Very well made, but see the original for a scare

Rating: 7/10 (13 October 2002)

(I promise no spoilers here!) There are things I liked about this movie, but it could have been better. The mood, the setting and the casting was all excellent. But the pacing and the story needed work. For those who do not know, this movie is a remake of a 1999 Japanese Film called Ringu. If you combined the pacing and story of Ringu with the casting and setting of this movie you would have an awesome movie. The Story? But it's a remake, it has the same story doesn't it? Well, yes and no. While it has the same premise, and even the same twists, the Japanese original is much more streamlined, and more vague at times. How is this better? Well it lends more suspense and more mystery, more creepiness to the whole thing. Believe it or not, sometimes less is more, and that is certainly the truth with Ringu. That does not mean that this film is bad though. It has it's own creepiness, and its own mood. Naomi Watts is awesome, and David Dorfman as her son is terrific. This movie comes off mostly as a mystery and not horror, although that is also true of the original, this version almost reminds me of "The Lady in White" for some reason. Horror, but horror based in mystery. I would recommend this film to anyone who has not seen the original and is looking for a good suspense/mystery. Avid horror fans should seek out the original, and much more scary Ringu.