Average Rating: 
Rating: - Better than the Remake
I saw the American remake of "The Ring" this past summer and had high expectations. It takes a lot of convincing for me to be scared by a horror film and the only recent movie that has sufficiently made me cringe in my seat was "The Sixth Sense." Needless to say, the American remake of "The Ring" disappointed me. It got off to a good start, the "curse film" was artistic, unsettling, and creepy, but I felt the remake's plotline became less and less frightening from that point on. I understood the plot, but had questions as to why certain things were included in the movie. I felt as though elements had been introduced in the storyline that were never answered. In a way, I felt cheated. They tried to tell too much story in too little time and got bogged down in the details.Since watching that film, I'd heard many accounts that said "Ringu" was much better, much scarier than the American remake. I was thrilled to find that "Ringu" had been released in conjunction with the remake. Needless to say, "Ringu" scared me--a lot. Though the story and effects of the original film are much simpler than that of the remake, I think it is better so. So much more is left to the power of one's imagination rather than the power of special effects. The plotline--even though questions remain in the mind of the viewer following the film's end--is satisfying and complete. In the american remake, I grew tired of the protagonist having to whisper clues to us as if we the audience wouldn't pick up on them without her help. In "Ringu", we aren't spoonfed in such a way. It's definitely a more rewarding film experience.
Rating: - Better than the American version
Unfortunately, I saw the American version first. Ringu relies far less on special effects than The Ring. The Ring overpowers you with special effects, especially in the scenes where, uh, bad things start happening. The effects are so jarring they tend to throw you out of the movie. Also, there is far more backstory in The Ring, and I think some of this is a bit overpowering also. It gets in the way of the plot. Ringu is more subtle, it relies more on the viewer's imagination. There is at least one plot element that makes more sense in Ringu than the Ring, but I can't tell you what it is without giving away the plot. Well, it has something to do with location. Well, that's about all I can say about that. If you like horror movies, then see Ringu before seeing The Ring. There are no extras on the DVD of Ringu. However, I think the Dolby 5.1 soundtrack on Ringu is extremely well done. It is restrained--the back channels are not used that much, but when they are used they are used extremely effectively. I found the effect almost dizzying in one scene. The video transfer looks very good. One final note--there are scenes in The Ring that involve horses, and bad things happen to them. If you dislike animal violence you will definitely like Ringu better than The Ring as these scenes do not exist in Ringu. Ringu is not on the plane of Alien or Silence of the Lambs as a great horror movie, but it is original and fun and very well done.
Rating: - Why all the bad reviews?
I have read a lot of reviews for this movie, and I find that half the people that took the time to write these have no idea what they are talking about when it comes to film, and when it comes to horror. The american version of this, "The Ring", is based very strongly on this movie. Many of the parts are very, very much alike. But what a lot of people hated were the sub titles. I personally would rather have subtitles then bad voice overs where the actors mouths arent even moving with the words. Another thing is people say that it is boring. Well, if you think that this is boring, then you should think that "The Ring" is boring too, because it is like I said, pretty much the exact same story. "Ringu" is a little more creepy in my eyes. The music, which there isnt much of, is more on the lines of Kubricks "The Shining". Also, as I said before, the story is a little different. I actually liked the story a little better than that of the American version. Although, the only reason they are different i think, is because of the different cultures and areas that we live in. The story behind "Ringu" is definetly a little spookier. Dont expect to be really freaked out by this movie, or the American version either. But be prepaired to have chills. I would have to say that this is a good edition to your DVD collection along with "The Ring". Plus, this version does end a little better. It brings more closure and you understand the movie a bit better after that. Dont miss this great original.
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