Customer Reviews

Ringu Anthology of Terror (Rasen/Ringu/Ringu 2/Ringu 0)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A minor movie trend is remaking Japanese horror movies, especially ones that originated from horror writer Koji Suzuki. The first of those films was "The Ring," the terrifying Naomi Watts remake, but the original films are an even more fulfilling experience, since they show the whole story.

"The Ringu Anthology of Terror," despite that really cheesy name, includes the four Japanese films that concern the malevolent Sadako and the haunted videotape. Expect a lot of bizarre twists and turns, truly horrific experiences, and two sequels to the same movie.

In "Ringu," Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima) has just found out that her young niece has mysteriously died in terror... and so have three of her friends, at the same time. The only link is a videotape, which urban legend says will kill you seven days after you watch it. And Reiko has seen it. Now she and her ex-husband Ryuji (Hiroyuki Sanada) must unravel the mystery of the videotape -- and the malignant ghost who haunts it.

"Rasen" is a nearly-faithful follow-up, based on Suzuki's novel "Spiral." Doctor Mitsuo is mourning the loss of his only child, and things don't get better when his old pal Ryuji (Hiroyuki Sanada) turns up dead, a victim of Sadako's videotape. But the strange virus in the tape has taken an unexpected turn -- and soon Mitsuo discovers that Sadako is determined to be reborn...

Audiences weren't too thrilled with the scientific slant of "Rasen," which sort of depleted the horror. And so the film company had "Ringu 2" made, which completely ignored "Rasen" altogether, and is based solely on the "Ringu" film. Confused yet? It's not as good as the original, but is better than average as a sequel.

In "Ringu 2," Mai Takano (Miki Nakatani) wants to know what happened to her boyfriend Ryuji (Hiroyuki Sanada yet again), and the doctors are baffled by the strange facts -- it turns out that somehow Sadako stayed "alive" for thirty years in the well. Elsewhere, Reiko (Nanako Matsushima) has escaped death, but now fears that her son is beginning to show signs of Sadako's power.

"Ring O" offers a look at the backstory of the malignant Sadako Yamamura. Once this young girl (Yukie Nakama) was a shy, sweet-natured young actress, haunted by frightening visions. But then other actors start dying. The secrets of Sadako's past, and the "dark" alter ego who has been kept locked away, combine into a frightening ghoul...

There has probably never been a horror series quite like the "Ringu" movies -- two disconnected sequels, one prequel, one original movie. What's more, it's a slow-burning kind of horror, which is based more on visceral human fears than on cheap jumps. If you thought Watts' "The Ring" was good, just wait until you see the whole story.

"Ringu" and "Ring O" are probably the best and most horrifying of the series. "Rasen" suffers from too many explanations of the ring virus and Sadako's presence, while "Ringu 2" just suffers from a mild case of sequelitis. However, all of these films are worth seeing; even at their worst, they are still creepy and wonderfully strange.

Most of the acting is quite good; Sanada and Matsushima both do excellent jobs, though Nakatani seems completely baffled and wooden in "Rasen." She's better in "Ringu 2." But the biggest props have to go to Nakama, who gives a magnificent performance as Sadako, both as a shy, misunderstood young girl, and a malevolent ghoul on a killing spree.

Anyone who saw and loved "The Ring" will probably be hiding under their beds with the "Ringu" series, with its spine-chilling mixture of science, horror and Japanese supernatural beliefs. Well worth getting.

Sometimes explaining that something is unexplainable can explain a lot, let me explain.

BASIC PLOT:
Director Hideo Nakata's Ringu follows a beautiful reporter Reiko Asakawa as she investigates a videotape that kills you a week after you watch it, after her niece Tomoko's death is linked to the tape. After tracking down the tape at a cabin her niece and some friends stayed at, all of which have since died, she brings it to her ex husband Ryuji played by Hiroyuki Sanada (The Last Samurai, Sunshine) to help her explain things. As the story unfolds we learn that Reiko, Ryuji, and their son Yoichi all have the power to see things, powers not as strong or evil as the mother and daughter on that tape however.

ROUND 1. The Explanation - RINGU
What I meant by my first line was that in Ringu they mention the strange girl on the tape not being from this world and they do not go into great detail of why she does the evil she does or how. The girl on the video is left more of a mystery to us which I found more effective.

