It’s been over a decade since Ringu (“ring” in Japanese) was first released but the mark that it made on horror movies is still as indelible as ever. Its success prompted its makers to produce 3 more movies in the Ringu franchise: 2 sequels (Rasen and Ringu 2) and 1 prequel (Ringu 0: Birthday). Ringu is still the number one earner out of all horror films in Japan with a total of over $137 million.
Ringu’s popularity and critical acclaim caught the eye of Hollywood director Gore Verbinski, who spearheaded its American remake. The Ring was released in 2002, and it was the very first Hollywood remake of a Japanese horror film. It started the still continuing trend of remaking Asian horror movies like The Grudge, Tale of Two Sisters, and Dark Water. Its first sequel, The Ring Two, was released in 2005. Currently, The Ring 3D is in production and will be released in 2012.
Despite the critical and commercial acclaim that both Ringu and The Ring got on their own, viewers find it hard to stop comparing the two versions. Because of recent movie remakes that are far from the high standard of the original film, you might first think that The Ring will be so subpar – but it’s actually not. You might even see various “best horror lists” listing The Ring above Ringu, though some do find Ringu better than the remake. To each his own I guess.
But if you insist on comparing the two films like me, keep on reading to see if our observations match or not. I have identified a few factors where each film can be judged against the other: acting, atmosphere, flow, music, and scares.
Acting – the Japanese actors did a good job but there are times when their acting look a bit too forced. In The Ring, Naomi Watts did a great job. Her acting was restrained but still made you feel the horror she felt, ditto for the rest of the cast too. Winner: The Ring
Atmosphere – The grainy effect used in Ringu was perfect for the story and the overall effect was very eerie while in The Ring, the washed-out colors and sharp contrasts used were too distracting and took away attention from the scenes. Winner: Ringu
Flow – The original clocked in at 90 minutes, but the whole movie felt longer than that and there were various points explored in a disjointed manner. The Ring was an improvement as the mystery was explored in a straightforward way that helped keep the suspense sustained along the middle parts. Winner: The Ring
Music – Ringu used sound contrasts effectively. The film was a quiet one but sounds like the telephone ring was amplified. The music used was also simple but very creepy. The Ring’s score is by the accomplished Hans Zimmer. Though it was good, I thought the overall sound was too polished for the movie. Winner: Ringu
Scares – Just the bulging eye of Sadako should make Ringu the winner here, right? But other than that, the relentless psychological horror you feel while watching the Japanese version is so long-lasting that it can give you nightmares for a week. The Ring however, shocks the viewers but the lasting supernatural and psychological fear is just not equal to the original. Winner: Ringu
By Corpse Bride, evilgiggles.com
Ringu’s popularity and critical acclaim caught the eye of Hollywood director Gore Verbinski, who spearheaded its American remake. The Ring was released in 2002, and it was the very first Hollywood remake of a Japanese horror film. It started the still continuing trend of remaking Asian horror movies like The Grudge, Tale of Two Sisters, and Dark Water. Its first sequel, The Ring Two, was released in 2005. Currently, The Ring 3D is in production and will be released in 2012.
Despite the critical and commercial acclaim that both Ringu and The Ring got on their own, viewers find it hard to stop comparing the two versions. Because of recent movie remakes that are far from the high standard of the original film, you might first think that The Ring will be so subpar – but it’s actually not. You might even see various “best horror lists” listing The Ring above Ringu, though some do find Ringu better than the remake. To each his own I guess.
But if you insist on comparing the two films like me, keep on reading to see if our observations match or not. I have identified a few factors where each film can be judged against the other: acting, atmosphere, flow, music, and scares.
Acting – the Japanese actors did a good job but there are times when their acting look a bit too forced. In The Ring, Naomi Watts did a great job. Her acting was restrained but still made you feel the horror she felt, ditto for the rest of the cast too. Winner: The Ring
Atmosphere – The grainy effect used in Ringu was perfect for the story and the overall effect was very eerie while in The Ring, the washed-out colors and sharp contrasts used were too distracting and took away attention from the scenes. Winner: Ringu
Flow – The original clocked in at 90 minutes, but the whole movie felt longer than that and there were various points explored in a disjointed manner. The Ring was an improvement as the mystery was explored in a straightforward way that helped keep the suspense sustained along the middle parts. Winner: The Ring
Music – Ringu used sound contrasts effectively. The film was a quiet one but sounds like the telephone ring was amplified. The music used was also simple but very creepy. The Ring’s score is by the accomplished Hans Zimmer. Though it was good, I thought the overall sound was too polished for the movie. Winner: Ringu
Scares – Just the bulging eye of Sadako should make Ringu the winner here, right? But other than that, the relentless psychological horror you feel while watching the Japanese version is so long-lasting that it can give you nightmares for a week. The Ring however, shocks the viewers but the lasting supernatural and psychological fear is just not equal to the original. Winner: Ringu
By Corpse Bride, evilgiggles.com
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