The Ring movie review

A
Reel Cinema Video Pick

STARS: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Daveigh Chase

Rated: R

SCORE: 7.5/10

Easter Egg:
This extra will scare your pants off. On the main menu press your UP arrow once and it wll dissapear. Then press ENTER. Be advised once it begins, you can't stop it.

"There is a tape. You start to play it and it's like somebody's nightmare. And then this woman comes on, smiling at you. Seeing you...through the screen. When it's over, your phone rings, someone knows you watched the tape...and what they say is, "You will die in seven days"."

Four teenagers watched a tape together when they stayed in a cabin out in the woods, and all died 7 days later in seperate incidents at the same exact time. The film begins with one girls death, and her Aunt Rachels curiosity in finding out more about this tape. When she gets her hands on it and watches it, the screen is filled with creepy images, flashing, jarred camera effects and distorted color, they don't make sense. When she is done, her phone rings, and she realizes that maybe it isn't an Urban legend after all. She is horrified in the realization that her fate may be sealed, but it isn't just her. She begins searching for the origin of the tape and finds it is linked to a little girl. Images of a mirror, a woman combing her hair, horses, random and nightmarish, have a brilliant cinematic effect on the viewer. The film appears washed out so certain images pop.

I don't like to divulge too much detail in a movie like this, as it takes away the fun and mystery, suffice to say that as the plot unravels it gets very intriguing. The father of her child also unwittingly watched the tape with much skepticism. Together they begin an investigation not just to uncover the truth, but to save their own lives. This leads to a climactic ending with a twist

Right now, there are strong feelings towards this movie by fans. There are those who are so die hard about the Japanese original "Ringu" that they completely dismiss this version. Then there are those who love this film for what it is. . But luckily I rented this DVD with little knowledge of all the arguement, and I was glad I avoided it in theaters (originally due to the fact that I thought it was another stupid teenage scare flick). This film holds really well on home video, which in all truth, is the most ideal viewing for it. It's a film about a tape that if you watch it, you will die in 7 days.

This is exactly the kind of movie you can have alot of fun with. Reminiscant of Candyman for those who after watching, dared to say it in the mirror. Except this puts you in a position of feeling like maybe you have seen the ring. When you start the dvd, you see static, and at first think something is wrong with it. You see flashes of images before and after the film. Sometimes you just need to let a film take you places.

It makes a point of how our society is consumed with watching television, to a point that we are desensitized by these images. Our brain cells dying due to watching too much tv wouldn't suprise me at all. But for the large part, this is a movie with scare-objectives. It has you on the edge of your seat, gripping the pillow in anticipation of what lies beyond the door. It doesn't exploit the horrific images, but confuses the viewer by it's random display, distorted color, unnerving sound effects and score with just flashes of the images. That is enough to terrify. The DVD comes with a few extras. It doesn't rank up there with the greatest horrors of all time by far , but for a late Saturday night for those who simply relish in horror movies making them feel uneasy long after the tape has ended and you lay in bed trying to sleep, this is a great video pick. A different style of thriller with a similar storyline is "The Changeling".

You won't find any award winning performances here, at times you may even be a little confused, disoriented. But that's ok, just sit back and enjoy.

You never know - you just may get a phonecall when the movie ends.

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