ROUND 2 The Tape- RINGU
There is also no attempt in Ringu to go into some weird explanation of how the tape came to be. In Ringu it's just there it's evil and some evil can't be explained. Also in Ringu the tape is kept simpler aka less confusing, there is no ladder or dead horses or this big long back story attempting to explain every frame which adds about 30mins to The Ring which both confuses and takes away from the mystery.

ROUND 3 The Scary Kid- RINGU
The reporter's child in Ringu is just a kid, he has the power to see things like his parents but he is less gimmicky and doesn't attempt to get laughs.

ROUND 4 The Scares- RINGU
The scares in the Ring were geared to make you jump, some of them with cheap loudness or scary faces, which Ringu does as well but in a more subtle way. The Ring starts strong and probably has more attempts at "scary parts" as far as quantity but Ringu's are more effective and build up to the climax. Ringu's scares are geared to stick with you, I can imagine seeing this if you are young and how many sleepless nights it would give you. We can basically all relate to growing up and hearing urban legends. Ghosts, curses, the paranormal and certainly the unexplained are all real. Using videotape, telephones, and televisions to scare us in the places we live really hits home and is relatable. Keeping the little girl a mystery makes her all the more scary at the end.

ROUND 5 The Climax -RINGU
Overall I thought The Ring started strong and then got weaker as the film progressed. Ringu on the other hand started solid, rested for a moment, and then got stronger to the end climax. As for the ending climax and the television, in The Ring the girl is all digitized and snowy, not very effective. In Ringu the girl is a girl, very creepy, crawling out of the tv set without fake looking special effects, and the glimpse you get at her disfigured face that you never fully see is terrifying. The ending of The Ring came off corny where The ending of Ringu cements it as a great horror film.

KO! Ringu Wins!

Even though I gave high praise to RINGU in comparison I still feel The Ring has solid scares and started strong as they were following the original movie closely but then it just got confusing attempting to explain everything. All and all not bad but Ringu is great.

THE ANTHOLOGY DVD
RINGU
RAISEN - Sequel to the Ring
RINGU 2- Back cover says it reveals more truths to the haunted girl on the deadly tape and she attempts to possess a young boy, and begin a new cycle of terror.
RINGU 0 - Takes place 30 yrs before the events of RINGU, provides the shocking background story of how the girl on the video became a deadly spirit.

No special features
RINGU sells for 12.99 and I think the less we know about that girl the scarier it is, I don't think Hannibal Rising added much depth the Lecter but who knows.

For years I've watched American horror movies. From a teen to an adult, I've probably seen it all...from stalker to slasher, from aliens in outer space to boogeymen in closets. So. With that in mind. I've become tiresome with American horror films. It seems the new wave in horror films are nothing more than fake snuff films, i.e., Hostel, Saw 1 and 2, Wolf Creek. As someone who has a undergrad degree in world history, I've read enough about torture from Romans to the Nazis. I really dont want to sit in a theater or watch at home for 90 some minutes film that has no real plot, just victims to torture (basically American films today are upping the anti on the age old Jasonish vs. teens films). I realize the films are not real, but, torture like that does happen in the world, and I dont want to watch torture just for torture sake. I want a bit of mystery, a bit of horror, a bit of dreamlike phantasmagoria. That is why I have fallen in love with Asian horror movies like the Ringu series. The Ringu series, along with other Asian horror films like Audition (which yes has torture in it, but it is woven into the greater plot, not the full focus of the plot like Hostel), are captivating in how well the stories are constructed. You aren't sure what is going on, but slowly, surely, you find yourself drowning in the murky uncertainty of the lines between reality and dreams, as with the haunting and stalking of Sadako. These films are intelligent, they are scary, and they have a great deal of imagination involved in full focus. I highly suggest these films if you are tired of the remakes, the torture, the painfully dullminded American horror movies that are being pumped out in theaters today.

After seeing the American version and the Korean one, I wanted to finally see the original sage.

To say it quickly, the first is great and sets the story well and proved why the remakes were done.

The sequels (Rasen and Ringu 2) though left me with a bad taste. They took the mystique out from the first one and tried to go at another level but simply failed and felt like they were written by a student that wanted to push his direction to it instead of following the story of the first one. Rasen is truly more guilty of this.

