Compared with the original Japanese "The Ring"...

Rating: 8/10 (28 October 2002)

I saw "The Ring" made in America yesterday. I have watched the original Ring in Japanese too.
American re-make "The Ring" keeps Japanese taste with slight modifications for people here to enjoy the movie beyond the cultural differences. For example, a very long black hair girl with white clothes appears in the movie. Why not short hair? Why not blond? Why not red clothes? There is a reason. I am glad the re-make honors the original concept. Several meaningful items(to scare you) in the original are dropped in the American Ring. I guess it's because non-Japanese don't associate them with anything. Only Japanese do? Maybe so.
The plot is little weak though. It is not clear why the girl is not ordinary. The Japanese one explains why. Also, the ending is much more scary in the original. That's why I don't want to watch the original one again....I will not be able to go to the restroom at night.

Overall, you will enjoy the re-make one, but watch the original if you can.