Rings

Twelve years have passed since we last caught a glimpse of the waterlogged Samara clambering out of the well; twelve years. I want you to remember that because evidently the makers of Rings, the newest installment in the series forgot. They forgot that the origin of their vengeful specter has already been told and the supposed rules of Samara's curse need maybe a refresher at most. Yet given the fact this film simultaneously ups stakes and downplays expectations I have to ask, what are we supposed to be looking at: a reboot? A sequel? A spin off? I can't honestly tell you what we're supposed to be watching, but what it looks like is a really s***ty horror movie – one that plum forgot to bring the scary. Jump scares abound in this movie and if that's all it takes to jolt you out of your seat then watch out for the loud claps of car doors closing and umbrellas bursting open. Otherwise the second scariest thing about this movie is it makes an entire rural Georgia town look like the McPoyles from It's Always Sunny (2005-Present).

After an absurd opening hook provided by the single worst in-flight movie ever, the film begins with a young teenage couple inexplicably agog about the legend of Orpheus. Male Meatbag #1 (Roe) is headed off to college leaving Female Meatbag #1 (Ingrid Lutz) to wait for the inevitable turkey drop back in their hometown. The film insinuates she's taking care of a sick family member but we never see them and the plot thread drops as soon as Male Meatbag #1 stops answering his phone. Female Meatbag #1 becomes upset and makes her way to the guy's college where we meet (or rather re-meet) Male Meatbag #2 (Galecki). #2 is a biology professor who in addition to barely teaching classes also somehow managed to start an experimental death cult to protect himself from the cursed tape he recently found. Male Meatbag #1 is involved; Female Meatbag #1 sees the video, Female Meatbag #2 (Teegarden) dies and we all go on a glorious adventure to stop our flat screens from attacking.

The main problem that every film in the Ring Series (2002-Present) has to try to overcome is finding a second act that matters. The concept all but requires the main source of fright and threat to bookend a narrative dead zone whereby victims anxiously await their fates. The Ring (2002) accomplished this with an engaging mystery. The characters were given a clear time clock, elevated stakes and clues within the cursed video to give the audience something to play with.

Rings attempts the same thing, but since the audience should have some context (again it's been twelve years), we're all just twiddling our thumbs waiting for the characters to catch up. The mystery is a slightly different take on the curse (it's also a slightly different video), but it hardly justifies this airless, soulless cash grab. Especially since the Gothic atmosphere of the first is completely absent and all we're left with to mull on is a late appearance by Vincent D'Onofrio.

For what it's worth, supporting players Vincent D'Onofrio and Johnny Galecki outshine the leads in this insipid film like rusted tin cans in a rubbish tip. They're not by any means good, but they wisely play to their strengths unlike Ingrid Lutz who looks like she's about to burst a blood vessel trying to fake an American accent. Of course in comparison to Roe, she actually looks like she's trying to sell her role. Roe ambles onto the screen like a last place relay racer who suddenly decided "I just don't give a f*** anymore." This film is a redundant farce lacking any of the inspiration that made the first American remake not just good but a J-horror trendsetter. The chills and thrills are non-existent and story can't help but flounder in a sea of inattention and indecision. What is Rings supposed to be? I honestly think it might just be a bad joke twelve years in the making.

I'm not really sure what I just watched but this was a far cry from the previous two movies. The worst offense that this movie has to atone for is the fact that it wasn't scary. Not even in the slightest sense. Keep in mind that this was supposed to be a Horror movie.

Right from the get-go it was pretty much clear "who would make it out of the movie alive" ["The Chosen One"-trope]. And that's why the whole movie flopped. There was no real danger. The entire movie felt like a "documentary" about the origin story. Also, Samara was barely in the movie, which for the record was the main reason for my disgruntlement.

Final verdict: This movie is more of a filler. It's main purpose is to connect the links from the past to what is yet to come. This may sound wrong but the end of the movie was actually the best part (and it wasn't because the movie ended. It's because we were left with an intriguing cliffhanger. I like that). I remain hopeful for the upcoming movie in the franchise.

'RINGS': Three Stars (Out of Five)

The third installment in the American supernatural horror franchise, following 2002's 'THE RING' and 2005's 'THE RING TWO'; the series is based on the 1998 Japanese horror movie 'RINGU'. This sequel has a college student, and his girlfriend, trying to survive the curse of Samara Morgan; which haunts you for a week, before death, after watching a mysterious video tape. The film was directed by F. Javier Gutierrez, and it was written by David Loucka, Jacob Aaron Estes and Akiva Goldsman. It stars Matilda Lutz, Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki and Vincent D'Onofrio. The movie has been a hit at the Box Office, so far, but (of course) it's received mostly negative reviews from critics, and fans alike. I found it to be pretty disappointing.

A college professor, named Gabriel (Galecki), discovers the curse of Samara Morgan; after buying an old VCR at a garage sale, with a mysterious tape in it. He creates a college experiment out of the curse; where he assigns students to watch the tape, and then he finds them someone else to show it to (which saves their lives). Holt (Roe) is one new student that's unlucky enough to get the assignment. When Holt's girlfriend, Julia (Lutz), doesn't hear from him, she comes looking for him.

The film starts out pretty promising, and it's creepy enough (like the others), but it loses it's way pretty quickly. There's definitely some cool, and somewhat frightening, scenes in it; but they're mostly all in the first half of the movie. This sequel is definitely not as original, or as memorable, as it's predecessors; but it's worst crime is that it's just boring. The first half is mildly amusing, but the second half is definitely a bore!

Not much to say, after watching the "Rings". If you have seen the first two movies, then you should just skip this one. It's a disgrace for the series. Repiod.

Awful story, terrible acting, not even a single scary scene. Even when Samara appears, you are not scared, but sad... Not because of her story, but because of the series falloff...

Personally, I loved the first movie and enjoyed the second, even though I found it mediocre. This one, however, is one of the least interesting movies I have seen in my whole life.

Shame, shame, shame...

"Rings" is a horror movie in which we watch a young woman trying to reach her boyfriend who is missing in his try of exploring a dark urban legend (a mysterious video said to kill the watcher seven days after viewing). In the meantime and as she is trying to save her boyfriend she discovers something about this movie that none has ever found. Something that maybe can change everything.

I have to admit that I expected more from this movie and of course I was disappointed from it. It's the third movie of this series and I believe is the worst. The plot is at a very basic level which makes the movie boring and without any suspense, something that it's mandatory when we talk for a horror movie. In addition to this the direction which was made by F. Javier Gutiérrez is not so good due to the lack of experience or imagination of him or even because of low budget that this movie has. The interpretations of Johnny Galecki who plays as Gabriel and Vincent D'Onofrio who plays as Burke, they can be seen as "supporting players" in this film and nothing more.

Finally I believe that "Rings" is a simple - medium movie with low budget, poor cast and direction which used a name in order to make money and of course it failed. In comparison with the previous two movies I have to say that it's the worst and I don't recommend it to anyone, you are going to lose your time watching it.