The Ring

Director: Gore Verbinski

Starring: Naomi Watts, David Dorfman, Martin Henderson

I first viewed The Ring - the original that is - while home alone. I waited until the stroke of midnight to start the tape and watched it from start to finish with the lights off. From a strictly entertainment standpoint, the experience left me feeling satisfied; from a psychological standpoint however, it left me unnerved.

Fast forward to last month's premiere weekend of The Ring remake, which I viewed, not surprisingly, in a sold-out multiplex theater. Needless to say, this experience left much to be desired, and not merely because of the change in scenery.

Director Hideo Nakata's 1998 Japanese film Ringu - the original movie upon which The Ring is based - is a horror phenomenon that has spawned sequels and prequels throughout Asia, and left audiences worldwide afraid to answer the phone. Much of the reason for the film's overwhelming success, aside from its clever plot depicting what is best described as a deadly video chain letter, is due to Nakata's uncanny ability to target his viewers' senses and exploit their darkest fears. From the film's opening credits to its harrowing conclusion, Nakata's spine-tingling use of sound and imagery creates an unprecedented atmosphere that not only terrifies, but ultimately overwhelms his audience. As a result, viewing Ringu becomes both an emotional and physical experience; it not only assaults you psychologically, but it leaves goose bumps on your arm and a lasting pit in your stomach.

Unfortunately, viewing Gore Verbinski's remake, The Ring, will have no such effect. Although Verbinski keeps fairly true to the original's plot, the director (whose previous efforts include less-than-stellar offerings such as Mouse Hunt and The Mexican) unwittingly replaces Nakata's eerie, one-of-a-kind atmosphere with overstuffed helpings of sanitized Hollywood slickness. From The Ring's squeaky-clean sets and high production values to it's far too ascetically pleasing cast (Naomi Watts and David Dorfman, both whom turn in such mediocre performances that it appears they'd be better suited modeling on a fashion runway than starring in a dramatic thriller), Verbinski's film is too polished to elicit any genuine fear or dread from its audience. And although Verbinski's vision will undoubtedly make some American viewers jump from their chairs, it fails to capture either the lasting emotional or psychological impact of Nakata's notorious original. In other words, Verbinski's final product is little more than a standard American run-of-the-mill horror movie. (Think last year's Jeepers Creepers.) And while there's certainly no shame in that, it's far below the phenomenal standards set by its unforgettable predecessor.

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