes from and why the little girl's ghost has such a blood lust.

But ultimately, this is all irrelevant in how this film is experienced by the viewer. The genius of this film lies in its style, and how the director, Gore Verbinski, brilliantly creates a haunting mood of fearful foreboding, rarely seen in most horror films. There is a wonderful sense of Americana gothic to this film, and the sound effects are absolutely awesome in contributing to the eeriness of this film. Finally, how can one ever forget the horrific sight of the little girl, her face totally covered by her long stringy hair and wearing a kind of gothic pajama, as she slowly approaches her victim. The film is brilliant in its presentation of style and mood, so much so that the story is secondary in making it such a great horror film.

Naomi Watts is terrific in this film. Frankly, I don't think she has ever been more beautiful in a film, and her strong performance in this film carries the charisma of a true leading lady. This film won me over as a fan of her work.

I never viewed the original Japanese version, though from what I understand, it too was a fantastic film which The Ring owes heavily to. Nevertheless, I like the way The Ring presents itself in an American context, emphasing the gothic aspects of American history and locales.

One of the best horror films ever made. You won't forget it after viewing it.

Every horror buff knows -- the horror that creeps up on you gradually is much, much scarier the one who bounces out and yells "boo" as it decapitates somebody with a machete.

And sadly, most current "horror" movies lack horror, because it's easier to substitute it with screaming blondes, blood, guts and sharp objects. But "The Ring" is soaked in foreboding, creepiness and horrific imagery. Director Gore Verbinski relies heavily on the original Japanese movie for a lot of his remake's flavor, and the result is a slow-building terror that keeps twisting right up to the end.

Single mum Rachel (Naomi Watts) is attending her niece's funeral, after she died under bizarre circumstances. Several of her friends died on the exact same day, at the same time, which (surprise surprise) makes Rachel think this isn't a coincidence. So she investigates the mountain cabin all the kids stayed at a week ago, and finds an unlabeled videotape with a series of bizarre images -- and a curse that will kill you one week afterwards.

She enlists the help of her ex-boyfriend Noah (Martin Henderson) to help her unravel and break the curse. The secret of the tape is wrapped up in a young girl, Samara, who vanished from her adoptive parents' horse farm years ago. Somehow Samara's evil rage has lived in on her curse, and it will destroy Rachel, Noah and their son unless Rachel can find a way to escape it.

Remaking Asian horror movies is one of those movie trends that is hanging on in Hollywood, with everything from "The Grudge" to "The Eye" to "Bangkok Dangerous" getting the A-list Hollywood treatment. Some are good, some are mediocre, most are wretched. But "The Ring" was the first of these, adapted from Hideo Nakata's adaptation of Koji Suzuki's novel (cue cries of "but the original was better). And it achieves the distinction of being almost as atmospheric and haunting as the original.

Most of its brilliance comes from director Gore Verbinski, who thankfully did not simply use the name and concept, and invent a teenybopper plot around that. This is actually rather similar to Nakata's adaptation -- Verbinski alters some few things from the original film, but keeps the same dark, murky atmosphere and many of the same scenes. Even the cinematography has a dark, overcast look, filled with forbidding symbolism -- lots of grey skies and overflowing water. It's as if Samara's influence is permeating everything.

And what about the horror? It comes from the building tension as Rachel's deadline creeps toward us, and brief flashes of Samara's influence -- for example, that poor horse going berserk on a ferry, or the blurred-out faces of the doomed. The entire movie is infused with the feeling that something invisible and ghastly is just waiting to attack you, and it's just waiting for the right moment.

The keystone of this movie is Naomi Watts. This talented actress is virtually perfect as the perpetually worried, perplexed Rachel; as the deadline approaches, her fear and grief are almost palpably overwhelming. Henderson is also good, whether as a flip carefree artist or as a caring ex-boyfriend. Dorfman is the one disappointment -- he seems less like a little boy than a pompous oracle, and he's almost creepier than Samara.

Which is saying something, because Daveigh Chase is utterly chilling as Samara Morgan, a creepy little devil-child with black weedy hair over her face, a white nightgown and "Omen" eyes. In keeping with the watery theme of the movie, she always seems vaguely damp.

