Ring 0 (2000)

Prequels walk a very thin line. On one hand a prequel has to expand the already established universe with enough information to justify its existence on the other it must conform to canon events without much deviation lest it become a spin-off instead. Ring Zero manages to accomplish both of these goals: it adds a new point of view by placing the focus firmly on the psychological around which the plot as we know it is constructed.The result is a movie that is not particularly scary but very interesting and even moving. Sadako is at the center of the story. No longer a shifty figure barely glimpsed in distorted scenes she is now a real person and an agreeable one at that. The staples of the franchise are of course present (the well, the sea, blurred television shots, garbled sounds) but they are used soberly and sparingly. Sadako's ordeal is of course a given but it is rescued from being a mere horror convention by the addition of the human element.More than a horror movie Ring Zero is a tragedy. It proposes an explanation as to what Sadako but what is memorable about it is that it elicits sympathy from the viewer. The psychological slant is linear enough (unlike most of Asian horror that follows such an approach) but it is solid and fleshes out the character convincingly. Unlike most movies in the genre here we do not have the typical creepy villain but a well rounded character all around. In the end the real horror is not so much the supernatural that is of course not absent but societal pressure and lack of empathy. And that makes Ring Zero worth watching indeed.

The original "Ringu" (1998) is a truly creepy, modern-day Japanese horror classic; its sequel, "Ringu 2" (1999), is a sometimes confusing anticlimax of sorts, but still quite fun, nevertheless. And in "Ringu 0" (2000), the prequel to the original, we get to see the face of Sadako Yamamura, heretofore mostly hidden behind long, stringy hair, and, as played by actress Yukie Nakama, it is quite a lovely face indeed. We also get to discover some of Sadako's back story, and learn what she was up to 30 years before she began slaying via videotape. We see her as a woman of around 20, an aspiring actress in a dramatic troupe, and all seems to go well with her, until her otherworldly powers begin to manifest themselves, and her fellow thespians start to drop faster than victims of tsutsugamushi disease. Compared to Carrie White in the 1976 film "Carrie," Sadako is far nastier, and just like in that earlier film, all heck breaks loose following an instigated public freakout. "Ringu 0" is a fairly slow-moving film, and a surprise revelation concerning Sadako that comes halfway through is very hard to swallow. But since it effectively doubles the Sadako quotient, why quibble? Sadako is certainly a fascinating character, and the film's final 1/2 hour does repay the slow buildup. Coming full circle (closing the ring?), the film culminates with the terrible act of attempted murder that we partially witnessed in the original "Ringu," and fans of the series will perhaps understand me when I say that, um, all's well that ends well!

After the original Ringu, there were many people who tried to ride the horror wave. Not much unlike the known Hollywood tradition, the Japanese film industry made many horror movies in the same vein, as is this prequel to the original Ringu.This is one of the better movies to come out of the many copy-cats that followed the success of Ringu. It does tell you the story of the girl that lead her to become what she is (or was) in the Ringu movie, when you saw her. So if you've watched Ringu, you do know where this movie is going. Still it is more than interesting and engaging to see the journey of her! I don't know how it would feel if you'd watch this movie before Ringu, but one thing is for sure, if you like Ringu, you should watch this one too! It stays true to the original premise!

I held out on watching "Ring 0" for quite a while after being disappointed with the first sequel, "Ring 2". Not risking a disappointing DVD purchase, the second sequel was luckily shown on the Sci-Fi channel in the UK.Does the film manage to recapture the spooky atmosphere of the original "Ring" film? Thankfully, it does. "Ring 0: Birthday" is the prequel to the original movie and deals with the last days of Sadako. However, this is less like the last days of Laura Palmer and more like a Japanese "Carrie".There are some genuine "hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck-standing-up" moments in this film. The use of sound is very effective indeed, the audio cue for a spooky visitation fills the viewer with trepidation.Although Sadako's range of terrifying actions is pretty limited (once you've seen "Ring" you know the character's trademark movement, etc.) the film still manages to deliver the goods and expands on the viewer's experience of the first film.It's a faithful "sequel" in terms of its style and content. I must admit to finding the film a little confusing but this may have had more to do with my sleepy head than a case of bad story-telling.The acting in the movie is first rate and special mention must go to Yukie Nakama as a very believable tragic Sadako."Ring 0" is definitely a film I'm be watching again. And in these busy times, that's a compliment indeed....