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Ringu Director: Hideo Nakata Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Color, Widescreen, Dolby Audience Rating: Unrated Running Time: 100 minutes Studio: Universal Studios Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2003-03-04 Buy from Amazon |
 "It underestimates our inteligence."Ok, I've seen it after the american version and I was very disapointed. The problem is not the lack of special FX or the peculiarities of japanese culture, the thing is that in this version every single character seems to have paranormal powers, which is ridiculous. While in the american version the mystery is solved simply by examing carefully the images of the tape, in this one everybody has visions and dreams, which make the movie less rational (if we can say so of a horror movie). Also, the american version leaves more open doors to Samara's story (Sadako), this one tells everything.  "Lame and Boring."Stupid and not scary. The Ring is FAR SCARIER than the lame Ringu, and yes I have seen both versions, and this one sucks.  "Puts the US Version to Shame"Complaints that this film is "boring" compared to the US remake are complete nonsense. True, there is a total lack of any special effects shots or in-your-face shocks until the climax of the film....and that's EXACTLY why this film is both scarier and superior to the American version. Less is More, people. The quiet, understated tone creates a delicious contrast to the terrifying finale. The Ring just hits viewers over the head with CGI and cheap scares for ninety minutes. "So scary i cried!"so i'm the type of person who gets dragged into "horror" movies, apparantly to 'protect' my friends. inevitably i end up laughing as my friends shreik and hide under blankets/pillows/me. Ringu was so scary i was literally crying with fear. this psycological thriller doesn't rely on gory imagery but instead plays with your mind to scare the freaking crud out of you! it also lacks annoyingly stupid people who are just asking to be killed, which is a plus. watch it! "A different & welcome flavor of horror..."I'll admit it, I saw this movie before watching the American version, BUT I did see them within the same weekend, so I have a fairly decent conception of both. It helps that my friends and I spent hours discussing the two movies after watching The Ring. Ringu and The Ring are scary for entirely different reasons. To someone like me, who rarely enjoys horror/suspense flicks, I found myself enjoying both, though I did prefer Ringu's subtle, yet terrifying, building tension to the Hollywood frights of The Ring. As has been stated in previous reviews, Ringu relies on the fear of the unknown. What aren't they telling us? What horrible truth is lurking just out of sight, around the corner, or just seven days from now? The entire movie is a quiet, creeping kind of horror. It's lack of bright colors and soundtrack of mood music allow the viewer to focus of the events and drag the viewer deep into the story as we try to unravel the mystery on our own, along with the characters. Be warned, there ARE some cultural perculiarities that, if one has little to no knowledge of Japanese culture, may be confusing (such as the figure in the video with the white cloth over their head). However, these are few in number and in no way detract from the story in any way. On the contrary, considering the subtle, questing air of the entire film, the unfamiliar elements only add to unsettling experiance. If you're a diehard fan of Hollywood horrow flicks with their FX and straight-forward storylines, this may not be the movie for you, though you should find The Ring a thoroughly enjoyable movie. However, if you want to try a different perspective on the horror genre, or are already a fan of Japanese film, this is definately a must see. A story of a terrible legacy that will haunt you for days, or, if you're like me, months... As a side note, if you enjoy either movie, but find yourself with too many unanswered questions, buy the book the inspired them all: "Ring" by Koji Suzuki. |
