Rings (2005)

Jake, a young teenager watches a cursed video tape after joining a teen cult named "Rings". Join Jake as he lives the horrifying experiences of Samara Morgan's cursed tape. Rings is a short film that takes place before the events of the american remake and sequel to the 2002 Ring movie titled The Ring Two that starred Naomi Watts but unfortunately this short film not only was not needed to be made or released but also a pretty damn waste of my time since nothing happened that was even remotely interesting or actually scary you know? (0/10)

This is WAY better than the cheesy sequal. The ideas are use well in this short movie and this what could be the real sequal like it depends like it's not a movie if it's 16 minutes long. At least the story is good and the acting is convincing too. Also this is not boring like that cheesy sequal and have something to keep you watching this movie. This is my review on Rings (2005), better than the cheesy sequal but not as good as the first one.

Apart from being miles above the pedestrian, even ridiculous "Ring 2" (by much-hyped and overrated Japanese director Nakata) in terms of style, wit, and execution, this savvy, snappy little short introduces a whole new set of ideas to the Ring "myth" that could've given Nakata's clinker the shot of fresh blood it so desperately needed - mainly, the intriguing concept of the tape as a sort of "psycho virus" you have to pass on within 7 days in order to save your own life. This premise - which opens up all kinds of possibilities and suggests a whole bunch of analogies - could have been the basis for a terrific sequel. It's a shame and a pity the producers opted for the easy way out instead. What did they do to Ehren Kruger to make him drop this for the absurd piece of drivel that became "Ring 2"? Hollywood works in mysterious ways, indeed.

A short film that explores the back story of a couple of minor characters in Ring Two, and a potentially interesting way of expanding the Ring's story.Except it's migraine inducing and actually doesn't tell us anything especially new or important. It's got that annoying "flash cut till you spew" MTV throwback editing that makes everything feel a bit disjointed, so even though it's only 16 minutes long it still feels very thrown together and random rather than a tight little treat.Emily VanCamp deserves recognition though. She's an amazing actress who conveys warmth and vulnerability, and perhaps the only person you will find yourself caring for in this short film.What I do find intriguing is that when the characters are reintroduced in Ring Two, under the direction of Hideo Nakata, you are far more drawn into their story, despite considerably less screen time. Perhaps this is testament to his directing skills. or an indictment of Jonathan Liebesman's. It makes me a little concerned about Liebesman's prequel to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies- particularly as his previous effort "Darkness Falls" was less than inspiring.Still it's a 16 minute short, so there are obvious restrictions to storytelling here. It just makes me curious what the intention was here- to give audiences something interesting, or to sell a few extra dvds as a special feature?