Ringu 0 was also a let down. More of a rehashed retelling of the legend/origin of the first one, which added all sort of stuff that just were make up so to make a new movie.

This movie (the original) had a LOT of potential and I find that all the sequels failed to capture the story and essence behind it.

A good series of movies. These Japanese movies are the basis of The American Ring movies. While the Ringu series will seem slow in comparison to the American versions I think its essential to build the suspense so lacking in American horror movies since the late 90s and beyond.

This set is the way to go if you want the entire RINGU story. RINGU 0 gives the backstory of Sadako and her demonic development. We are introduced to her in an unexpected way, gaining sympathy for this tragic, malicious character. RINGU has Sadako in her full, terrifying glory, as the walking nightmare just out of view (until the end). Far more subtle than its american remake, RINGU is one of the best ghost stories ever made. RASEN is the original sequel to RINGU, reviled by fans, but loved by me for its sci-fi / horror take on the ghoulish goings-on. It makes a nice alternative to RINGU 2, which is, of course, the sequel that seems more connected to the original. Though RINGU 2 isn't my favorite film, it still has more to offer than the mostly ridiculous, CGI-laden RING 2 from hollywood! This collection is a must for those who enjoy ghost stories, horror, and all things Sadako...

this collection was hit and miss. the horror slows down in alot of the parts but does a ok job. the story is made very long, but still interesting to watch. i ended up watching more to what the back story was than the horror itself. most of the movies in this collection move very slowly for scary scenes, and only pick up towards the very end. overall a normal collection of j-horror nothing over the top. 3/5 still worth it for the price and making a nice collection.

This box set contains the movies that started all that long-haired creepy moving dead girl with the curse that never ends! If you haven't watched these movies, then you're missing something.

These movies has almost no CGIs and the scoring is minimal but effectively creepy and scary.

Overall i love all three films (Ringu, Ringu 2 and Ringu 0) but Rasen is totally non-sadako type. But buying the boxed set is worth it.

I live in the Philippines and buying this from amazon in a separate shipment cost me half an arm and half a leg with customs and duty taxes but i think having the collection has quench whatever horror thirst i had!

A MUST SEE AND A MUST BUY!

I ADORE THE RING AND RINGU SERIES! I saw every Ringu (including RASEN) and so i am going to review the series:

RINGU: a GREAT movie. It is totally better than the American version and it totally made more sense. Some people think "The Ring" is better but I disagree. But everyone's entitled to their own opinions!

RASEN: WHAT IS WITH ALL THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS???? I liked it! It's good, just it could've had LESS SEX.

RINGU 2: Good, not as great as the 1st. Only problem: MAI TAKANO: She really annoyed me (especially at trying to mother Yoichi) but it is still great. And Why is the average rating 2.5 stars on the Ringu 2 page?

RINGU 0: BIRTHDAY: THE BEST RINGU IN THE SERIES!!!!!! I was kinda crying throughout the movie. It was sad, yet scary, and beautiful! One thing: Can't I get this and RASEN on it's own??? That way, I won't have to buy the whole set.

THIS IS ONE HELLUVA GREAT AND TWISTED MOVIE SERIES! GET THE BOX SET! I am going to buy RING 2, And Ringu 2 (dreamworks DVD) and this (Tartan DVD) all on the same day!

I'm sure we all know what these movies are about by now as Dreamworks Entertainment has done two re-makes of this terrifying trilogy(I say trilogy because the second movie Rasen was to terrible to count as part of the Ring legacy). I agree with what most reviewers have said out of this box set the truly best of the movies are Ring, Ring 2, and Ring 0 as the supposed sequel to the Ring 1 was called Rasen but they made that movie so scientific an trying to explain the curse of the tape that it actually detracted the supernatural terror from that film. Ring 0 was a nice touch because it tries to give Sadako a more humanized touch to make us feel for what happened to her and why the curse came to be. I also liked the son in the first Ring movie as the actor put more feeling in his character than the American actor did for his character Aidan in the re-make. Also don't worry about a dubbed version luckily the DreamWorks / Universal Studios team didn't do that so you just get the original voices for the set. The video is clear and sharp so don't worry about any blurriness or any distortions and the audio is very clear as well no complaints on that end either. So if you want the original J-horror movie that started the Hollywood years of re-makes I say for the price of this box set it's definitely worth it....