That was an excellent one.

Absolutely brilliant

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This not scary. I did not why it got a 6. That is just overrating it. The Ring (1998) is better and that was an awful movie. If this movie had not been made the remake would not have been made and that is only good thing I can say about this movie. The Ring (2002) is also a lot better. That one is very scary. This movie has an awful story line. It has awful acting. It is not scary. Do not waste your time. Do not waste your money. Do not see this movie. It slow and boring and not scary. I give 4 out 10 because it is a horror movie that is not scary. If you want see something scary See The Exorcist. Do not see this movie. It is not scary at all.

Apparently, director Hideo Nakata was drafted in to shoot this sequel to 1998's RING when that film's original sequel, RASEN – shot back to back with the first – flopped with Japanese audiences. RING 2 is more of a straightforward successor to RING, logically following on from events portrayed in the first film and feeling exactly the same in terms of tone, lighting, and look. Heck, even most of the actors and actresses are back from the first film, so watching these two back-to-back would be akin to sitting through a three-hour film.For starters, RING 2 isn't as good as the first film. It lacks the surprise and the originality of that movie, and all of the shocks here are familiar to anyone who's seen the original film – and anyone who hasn't will be scratching their heads and wondering what the heck is going on here. The film is very talky and very slow, as with the original film in the series, and once again the overlaid English subtitles are extremely hard to make out, so some of the dialogue is missed. However, there's always plenty going on so there's never time to get bored, despite the slow pacing, and the return of many cast members from the first film is a real treat – especially Hiroyuki Sanada, who doesn't let his character's death in RING stop him from coming back here! The plot twists and turns in many directions and opens up new areas of the mythology, incorporating psychic powers and the mysterious channelling of psychic energy into water. I admit that I was engaged with the story and never found it lacking for a second.Thankfully, the horror in this film is just as creepy as ever. Nakata keeps a slow-burning tension that builds up until the first real shocks that occur about an hour into the production. My favourite scene of all is the bit where the reporter examines the videotape and discovers that something weird is happening to the head of the girl on film – things get more surreal as she becomes a creation of ghostly evil, and there's a fantastic use of a 'jumpy' special effect like the ones used in JACOB'S LADDER and THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL remake. Many creepy scenes from the first flick are repeated, like the grainy television set images and the excellent bit involving the woman combing her hair in a mirror. Things culminate in a nightmarish ending which returns things to the well – and what happens is as disturbing as ever. RING 2 doesn't top the experience of watching the first, and best, film in the series, but it proves to be a worthy sequel with plenty of scary bits to enjoy.

Ah, the "Ringu" series. (Also known as the "Ring" series.) Very loosely based on the wonderful horror/Sci-fi novels of Koji Suzuki, the franchise became a phenomena in the late 90's and early 2000's. In part because of the strength of the original film, and because it's one of the few films to get the Western remake treatment and actually come out all the stronger for it. As the remake not only was a good, quality film, but increased worldwide awareness for its source material, paving the way for more audiences to discover the terrifying and exquisitely well-made original film.What many people don't realize, though, is that this sequel ("Ringu 2") isn't the first attempt at a follow-up to the original film. No, it's actually technically the second sequel. An original follow-up, "Rasen" was released alongside the first "Ringu" in Japan, to a lukewarm, underwhelming reception. While it stayed somewhat truer to the original Suzuki novels, "Rasen" did clash with the first film stylistically and tonally, giving the series a bigger lean on science fiction. (And the novels definitely are science fiction, though the first film made some alterations to accommodate a more classical ghost- story.) And it didn't sit well with people.So "Rasen" was quietly eschewed from the continuity of the movie- series and became a relatively "forgotten" film, while this follow-up was made and basically marketed as the "true sequel."And to be honest... I have to say that in the grand scheme of things, while definitely more in line with the first film from a tonal and stylistic standpoint, I think that this film isn't necessarily any better than "Rasen." Both are quality-made movies with good performances and great direction. (And heck, both even share a common lead character.) But both also have some issues with their wonky scripts. Both try to introduce new concepts that sort of clash with the first entry in the series, and both have their share of moments that will leave audiences scratching their heads and letting out an audible... "Huh?! What?""Ringu 2" follows Mai Takano (Miki Nakatani), the young assistant of Ryuji Takayama, as she attempts to solve the mystery of his death. She eventually encounters survivors Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima), Ryuji's former wife, and their son Yoichi (Rikiya Otaka). Yoichi, it seems, has inherited some sort of twisted psychic abilities following the events of the first film. Strange abilities that make him dangerous... even potentially lethal. And it is up to Takano to try and solve the mystery of what is happening, and to help save the life of Yoichi from the tormented spirit of the vengeful Sadako Yamamura.I feel that for the most part, the performances are quite good. As they are in most of the films of this franchise. Nakatani is absolutely charming as our new lead, with her role greatly expanded from the first film. (And ironically enough, she was also the star of the "forgotten" sequel "Rasen." She obviously made quite the impression to be hired back to reprise her role again, and it shows!) Matsushima is wonderful here, much as she was in the first film, albeit with a smaller role this time around. Still, she is able to leave an impression and build off of the audiences love for her character from the first time film. And for a child actor, Otaka is quite talented... even if it's hard to take him as a credible threat thanks to his character's newfound psychic powers. (In scenes where he's meant to be threatening, I wanted to reach in through the TV and pinch his cheeks, because he was just a bit too cute to be frightening.)Direction courtesy of Hideo Nakata (who directed the first film) is top-notch. I went to some effort to explain his expert work in my review for the first film, but it bears repeating- Nakata is an absolute master of good, creepy, subtle horror. Even though his films are fairly hit-and-miss, the man knows how to tell a good story and deliver absolute frights. And from a directorial standpoint, he doesn't disappoint here.Unfortunately, what does disappoint is the script by Hiroshi Takahashi. And it's a shame, because there are some wonderful ideas. And the opening sequence- an eerie little diddy in which we discover that Sadako supposedly was alive inside of her well-prison for thirty years before she died- does set a great tone of dread, horror and intrigue. But the film doesn't maintain itself. I honestly thought that opening sequence was arguably the most frightening scene between the first two films, because the implications are just so dastardly and frightening to comprehend, and I feel this movie peaks afterwords. Now, I'm not saying the script is terrible. Characters are well-developed and the pacing is good. But there aren't any other truly eerie moments, save for one or two good scares near the end. I also felt that Takahashi's script went to some interesting but unfullfilling places with the story. Much like "Rasen", there is a slight Sci-Fi leaning here (albeit nowhere near as much of a leaning), and it just doesn't quite work. I also felt that the plot line involving Yoichi's psychic abilities wasn't developed quite enough, and the stakes weren't quite as high as they could have been.But despite those pretty big issues with the script, I do find myself enjoying this film quite a bit. It doesn't quite "work" as a horror film, and things don't gel properly, but it's undeniably well-made and well-acted, and the moments that do work, work exceedingly well.I'm giving this a pretty-good 7 out of 10. If you're a fan of the original film, then most definitely this is one to check out. You might end up loving it. But for those unfamiliar with the franchise, or those who were not thrilled with the original film, this is one you can probably skip.

