THE RING FRANCHISE 2002-2017 RINGS(spoiler free review)

It's been quite a journey for the first Asian import remake film. The franchise started on a positive note directed by the talented Gore Verbinski but soon began to deteriorate with the second chapter. It's another example of Hollywood's recycled ideas and unimaginative concepts as reasons to make a quick buck. Instead of giving the franchise it's due and keeping up the quality. So now here's Rings a sequel that's been in the works for the last twelve years in which you would figure they would have come up an idea strong enough to reboot the franchise up again to his higher standards. But the truth is whether it's good or not twelve years is a long wait for a sequel and what was once scary and fresh now feels formulaic and irrelevant. Still the concept merits potential and the question is will it ever finally be executed properly.


THE RING: DreamWorks 2002 Color/B&W 115 Mins. Horror/Thriller Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, Amber Tamblyn, Brian Cox and David Dorfman star. Written by Ehren Krueger Rated PG-13 for language, violence and gore. Box Office: $129,128,133=Domestic   $249,348,933-Worldwide


RINGS(Short film): DreamWorks 2005 Color/B&W 16 Mins. Horror/Thriller Ryan Merriman and Emily VanCamp star. Written by Ehren Krueger. Directed by Jonathan Liebesman. N/R contains language, violence and gore.


THE RING TWO: DreamWorks 2005 Color/B&W 110 Mins. Horror/Thriller Naomi Watts, David Dorfman, Elizabeth Perkins, Sissy Spacek, Ryan Merriman, Emily VanCamp and Simon Baker star. Written by Ehren Krueger. Directed by Hideo Nakata Rated PG-13 for language, violence and gore. Box Office: $76,231,249=Domestic  $161,451,538= Worldwide


RINGS: DreamWorks 2017 Color/B&W 102 Mins. Horror/Thriller Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz, Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki, Vincent D'Onofrio and Aimee Teegarden star. Written by David Loucka, Jacob Estes and Akiva Goldsman. Directed by F. Javier Gutirerrez Rated PG-13 for language, violence, gore and sexuality.


The Ring franchise began in 2002. I remember seeing it at a preview screening a week before it came out. I was a fan of Ringu walking in but I was pleasantly surprised at how well the material was adapted. The film was brilliantly stylish and suspenseful. With a powerhouse performance from Watts. I did however feel that Samara's big scene was less effective than the original film because it was a digital projection instead of a real person.  It obviously clicked with audiences though I remember people screaming frantically as she debuted.

That film was followed by a short too link the films together more effectively. Future genre star Johnathan Liebesman directed the 16 min short stylishly and confidentially touching on some interesting turns for the material. Centering on a sort of teenage cult mentality distributing the dreaded video.

Than came Ring two from Ringu helmer Hideo Nakata I was even more excited learning he was involved. Well the transition to his first American film was choppy at best but still managed to elicit some light thrills and interesting visuals. Plus the dependable Watts came back and who could forget that suspenseful last segment with killer final say "I'm not your fucking mother!" 

 Now we hit 2017 and after twelve years of waiting and two years of delays we have Rings. And guess what it just wasn't worth the wait(big surprise). I'd like to first say that it's not a bad movie for the most part and it's not a cash in. It centers on the whole mythology of the Rings video and surprisingly enough has the most in common with that short film. It all starts out with a semi exciting scene on an airplane with a stressed but still sexy Zach Roerig (who should have been the film's lead) as he experiences his last few minutes of his 7 days while in the mid air. It never quite punches the way it should but does offer up a new angle.  Than we cut to the less interesting story of the infamous video tape when a college professor gets hold of it and decides to conduct an experiment with students. Well things begin to change of course and a young woman goes in search of her missing boyfriend. When arriving at the college campus she learns of the bad juju and even experiences it first hand through a bathroom door. Soon after her boyfriend arrives and explains his involvement and she watches the tape to save him. But something happens, the tape is different as she discovers extra scenes not there before which leads her on a journey to connect the missing pieces before it's too late.

The film manages to extend the mythology in a mostly satisfactory way beefing up the backstory. But the creators run the concept into a dead end at the film's culmination making a once unique concept sadly generic. All the characters lack any real type of development but that especially goes to the film's lead Julia. In the film's earlier charming scenes with her boyfriend her backstory is touched upon but never goes anywhere from there. The performances are decent even if Julia played by Lutz's, accent shows from time to time and Roe makes for good eye candy. But this entry although interesting manages to feel like nothing really. It's not scary, it can be mildly suspenseful at times and it's void of any type of humor and worst of all Samara is barely in it and when she is it's same ol same ol but with a lot less effect. Mostly because they over explain the proceedings to a point where it looses any type of mystery. I'm just surprised that something this lackluster was green lit. Yes it does progress the story forward but into an unimaginative ditch. And the goods that made the original work so well, that sense of urgency with that impending timeline are gone here. This film doesn't even seem to have one. In fact it's confusing even knowing what day the characters are on. I wish Rings was at least a so bad it's good entertaining venture but it just takes itself way too seriously a good approach if the film could deliver on the creepy goods the other films supplied. As far as the visuals are concerned what was once inspired is now overused and schlocky and this film is filled to the brim with a ton of those ho hum go tos. From flocks of dark birds to creepy hallways and drab colorless churches. And as for Gutierrez, I've heard his Before the Fall is actually quite good, but the work he does here feels very by the numbers.  In the end sadly enough we just have another run of the mill reboot. That's only new twist is so contrived and overused it makes you wonder why we ever needed any sequels to the original film to begin with.

THE RING ****.5/5
RINGS (SHORT FILM): ***.25/5
THE RING TWO ***/5
RINGS **.5/5