Steinesongo Too many fans seem to be blown away

Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Leofwine_draca RING is most famous Japanese horror film of all time, so this South Korean version of the same story has its work cut out. The narrative framework and scope of the storyline is almost exactly the same as in the Japanese movie, although there are a few differences, some of them crucial. One of the most notable things about this movie is that it sits more in the mystery/thriller genre, only hinting at horror in the occasional scene rather than dwelling on it as in the other movie.Sadly, it turns out to be a disappointing watch, doubly so if you know the Japanese version off by heart. Where Hideo Nakata excelled in creating protracted sequences of drawn-out dread, THE RING VIRUS feels stately and slightly dull in comparison. Yes, there's a moment involving a television but it's nowhere near as petrifying as when Nakata did it. The cast and crew go through the motions of the story in a linear fashion without it ever fully engaging the senses; scary this isn't. Director Kim Dong-bin lacks the technical flourishes and sense of style that other Korean directors have brought to their work; the resultant film is passable rather than effective.

Rasen The most important thing you need to know is this is a film called 'The Ring Virus' not 'Ring'. This is a Korean remake but with new material which focuses more on Koji Suzuki's original Novel 'Ring'.A mysterious video tape causes the death of 4 teenagers all at the same time on the same day. One of the victims aunt decided to investigate and soon finds herself in a race against time to find the source of the video tape.This film chose a more plot driven story than the suspense of the other versions. However the scenes change fast and characters seem to just appear at new locations sometimes leaving you wondering why they have gone there. I have read the book so I found the film easier to follow. Another nice addition to this version of the story is a deeper background about the character Sadako (or in this film Eun-Suh). Without giving too much away I felt it was nice to see the inclusion of her 'secret', that was left out of both the American and Japanese adaptations of the novel.The camera work is average and also very repetitive of the Japanese film (sometimes using identical shots) but there are moments that work better in this film and some moments that fall flat. I would only recommend this film to people who are fans of the ring series and would like to see the novel brought to screen more accurately or would simply like to see another adaptation of the story. This film should not be viewed as an introduction to the ring series but more as a supplement.Overall, I enjoyed this film but couldn't help feeling it could have been better. But don't let people tell you its rubbish or that the 'new' plot themes ruin the original story because they don't and the new story lines are from the original novel and the true version of the story anyway.

Angel Meiru Damn, Koreans can make great films, just like their Japanese, Chinese and Taiwanese counterparts. "Ring Virus" has to be one of the greatest Korean horror films besides "The Whispering Corridor" series.Sure it may be somewhat simple in the Special Effects department, but that usually does work the best when working with supernatural horror films. This one, as well as many Japanese horror films and an earlier Korean techno-horror film called "Screen Sairen", "Ring Virus" as well as "Ringu" has quite an original plot. An accursed video tape is being spread around and people who don't copy it and share it or live a lonely life, will die.And Unlike the US version of "The Ring", the video shown in this movie is not a typical rip-off of a Marilyn Manson music video. Instead, it seems to start off with being rather kind and innocent, yet abstract looking, which makes things much more terrifying. The settings of the film are quite excellent. The scenes filmed on the Cheju Island, is quite lush looking and beautiful, I started to wish I was on the Korean islands.Heck, I just wanna go over to South Korea, PERIOD! If you can find this film, please get it. I know it is hard to find, but it is worth it, much more than the US version.PS, Du-na Bae, the young adult actress who plays Eun-suh, is quite creppy looking, as well as gorgeous!

jefferyq I have viewed all versions of Ring and it seems my very unpopular opinion is that this version is the best choice. Why? The story unfold at a much better pace and relies less on 'mysterious insight' and the random exposition that sometimes clutters the Japanese 'psychic horror/mystery' films...you know the kind of scenes: two characters walk up to a piece of string and one looks at it and starts telling the other (and the viewer) the events leading up to the string's appearance. And no, I don't dislike that style completely, it does save a lot of time (and money for the crew) and advances the story rather quickly...it's just that I found slower building story of the Korean version to be far more interesting - and as far as my investigations have found, truer to the novel these films are based on. A good example is the omission of the distorted photographs (which are in both the US and Japanese versions) - I am told that was not in the book. The scary, more straight horror aspect of the Japanese (and even more so with the gore injected U.S. version) have been toned down to an almost non-existent state...one of the reasons why most people probably don't like this version. The video itself is a definite improvement. The fact that it doesn't 'cut off' abruptly but rather, taped over before the solution could be given - that is brilliant! Especially in light of current urban legend interest. Simple version: See Ring Virus if you want a more detailed, story-driven version (some say 'boring') - more of a creepy drama. The Japanese version if you want a mysterious psychic-powered ghost film. The US version if you want a hyperactive, steroid injected retelling of the Japanese version, in English. In the end, it just depends which method you like best.