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The Ring
A journalist finds a disturbing videotape with an evil history -- everyone who views the tape has wound up dead.

Starring Naomi Watts, David Dorfman, Rachael Bella...  View more >

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Reviews Summary


Please Note: Reader Reviews are submitted by the readers of The BigScreen Cinema Guide and represent their own personal opinions regarding this movie, and do not represent the views of The BigScreen Cinema Guide, or any of its associated entities.

Oct 22, 2002
"The Ring" is mostly a repeat of "Feardotcom," except this time around it revolves a video that is driving viewers to their death after they seen it.

Namoni Watts has taken a step back from her well-derseved performance in "Muholland Drive," as a single mother who must find out why this video is killing people before it happens to her and her son. Both of them have seen the video.

The video itself is strange but eerie. It's the only good moment from a movie that is nothing more than a second-rate horror film.
Oct 25, 2002
I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would! It left you thinking at the end! It was much better than I thought and took me on a different path than expected for some reason.
Oct 28, 2002
"The Ring" was more spooky than truly scary. It was interesting to see where the elements of the video came from, but if you're looking for a good scare, don't bother with this one.
I am writing this because I just read the featured review and totally disagree with the so-called "professional" reviewer, James Berardinelli. He presents "The Ring" as a movie that doesn't make any sense and is "poorly constructed", "full of gaping plot holes", and an "incoherent mess". Obviously, he should have watched the movie with more attention instead of being so prone to criticize before seriously reflecting about what he saw...

The script, for a horror movie, is one of the best written I've experienced, and every little thing can actually be explained. It is a most powerful ghost story, where the main character gets sucked into a whirlpool of events she struggles to follow, but tries to explain before her time runs out. Being so deeply disturbed as things happen to her explains how she can temporarily forget the tape and how her very independent kid ends up tragically watching it (so much for Mr Berardinelli's analytic mind). There are clues all over the movie that explain the whole situation: how the tape was created, what led to the events described in the tape, and what the main character is led to do while expecting a different outcome.

This is one of the scariest movies I've seen (along with the Exorcist a while ago), which never falls into gore and cheap tactics, and includes an excellent twist at the end which will keep you thinking. It is totally worth seeing in a theater, as the large screen and sound system multiply the experience ten-fold. Just be ready to face real evil and be on the edge of your seat for the most part of the movie.

One advice, though: pick a night when not too many teenagers will be at the movies, lest their stupid howling during the scary scenes might destroy the atmosphere...
Nov 3, 2002
My wife and I found this movie to be much better than expected. This is not a four star movie by any means, however, relative to all the lame horror movies put out in the last decade, this one is worth a theater visit. Ignore the movie critic's opinion. Also, please go see it within the next three days - our lives depend on it. :^)
Nov 11, 2002
What 'The Ring' does well as a 'scary' movie is maintain an air of creepy suspense throughout the film which keeps you on the edge of your seat. You get the feeling that this is a 'horror' movie that's getting it right, possibly running along the lines of 'The Exorcist' type of scary, 'Poltergeist I' or 'Hellraiser'.

What the movie does not do well (maybe because the original storyline just doesn't allow for it?) is give you a good ending after all of that great suspense has been built up inside of you. The revelations at the end of the film seemed anti-climactic, and didn't seem to compliment or give justice to that air of mysterious, portentious evil that had been built up throughout the majority of the film. The film does not completely dissolve into absurdity, far from it. I would say it goes from excellent to great to good, and I found myself wanting the excellent back for a truly great theatre experience.

At the end of the movie, I found myself wondering if the final revelation, the purpose of the tape, if you will, was really that profound at all. In fact, the more I think about the final scene the sillier the movie becomes, because it is actually rather simplistic.

If you want a good scare then I'd recommend you go see The Ring. Take your girlfriend or wife, because there's at least a couple scenes where they'll be jumping in your lap. LOL. And that's worth a few dollars, right?
Nov 21, 2002
I've been watching horror movies my entire life and I know a good one when I see one. This movie is definately not one. The only people who would like this movie are the same people who actually thought that "SCREAM" was one of the scariest movies of all time.

In short..I'd pay money NOT to watch this movie.
Dec 1, 2002
This movie is a dissapointment. Totally hyped but nothing in content. Promos said that this is the scariest movie after the Sixth Sense, but this claim sure does fall flat on its face.

Besides they have some weird storyline, which remains unexplained...about how the "well" where the little girl was pushed into by her mother, appears underneath the resort cabin, which is situated on a completely different spot, and that the family's house was situated on a remote island for which a ferry boat is required to reach. Its a funny movie, I must say.
Feb 17, 2003
Been watching horror movies all my life. This is the best horror movie to come out since the Exorcist.
Feb 24, 2003
Apr 8, 2003
Some creepy build-up suspense scenes and images, which make for a good film to rent with a group. The story, however, won't hold up to scrutiny so don't try. The film actually works quite well until the ending goes too long and spoiled the twist.

To give your friends an immersive experience, just be sure to have a telephone handy after you watch it...

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