Let's get one thing straight! The Ring does its job.

Rating: 10/10 (28 January 2005)

For those of you who feel all high and mighty because you've seen Ringu and think it's better than The Ring, how would you like to know that The Ring is not even based on Ringu! If some of you would do some simple research or at least watch the other films that have come before The Ring, you'll see that a Japanese film named Ring Virus (or Ring) is almost identical to The Ring, far more so than Ringu. Ringu has a lot of differences in comparison to The Ring, but Ring Virus and The Ring share a virtually identical plot and characters.
And at that, i'd like to say they are both superb films! The Ring does a great job at what it's supposed to do - scare the **** out of you. It's a psychological thriller and provides a compelling enough story to drag you in if you let it. As for some of the cultural translations needed to make Samara - a character that is shrouded in Japanese folklore and phenomena - truly horrifying, I think the American version couldn't have done a better job. While some give The Ring the cold shoulder with questions and confusion, I think it's important to come to movies like this expecting things you shouldn't be able to understand or ask questions about. It's called imagination. Suspended disbelief.
And if you're really that curious about how Samara can make images appear on videotapes or make phone calls from a well, you can look into it for yourself.
The best thing about The Ring is the more you watch it, the more fascinating and terrifying it really is.