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Here I go updating some of my early (admittedly pathetic) reviews now I’ve got the hang of this place!
After hearing so much about the infamous Japanese horror flick Ringu, I had to rent it out and give it a shot. I sat eagerly watching the film and reading the subtitles but felt hardly anything. Was I faulty, or completely missing the point?
Anyway, I was over the moon when I discovered that the bigwigs in Hollywood had decided to remake the film so that us westerners could watch it without having to do two things at one (some of us can’t even walk and talk at the same time, so it was a good thing).
More or less counting down the day until the film was released, I think I was beginning to wind up Sarah, so she was ever so glad to finally see it (just to shut me up).
One thing worried me though. Would this US remake live up to the original’s critical acclaim? Would the fans of the original see it as a cash-in rather than flattery?
Anyway, on to the review…
Released: 2002 by Dreamworks Certificate: 15 (UK) Run Time: 115 minutes
Produced by: Laurie
MacDonald & Walter F. Parkes Directed by: Gore Verbinski Written by: Ehren Kruger (based on Koji Suzuki’s novel)
Cast:
Naomi Watts - Rachel Keller Martin Henderson - Noah Clay David Dorfman - Aidan Keller Brian Cox - Richard Morgan Jane Alexander - Dr. Grasnik Lindsay Frost - Ruth Embry Amber Tamblyn - Katie Embry Rachael Bella - Rebecca Kotler Daveigh Chase - Samara Morgan Shannon Cochran - Anna Morgan
Plot Outline:
Two young girls are alone in a house, when one mentions a videotape. Everyone who watches the tape receives a phonecall immediately afterwards telling them they will die in seven days….. an urban myth seemingly. After a somewhat light-hearted, standard teenage, conversation one of the girls admits to having watched the video, seven days previously. They try to laugh it off, but deep down they are terrified, and with every right to be. Shortly later the girl is found dead with a look of sheer terror on her face.
Rachel Keller is a single mother to Aidan, and a journalist with workaholic tendencies. When called in to speak to her son’s schoolteacher she discovers that the lad has been acting rather oddly (and she hasn’t noticed due to being so pre-occupied with work).
Rachel is the aunt of the girl who has died, and takes it upon herself to look into the strange circumstances surrounding her death. After discovering that three of her friends also died at exactly the same moment in time, and that they had all watched the video she goes off to find the tape.
Of course, she DOES find the tape, and inevitably watches it herself to try to piece together the mystery. She goes to her friend Noah, an expert on video editing it seems, to try to get some insight into the video. This leads to a lighthouse across country…..
It is now a race against time to root out the secrets of the video, and who/what is behind it.
Will she find out the truth behind the video in time?
Can she save the lives of herself and her son?
My Opinion:
This is one of the only films that has ever given me a genuine feeling of uneasiness (if there is such word). Throughout the film you are constantly at the edge of your seat, and there truly are some genuinely frightening/creepy moments (particularly towards the end).
With an outstanding screenplay, and inspired direction from Gore Verbinski, this makes for one highly atmospheric and engrossing film. Exactly the points which I feel the original lacked. The film just seems to flow a lot better, has no apparent dull patches, and is hugely entertaining.
Naomi Watts is excellent, as ever, and really gets into the highly-strung workaholic role with ease (wonder if it’s not that far from her own personality?). She puts a huge amount of effort into the part, and you can see it plainly whenever she is on screen. She’s definitely going to be in huge demand after this.
David Dorfman does really well as the slightly disturbed Aidan, but I feel the film may have been a little overwhelming for him as a first major acting role. Still, I can see him moving onto bigger things once he settles into the career (maybe).
Martin Henderson, I feel, was a little wooden. I could even describe his acting as restrained. I don’t know if it was the subject matter, or just his own natural acting style, but it just didn’t seem genuine enough for me. Perhaps I’m just being a little picky.
The special effects throughout the film were excellent, and the little girl Samara was really quite scary for a nipper! Very fitting with the storyline, and a credit to the people involved in making this film.
The only negative thing I can say is that some of the cast were a little second-rate. If there'd been a few more capable actors & actresses this would've definitely been a 5/5.
All in all I would recommend this film as one of the best horror/shocker flicks of recent years. I cannot wait until the sequel is released!
Thanks for reading
Marc
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I liked the Japanese original, but decided not to see this, since US remakes of foreign films have a pretty bad track record; I can't remember a single one that was better than the original. -d.l
Heidavey 28.04.2004 15:22
Good rewrite. Thanks for letting me know. I prefer the original a whole heap more but this remake wasn't too bad, as far as remakes go.
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