The Ring

Best Scary Movie I have seen in years. It gave me goose bumps for almost the whole time. This movie, based on a Japanese movie called "Ringu" is a masterpiece of director, Gore Verbinski, surprisingly the guy who did The Mexican and Mouse Hunt. But let us not forget Tim Burton, director of Planet of the Apes, the original dark Batman movie, and Sleepy Hollow also directed Frankenweenie and Pee Wee's Big Adventure early in his career.

Anyway, This movie is, on the surface the basic urban legend kind of movie. Long story short: There is a video tape. After watching it, you get a phone call. The caller says, "You have seven days." Seven days later, you die. Pretty simple story actually. But this movie carries it of extremely well, without seeming corny at all. You get drawn into it and sit there stunned while the story unravels.

I can't really tell you the best parts without spoiling them for you, quite the conundrum (go see the movie), but let me just say, that you should have someone there who won't make fun of you when you jump, scream or gasp. This is the kind of movie that can give you nightmares.

The female lead is the girl from Mullholland Drive, Naomi Watts. She is a great choice for this role, and man can she scream. Also the little kid in the movie, who will undoubtedly be compared to the Sixth Sense kid, Haley Joel Osment, was an excellent choice.

To top it off there was an amazing score done for the movie which increased the creepiness of it done by Hans Zimmer who did Gladiator. The dark and overcast settings add to the movie's feel and cause you to pay attention to all the minutia that make this movie great.

All in all a great movie. One side note: This is the kind of movie you can't take lightly and talk during. You need to see it in the theater, and see it where there are not people annoying you and you can just sit and become absorbed. If you get it, this is one of the best movies out there right now, if you don't you will probably walk away thinking it was dumb. Kind of like Blair Witch. I recommend this highly for those who want to push the limits of being creeped out, it will leave you with a feeling that will follow for days. Or at least 7 of them.

SR