Ultimately a Disappointment

Rating: Null/10 (1 November 2002)

The Ring has a great look and a terrific performance from the beautiful Naomi Watts. However The Ring strains the boundaries of credibility. I saw this film in a crowded theater in Times Square on Halloween; at many points during the film the audience wasn't sure whether to be frightened or just laugh (I am aware this can be a defense mechanism against feelings of fright, however some of the plot is truly laughable). The film also leaves many unanswered questions. The ending (the best part of the film) goes on too long trying to tie all these loose ends, and eventually I stopped caring. Some on this board have said this is the scariest film they have seen in years. Perhaps the horror genre doesn't work for me much anymore, but I just wasn't very frightened. The setup of The Ring seems to promise chills galore, but I found them to be few and far between. This is a better horror film than most made these days (that's not saying much), but could have been a lot better. The Ring would make a good DVD or VHS tape rental (no pun intended).