The Ring: Collector's Edition DVD Review:

After the unexpected death of her niece Katie, Rachel Keller (Watts) doesn’t think the post-mortem result of a heart attack is right and decides to investigate. Utilising her journalistic skills, Rachel discovers that her niece wasn’t the only one to die on that night as all of her friends, that she had spend the previous weekend with, had also met an untimely death. Questioning some of her classmates, they all talked about a videotape that the group had watched. They said that whoever watches the tape would receive a phone call as soon as it finishes and a voice will tell them that they have seven days to left to live.

Usually Hollywood remakes of hit foreign movies do a gross discredit to the original source material but The Ring is an exception.

Based on the cult 1998 low budget Japanese film Ringu by Hideo Nakata, The Ring is a strange and disturbing psychological horror movie that will have you jumping out of your skin. Director Gore Verbinski has kept all of the original’s creepiness and most importantly, the outlandish plot.

What made the original such a hit was its sheer weirdness. Why would a supernatural force use a videotape to select its victims? Why seven days before you die? What this remake does a lot more convincingly than the original is explain why these events are taking place and the motivation behind the supernatural force. The original was a muddled, bizarre mess in that relied on shock value and an outstanding finale to cover up its plot failings. The remake does have the same problems but very subtle changes to key stories lines make this the more comprehensive movie.

Naomi Watts is superb as Rachel. She is an actress of great talent, conveying fear and desperation very convincingly. Her scream in the spine-chilling finale will send shockwaves through your body, making her the new horror movie scream-queen. Martin Henderson proves good support as Noah, the sceptic turned believer who helps Rachel in her investigates. David Dorfman is another credible child actor in the Halle Joel Osment mould and Brian Cox is as good as ever in his sort but memorable role.

The Ring is a very well put together remake of an already classic horror movie. Relying more on quick, sharp shocks rather than all out gore, the movie plays more with your mind than your stomach, which makes it all the more scary. The additions to the plot and the talented cast make this more of a homage than a remake. Everything that was good about the original is still there but it now makes a little more sense. Scary, jumpy and downright creepy, The Ring will make you take the phone off the hook every time you watch a video.

Star Rating = * * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, this is an excellent transfer. Gore Verbinski’s take on the Japanese horror classic has looked so good, with an extremely sharp picture throughout, even during the darkest moments. The sound quality is also first rate, especially during the terrifying tape scenes and shocking climax.

BONUS MATERIAL

Rings (15.59 mins)

A short film by director Jonathan Liebesman links the first and second movies in the series together. Starring Ryan Merriman as Jake and Emily Van Camp as Emily, the story follows a group of friends who are experimenting with the ring tape. When one of them watches it, they have to make a video diary of their experiences as evil stars to flow into their lives. This is excellent, really capturing the feel of the first film and building anticipation for the second movie. The visual style of the film makes you feel like the character is actually inside the tape, as world becomes more and more real as the seventh days comes all the more closer. This is a must watch for fans of the series.

Don’t watch this (14.46 mins)

Gore Verbinski’s original short film that accompanied the release of the film. Here we get to see some of the deleted or extended scenes from the movie intercut with footage from the videotape. This expands the investigation elements of the film, revealing more of both Rachel’s and Noah’s findings about the tape and the story behind it. While you may have seen some of the footage before this is still riveting stuff that adds to your enjoyment of the film.

The Making of the Ring (7.57 mins)

Director Gore Verbinski, producer Walter Parkes and stars Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, Brian Cox and David Dorfman come together to talk about the making of ‘The Ring’. The cast and crew discuss how the film was adapted from the Japanese original, the characters that the actors portray and the different kind of horror this movie brings to the silver screen.

Trailers (4.38 mins)

Watch the original theatrical trailer for ‘The Ring’ as well as a preview of ‘The Ring 2’. There is also a chance to watch the new version of the tape used in the sequel.

OVERALL

DreamWorks have repacked ‘The Ring’ as a special edition but there isn’t much more than the original release. There are no deleted scenes, no insight into the differences between the Hollywood version and the original or even a commentary track, which are all things that a special edition really needs. The featurette offers nothing new and ‘Don’t Watch This’ appeared on the original release. Its saving grace is the ‘Rings’ sort film however. Extremely well produced and a real bonus to the franchise, this is almost worth the price of the special edition but not quite. Fans expecting the ultimate DVD release of the film with be sadly disappointed but for those of you who didn’t buy it first time around, this is the one to buy.

DVD Star Rating = * * * (if you don’t own the original release)

Jamie Kelwick

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