But then again, those who exceedingly like this tend do dislike MALENA ...

Rating: 7/10 (2 December 2008)

A review I have read prepared me for a bad movie; but THE RING is not bad at all . It's very scary, creepy . It is true that it's only mechanically scary; it can be conceded that the supernatural remains exterior and that the note of the movie is very tonic, like that of a suspense action movie. The most creepy character was the small boy; the most inexpressive was Watts' husband.
The atmosphere is purely natural, and, when the scene is not scary, is that of a tonic suspense movie. I guess this in-aptitude for conveying the supernatural must have disappointed those who dismiss the movie as failed; and this, I can concedeTHE RING is not a bad movie, but a failed one. It utterly fails to achieve a supernatural thriller. All the supernatural remains exterior and mechanical.
Given the otherworldly plot, the movie's note is very mundane and basically secure and tonic. Like a wholly _movieish suspense romp; as I doubt that Verbinski meant otherwise, the movie is conventionally welldone. If confronted to its own premise, anyway, and not to the director's intentions, it's failed.
Verbinski did not flop; he has skills, he is deft; and his mistake being as subtle as it is also obvious, I doubt he would understand what it was. His version is a 'desupernaturalization of the Oriental movie(s).