I'll try to handle this with only minor spoilers. "Ringu 2" is an alternate version of "Rasen" in some ways. Both begin shortly after "Ringu" (one day for "Rasen," one week for "Ringu 2"). Both have most of the main cast of "Ringu" and much of the supporting cast, and use or recreate many locations and sets, believably portraying the immediate aftermath of the prior film's conclusion (although one character seems to have gained weight and grown her hair out in the intervening week). Lastly, both place a large emphasis on Takano Mai, Takayama Ryuuji's student who is implied to have an intimate relationship with him in "Ringu" (in "Rasen" it's established that they were lovers, in "Ringu 2" she had a crush on him which he didn't reciprocate), who has E.S.P. (which wasn't even hinted at in "Ringu"). But "Ringu 2" makes it clear very early that it isn't meant to be consistent with "Rasen." Basically things diverge into two different fictional universes at the end of "Ringu" (both are consistent with "Ringu 0," or at least the parts of "Ringu 0" that I understood). I haven't read any of the books or short stories, so I don't know which of the sequels, if either, is based on one. The Wikipedia is of no help, since one page says "Rasen" is based on the written sequel to "Ringu" and "Ringu 2" has no literary basis, while another page says the opposite. Incidentally, bits from this movie are grafted into the American remake of "Ringu." While "Rasen" sidelines the videotape and introduces radical new pieces of the "Ringu" mythos, "Ringu 2" deals with the natural aftermath of "Ringu" and basically plays around with what was already established. We learn more about how the videotape is propagated, the ghosts of the people who saw it, and what happens to people who didn't see it but were touched by it in some way. This is done using mainly minor characters from "Ringu" (some extremely minor), although important main cast members come into the story about halfway through, and even Ryuuji shows up (despite being dead). Other elements include some very interesting stuff about the real-life paranormal phenomenon of psychic photography, or "thoughtography." The climax of the movie is a sort of scientific exorcism conducted by a parapsychologist who doesn't believe in ghosts. Naturally, this goes terribly wrong, and the final resolution is more rooted in traditional Japanese mysticism than any kind of science. It includes a Deus ex machina, but it's still rather satisfying. It would be a stretch to call what we get a happy ending, but it's more positive than any of the other three "Ringu" movies. The last major difference from "Rasen" is that there are almost no flashbacks.I do, of course, have some complaints. We learn that Sadako was alive in the well for years before expiring not long before "Ringu." This is hard to buy, even if you account for black magic. That also has basically nothing to do with the rest of the movie. Also, the death of a major character is handled rather poorly. So much so that I didn't even realize they had died until it was stated in dialog some twenty five minutes later! "Ringu 2" isn't as scary, engaging, or tightly-constructed as "Ringu" (or even "Ringu 0"), but it's still quite good when weighed against your average supernatural horror film. It's also very true to the spirit of "Ringu," and has very much the same visual style and "feel" (it's the only "Ringu" sequel or prequel to have the same director as the original). Less effective is the music. It's by Kenji Kawai, who also scored "Ringu" and countless animé, usually with much better results than here. Half of it is a sort of techno-pop that sounds like it comes from a montages in an '80s film, while the other half is a pastiche of Mark Snow's music for "The X-Files." I noticed three places where it quoted a memorable "X-Files" cue almost note-for-note. Rather annoying. But besides that, and the inevitable comparisons with the far superior "Ringu," this is an entertaining horror film with twists and turns. I honestly didn't know what was going to happen next (and not because the things happening were random and ridiculous, like in "Rasen"). And get this: At one point I had gotten so absorbed in the movie that, when they showed the cursed videotape, I literally looked away from the screen for a moment, so it wouldn't kill me, before I came to my senses. I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoyed "Ringu."