a Hollywood remake done right

Rating: 6/10 (29 July 2003)

I saw "The Ring" last summer and thought it was a splendidly-designed and carefully paced thriller, but I was also disappointed that the movie tied up all its points a bit to cleanly (some more ambiguity would've been welcome to keep the viewer on edge, but I suppose that's minor). Well, I recently saw the inspiration, "Ringu," and was thoroughly unimpressed by it, so I decided to give the American version another look and, by god, it is a little better than I initially gave it credit for. With a welcome infusion of COLOR, pace, more accessible dialogue, engaging characters, and some fantastic special effects (which translate surprisingly well to the small screen), "The Ring" comes out victorious (granted, it's not a long-standing classic for the ages, but it is diverting). Another factor is the intricacies of the plot--whereas "Ringu" merely set up a spooky concept (mysterious videotape that kills a person 7 days after viewing) and didn't build much around it, the American version has a more complicated narrative that induces some genuine heart-in-throat intensity.
6/10