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Review:
 Okay.
Hideo Nakata had directed the Japanese version of the "Ringu"
series and one would expect that he would know how to do a decent
horror film. I suppose he does but for some reason he hasn’t
managed to do it this time.
We open the film with some shlub playing THE video tape for a
girl in order to stop himself from getting killed by our old
friend Samara(Kelly Stables). Of course he fails and guess what?
In that very town Rachel Keller(Naomi Watts), our heroine from
last time, has managed to get a job as a copyeditor for the local
suburban daily. She discovers what happens from the girl, (the guy
was fried of course) and soon she and son Aidan(David Dorfman) are
in danger again.
There’s some interesting things going on, like the false
accusation of child abuse by the powers that be in the hospital
Temple (Elizabeth Perkins in a small but effecting performance)
and Gary Cole’s comical turn as a real estate salesman. But even
Sissy Spacek as Samara’s mother can’t save this turkey.
The problem is, that it is pretty much like every other horror
film that comes down the pike, and there aren’t any real scares.
Yeah, David Dorfman is creepy, but that’s because he can’t act.
This is an entirely wooden performance, something that even the
rankest 25-year-old teenager could pull off in any number of
independent quickies.
After all the hype and expectation, this has to be the
disappointment of the year.
Eric Lurio
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