Hello All,
So today I'm doing something a bit different, I might have done one of these before, but it’s been sometime since if I did. With Rings coming out this weekend I’d figure I’d take a look at where the series began. While most people would’ve just started with The Ring, the american version, I’ve decided out of curiosity to do a side by side comparison of both that one and the original japanese theatrical version known as Ringu. So which fares better between the two? Let’s find out together shall we?
Plot Summary (Aside from some minor details, they’re basically the same so this one will be for the both of them) - When her niece dies after watching a mysterious tape, a reporter looks into the mystery, only to find herself lined up as the next victim. With only one week to go, she must solve the mystery and remove the curse.
Pros (Ringu) - The film is a super intense film. It keeps you in suspense by limiting the amount of frights throughout. It plays out more like a mystery, you’re trying to figure out where the tape came from more than anything. The ending is also pretty solid, as it shows how far she’s willing to go. The cast is solid, and the story plays out nicely as well.
Pros (The Ring) - It’s a lot like the first one, however I think it takes the extra time nicely to explain things a bit better, albeit with some small changes I mostly agree with. Because of this I like the cast a bit better, the atmosphere is more horror like and It’s a creepier film overall.
Cons (Ringu) - It could’ve used a couple of better transitions to explain some of the gaps. Since it was based on a very popular book, I can imagine that they expected most audiences to know the story so they skipped out on explaining a few key things about it.
Cons (The Ring) - There’s still a few things they don’t really explain, more hint at, and I guess I can understand but it’s still a touch frustrating.
Ringu Final Score - 8/10
It’s a solid J Horror film, if not among the greatest of them all. If could’ve benefitted from trying to be a bit longer.
The Ring Final Score - 9/10
It’s definitely a good watch for horror fans, and the mystery is still pretty solid, especially with the alterations to keep it just different enough.
Winner: The Ring (2002)
It’s one of the few time the remake surpasses the original. While both are still good, I’d definitely say start with american series first, as the japanese one is also much more complicated from what I’ve read.
Next: The Ring 2 (2005) - Because I don’t need to sleep, clearly.
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