(Rachel vs. Samara, part Deux….)
CAST: Naomi Watts, Simon Baker, David Dorfman, Elizabeth Perkins, Sissy Spacek, Ryan Merriman, Emily Van Camp.
DIRECTOR: Hideo Nakata
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and another really pissed-off ghost - straight ahead…
IT’S LIKE THIS: A couple of years after she tussled with that cursed videotape that killed anyone who watched it after seven days, and went nine rounds with the vengeful ghost of Samara Morgan (Daveigh Chase), Seattle journalist Rachel Keller realizes that life in the sticks is much less of a hassle (or nightmare). So she packs up her bizarro son Aidan (David Dorfman), and they head down south to Astoria, Oregon to start over. Except they’ve underestimated the reach of Samara’s hair. That shit could follow them all the way to Madagascar if it wanted to. Sure enough, after a local teen (Ryan Merriman) dies after watching, ahem, a mysterious video tape, Rachel and Aidan finds themselves neck-deep in the Samara Floor Show of Horrors once more.
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: Rachel Keller. You might as well put a cape on her.
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: Simon Baker as blonde hottie Max Rourke who becomes Rachel’s boss - then love interest. Lucky bitch.
MOST INTENTIONALLY SCARY SCENE: The videotape angle is jettisoned after the first act, but it still provides the scariest scene: the opening sequence where two stupid teens (Emily Van Camp, Ryan Merriman) pop that shit in and sign their death warrants.
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY SCARY SCENE: Aidan trying to smile. Terrifying beyond belief. With David Dorfman’s huge eyes and expressionless mug, a smile is the last thing you’d expect to see coming from those lips.
HOTTEST SCENE: Pretty much any scene with Simon Baker in it. The dude is ssssssssmokin’.
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: What is Samara up to now? Why has she followed Rachel and Aidan all the way from Seattle? Doesn’t she realize that VHS tapes are so last decade - or even more? How can anyone take a ghost seriously if she doesn’t have the right technology? Will Max be able to save Rachel and Aidan? Or will he go the route of Noah from THE RING? Specifically, the route called “Beautiful Dead Meat”? What happens when Aidan starts sprouting all sorts of bruises and the local docs start getting suspicious? Is Samara setting Rachel up? How can Rachel triumph against someone with such horribly stringy hair?
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “THE RING TWO”: If you didn’t like THE RING. Because it takes a completely different approach than that flick did, and you just might dig it.
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “THE RING TWO”: If you loved THE RING. Because this one takes such a different approach, it just might turn you off.
FINAL ANALYSIS: THE RING was an American remake of RINGU, one of the most successful foreign horror films of all time. THE RING became a major box-office hit and became something of a cultural phenomenon. Naturally, a sequel was a no-brainer. The interesting thing, though, is that the producers hired the Japanese director of RINGU to direct this sequel to the American remake. Hideo Nakata’s direction is solid, stylish, and eerie, and he gives the film the same brooding aura of menace that Gore Verbinski did with THE RING.
The reason, though, that THE RING TWO is not as well-regarded as THE RING is that it bears closer resemblance to THE EXORCIST, INSIDIOUS, and other demonic possession flicks. The crux here is not a ticking-clock mechanism as Rachel tries to uncover the provenance of another mysterious tape, but rather Rachel realizing that they didn’t break the curse at all. Instead, they made it worse - and now Samara wants to possess Aidan. The result is a film that doesn’t have the same relentlessly linear drive of the first movie. THE RING TWO is a more surreal journey with several detours. If you can deal with that, then this film is actually not that bad. Quite above average, actually.
Just as she did in THE RING, Naomi Watts turns Rachel Keller into a compelling heroine. Blending steely resolve, hidden fragility, and unswerving loyalty to her son, Rachel is completely riveting - as is Watts. David Dorfman provides the same eerie take on Aidan, while Simon Baker takes on the “love interest” duties this time. Baker is good in his underwritten role, and one can’t help but wish that Max had been used in the plot more.
In the end, THE RING TWO is an intriguingly off-beat sequel to THE RING. You have to give it credit for daring to be different from it wildly popular predecessor. If you give it a chance, you’ll see that this movie provides its own rewards - not the least of which is another great performance from Naomi Watts.
