This is a Japanese audio movie, with subtitles if you want to go with the original language. ;-) I watched in Japanese with English subtitles.
Trailer:
Cast:
Nanako Matsushima ("Shield of Straw" (2013) Atsuko Shiraiwa, "When Marnie Was There" (2014) Yoriko Sasaki (voice)) - Reiko Asakawa
Rikiya Ôtaka ("The Sea Is Watching" (2002) Boy, "Kuroe" (2001) Jiro) - Yôichi Asakawa
Hiroyuki Sanada ("The Wolverine" (2013) Shingen, "47 Ronin" (2013) Ôishi) - Ryûji Takayama
Rie Ino'o ("Inugami" (2001)) - Sadako Yamamura
Plot:
A rumor of a cursed VHS tape is floating around Japan. The viewers watch the creepy video, receive a phone call immediately after the tape is finished, and they are given seven days to live. At the end of seven days, they will die.
The movie starts off with two high school girls chilling out at one of their houses. The hostess' parents are at a baseball game and there will be extra innings so they will be late coming home, so says the mom over the phone. As the friend goes to the restroom, the hostess gets something to drink. The TV in the living room turns on, which freaks her out. She turns it off and it turns itself back on, completely frizzing her out. The movie cuts there and turns to the hostess' aunt (a reporter) interviewing some girls. Turns out that the aunt is wondering about this video because her niece died previouisly, due to the tape?
As the reporter Reiko Asakawa investigates into this situation, she watches the video and feels an urgency to solve it so that she doesn't die. Of course, she manages to wrap her ex, Ryûji Takayama, into the situation by asking him to come over and give her advice. He watches the video (on her second day of the seven left) and they search for the meaning of it. Their son, Yoichi Asakawa, accidentally views the video claiming his cousin told him to take it and watch it.
*SPOILERS* We learn that Ryuji has supernatural powers and sometimes can see into others' minds, if he touches them. When he touches a man related to a woman in question in their investigation, he learns that the man was present when the woman was questioned for ESP abilities. We also learn that she had a child and that the child was the cause of a sudden death (heart attack). If the child can cause someone to have a heart attack, would she be the one to kill those that watch the video? Why would this video be out there, as a warning or as a method to simply let the child live past her human life? Can Reiko, Ryuji and Yoichi survive the curse of the VHS and of the Ringu?
Criteria:
0/5 – No value whatsoever. Absolute waste of time.
1/5 – Barely worth any time.
2/5 – Pathetic but has a bit of something to hold the attention a little.
3/5 – Somewhat kept the attention but could definitely have used more.
4/5 – Good, but not awe-strikingly amazing. Could have maybe used a bit more to the movie.
5/5 – Go see it! Wonderful movie all around – characters, music, theme, storyline, etc.
4/5 - Based on a tale of the same nature, this is a very interesting movie. The plotline and the characters were all wonderful. There were no "loose strands" of plot in the movie. The suspense and the gritty-ness (low budget?) of the film were not lost as the film's style and helped to make the movie more creepy, in my opinion.
"The Ring" (2002) was either based on this movie, as a remake, or was based on the same story that "Ringu" was based on. It was probably just a remake because much of what happens in "Ringu" took place identically in "The Ring". In my opinion, I do believe that "Ringu" did a better job at explaining what happened. For example, Yoichi preparing his mother's clothes for her is explained by the fact that he is a respectable young Japanese boy and they are always supposed to be respectful of their elders (parents, etc.). In "Ringu", the phone doesn't ring after Ryuji and Yoichi watch the video because, according to Reiko, the cabin phone [above the well] would have rung instead; "The Ring", in comparison, had the phone ring but it didn't ring after the main male watched the video and it rang after the child watched the video ["Leave him alone!" screams Rachel into the phone when it rings after Aidan watches the phone]. There were no nightmares by the main female during the movie {"The Ring": pulling a cord out of her throat, water seeping from the phone, seeing the psych ward where the child was held and interrogated} and the one interaction with the past was explained by Ryuji's ability.
I won't go into more detail about the movie but I must say that, tit for tat, "Ringu" is a better portrayal of the story than "The Ring". The scene where they child's father was less special effects in "Ringu" (except coming out of the television, of course) than in "The Ring", which I think made it more scary and thrilling. "Ringu" also cut out a scene of boredom from "The Ring" where the mother shows the child how to copy a VHS tape; "Ringu" had her gather the equipment and head to see her child about recording it. As the camera pans out from her, audio goes into the interview that Reiko had with the high school girls talking about the "chain letter" effect of the tape; which was better than Rachel simply talking about it with her son as they recorded a copy.
Of the two ("Ringu" and "The Ring"), I recommend "Ringu" over "The Ring". "The Ring" is shameful in comparison. As a stand alone video, I rate "Ringu" a 4/5. In comparison with "The Ring", I rate "Ringu" as a higher recommendation than "The Ring".
Horror/supernatural fanatics: View "Ringu"! HIGHLY recommended!
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