"The Ring" is one of those rarest kinds of movies -- a remake with its own flavour, even as it sticks to the original story. Excellent direction, great acting, and the haunting determination to never, ever watch an unlabeled movie again.

i may be in the minority here,but i just didn't find the Ring to be a good movie.for me,it's not much different than the the Grudge.i will say,i liked it a bit more than The Grudge,only because it isn't so annoying.there are a few differences between the two movies,but in my mind,it's almost the same movie.i do remember being bored and struggling to not nod off.i just didn't see any excitement anywhere in the movie,but that's just me.Naomi Watts is in it,and she's not bad,considering what she has to work with.but once again,the ghost is not scary,although it does look a bit creepy,i guess,vaguely.i didn't feel any suspense either.but if you liked The Grudge,then you might like The Ring.or you might want to check out The Messengers(which i liked) and Pulse,(2006)(which i liked)which are sort of similar but better in my opinion.my vote for the ring:2/5

First off, I've got to say that I LOVE horror films and have seen virtually every one out there. I never have nightmares about the films I see and never think twice about seeing a scary film, but all that has changed since I saw 'The Ring'. The film traumatized me so badly that I got a migraine headache, complete with aura and tunnel vision, right after watching the final scenes. I had nightmares for a solid week after and as soon as night fell I'd have to turn on all the lights in the house. I still sleep with a nightlight, and it's been three years since I've seen it. Scarred for life I am, and I never watch horror films anymore. Some people I know thought the film didn't make sense and didn't find it scary, so it seems to be the sort of film that you either connect with or you don't. But if you're like me and it happens to resonate with you, you're in for a truly terrifying experience.

I saw this movie in the opening weekend and I'm still scared. I've literally slept with the light on ever since. You will have a heart attack. It is too scary. It went too far. I will never be the same again.

First of all, my review starts when The Ring came out in theaters. My sister saw the movie a few nights after it was released. She said it was so scary. So the day in came out, she went ang got the widescreen edition. She really wanted to show this movie to me, so, she made me wacth it in her bedroom, in the basemen, lights out, volume up loud, on the laptop.
This movie was really scary.
Those burned and melted faces were really disturbing.
I fel so sorry for Samara.
I had nightmares for the longest time ever.
SPOILERS!
Wen Samara is slowly crawling out of the TV, I was absolutely stunned.
If you have seen the deleted 20 minute short film by Gore Verbinski that reveals more secrets about The Ring adds more suspense.
I cannot wait until the second one to come out, and maybe I will wait until it comes on DVD, and maybe, I will watch in in the daytime, upstairs, with the lights on.

Gore Verbinski's THE RING is the classic example of a film that is all style and very little, if any, substance. Verbinski certainly knows how to make a creepy horror film: this film is laced with atmosphere and dread and gray skies. Technically, it is quite impressive. It's too bad that all the skillful visuals are put in the service of a really dumb plot---or, at least, that's the way it turns out. Perhaps the idea of a videotape killing people could make a good horror film---but when the screenplay by Ehren Kruger starts trying to explain how the videotape was made and then how to dilute the videotape's power, this movie just became plain stupid for me. How could anyone be duped into blindly accepting this kind of silliness? I suppose, though, that that is a very subjective reaction and that some people might find its visuals and atmosphere effective enough to accept the film without a second thought. Still, I remember that John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN never really provided an explanation for Michael Myers' motives (except, of course, that "he's crazy"), and I think that perhaps horror movies shouldn't be so burdened with having to explain the horror in them---it should merely be felt, since film is such a visual medium anyway (leave explanations to writers, hehe). In the case of THE RING, we feel the horror, but we also feel a plot that strains to explain itself, and ends up merely being laughable instead (especially that final twist, which I had difficulty swallowing). If Kruger hadn't tried so hard, maybe this would have turned out to be a highly effective horror film instead one that made me wonder what the heck the horse in the middle of the film had to do with anything. I think THE RING is viscerally creepy enough that it earns its three stars here, but all of Verbinski's style cannot hide the fact that, plotwise, this film is a mess, and I certainly don't plan on seeing this film's intended sequel whenever it comes out.