A top-notch thriller chiller, a two-hour freight

Rating: Null/10 (16 May 2003)

The ring is Gore Verbinski recent contribution to the cinema scene. Verbinski who made his feature film directorial debut with the comedy hit Mouse Hunt, and then the action comedy The Mexican, starring Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt and James Gandolfini is probably best known for his award-winning work as a commercial director creating the iconic Budweiser frogs. Verbinski has also been honoured with four Clio Awards and a Cannes Silver Lion Award for his innovative work on an assortment of memorable advertising spots, working for companies such as Nike Coca Cola and 7-UP.
The Ring was based on a novel written by Kôji Suzuki. It was originally entitled "Ringu" (The Ring), and was initially published in 1989. The work was supposedly based on an urban myth. Urban legends are the most enduring, are often the most disturbing-stories of murder and mayhem happening to ordinary people that are shared around campfires, retold at slumber parties and spread through chain emails. Suzuki, who wrote the book, actually a series of novels, was once a somewhat obscure writer, but is now referred to as the Stephen King of Japan. Japanese director Hideo Nakata brought the story to the screen in his gothic horror mystery "Ringu," which was released in January 1998. It quickly became a phenomenon, spawning the most successful horror film franchise in the history of the Japanese cinema. The mainstream Hollywood film community then picked up the basic story of the ring. Ehren Kruger who attended college at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts then rewrote the story to attract the western film audience. Kruger's subsequent credits include the hit horror sequel Scream 3, directed by Wes Craven and John Frankenheimer's action thriller Reindeer Games. The new adaptation of the ring was then produced to Hollywood standard using special effects by a top production team, including Walter F. Parkes and Laurie Macdonald the husband and wife team and heads of Dream Works Pictures and two of the most active producers in Hollywood today. Mysterious videotape is killing off anyone who watches it. Whenever the victim watches it, the phone rings, telling them they have only one week to Live. A young reporter named Rachel is investigating these events, but after she and her small son watch the tape, it becomes a race against time to find out why the tape is killing everyone and how it could be stopped. The story centre around Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) is a young journalist with a divorced husband, Noah (Martin Henderson), and a son, Aidan (David Dorfman). Her niece was recently found dead with a look of pure shock embedded in her face as if something scared her to death. Upon Learning that her niece's three friends died at the same time, too, and hearing about a disturbing videotape that is said to kill you seven days after watching it, Rachel comes into the possession of that same tape. Now, as time grows short, Rachel And Noah race to save their lives from impending doom and discover what the tape has to do with a tragedy-stricken horse ranch and a very strange little girl named Samara.
The ring is a top-notch thriller, chiller horror for a Friday night date. A successful nail bitter of a Film that rattles the nerves and the imagination. If you're looking for a jumpy Friday night of a film look no further but the Ring will not play on your mind, don't expect to remember the film in week. The shots are cliché and at times I found myself bored but the ring is successful in it's appeal it is nothing more than a two hour long fright as it's full of jumps. If your not easily scared don't bother but if you have an active imagination and have nothing more too do at the weekend get yourself along to the Odeon and go and see