 |
The
Ring Two
Genre: Horror
Rated: PG-13
Directed by: HIDEO NAKATA
Produced
by: Walter
F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald
Starring: NAOMI WATTS, DAVID DORFMAN, SISSY SPACEK, KELLY
STABLES
Released by: DreamWorks
Pictures
In
Short: The sequel to the cultish "The Ring"
lacks any truly terrifying moments and suffers
from a ludicrous plot. |
|
Frighteningly
Bad
Unsuspecting
Viewers Be Warned
By
Cherie Saunders
It’s
six months after investigative reporter Rachel Keller
(Naomi Watts) figured out that a string of grisly murders
was linked to the ghost of a small girl named Samara,
whose mother left her for dead at the bottom of a well.
Bitter and abandoned, Samara (Kelly Stables) was hell-bent
on telling the world her story—and did so with disturbing
images communicated through VHS tapes in 2002’s
"The Ring." When unsuspecting viewers watched
the video, they would perish in horrific fashion within
seven days unless a copy was made and given to someone
else. Once Rachel figured out that dubbing saves lives,
she took measures to ensure that no one would ever lay
eyes on the tape again.
 |
 |
At
the outset of "Ring 2," Rachel and her son Aidan
(David Dorfman) move from Seattle to the small coastal
community of Astoria, Oreg., to start fresh. But soon,
a dead body turns up sporting the same mid-scream look
of death as Samara’s carnage left behind in Seattle.
Upon further investigation, not only does Rachel discover
that the black-haired ghost is back in effect, but this
time, she may be using her son Aidan to carry on.
Both Aidan and Samara are even creepier this time around,
while Watts continues the raw emotion that moved fans
of "The Ring." But this sequel lacks any truly
terrifying moments. The story borders on ludicrous and
renders most of Rachel’s maternal decisions absurd.
Ironically, her co-worker Max (Simon Baker) believes that
Aidan is the victim of a crazy mother, not a vengeful
ghost. When Max convinces Rachel to take Aidan to the
hospital, the staff, including Dr. Emma Temple (Elizabeth
Perkins), believe Rachel is insane and attempt to remove
him from her care. Sadly, the doctors were not far off
in their diagnosis—as Rachel’s bad mothering
gives the film its only scary moments. |
