Rings
Paramount Pictures
Directed by: F. Javier Gutiérrez
Produced by: Laurie MacDonald, Walter F. Parkes
Screenplay by: David Loucka, Jacob Aaron Estes, Akiva Goldsman
Story by: David Loucka, Jacob Aaron Estes
Based on: Ring by Kôji Suzuki
Starring: Matilda Lutz, Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki, Vincent D’Onofrio, Aimee Teegarden, Bonnie Morgan
The Good
If you’re curious about the origins of the dead girl, Samara, from The Ring, then this film will certainly help you get just a little more insight into her dark past. Vincent D’Onofrio is probably the best highlight of this film.
The Bad
The opening sequence feels like a disjointed piece of a movie franchise thrown in for the sake of showing off the ghost kid. As a matter of fact, it is very similar to a random scene from Final Destination 2–5. Granted, the opening scene has a loose connection to get the movie going, but it just feels as though it could’ve been handled differently. It doesn’t feel connected to the past movies at all. So it’s hard to say if this was even a reboot or remake or whatever.
I suppose the biggest issue with this film is just that the scare tactics don’t feel any different than those from the very first movie. Samara simply isn’t scary anymore. Coming out of a TV doesn’t make someone afraid the same way it did when it first surprised us in the early 2000s. Furthermore, her backstory isn’t all that compelling either. I thought that this film was going to give some sort of explanation about how and why she is who or what she is, but it doesn’t deliver.
Along with the lack of innovative horror, this film appears to almost copy the same scenes from the movie Don’t Breathe. The tone shifts from horror to thriller, and you’re watching two completely different films. This also translates into issues with the plot. I felt like I was watching multiple cuts of different versions of the same movie.
Unfortunately, the characters are equally as uninteresting as the plot. There’s nothing compelling about the main character or her motivations to “keep going” throughout the film.
The Reason
As a fan of The Ring, I must admit that I am grossly disappointed in Rings. The Ring is one of my top-five scariest films. Rings unfortunately eviscerates the notion of any future The Ring movies from holding that place again. Unless the studios can come up with some other type of innovative way to scare people with this ghost/monster kid, it’s more than time to simply lay it to rest permanently. I can’t recommend this film to even the most diehard The Ring or horror fans. The irony here is that this whole movie is about warning you not to watch a video or else you suffer the consequences. I suggest you heed the movie’s advice in advance. -_-