The newest movie about The Ring, uninterestingly titled as Sadako, is satisfactorily good. But it could have been more engrossing if only some elements remained loyal to the original version.
Sadako is back in terrorizing the human race, only now she takes a new role as a patron of abandoned children. In this story, she crosses paths with Mayu Akikawa (Elaiza Ikeda), a psychiatrist who counsels a female child (Himeka Himejima) rescued from a burned down apartment.
The child was coincidentally rescued after Akikawa’s younger brother, Kazuma (Hiroya Shimizu) filmed at the site where the tragedy occurred to gain more viewers in his YouTube channel.
But this enigmatic child obtained bizarre powers after the harrowing incident which killed her mother.
A new cursed video is presented to the viewers through a technological approach: It is uploaded on YouTube. This recent footage of images projected from Sadako’s mind, however, doesn’t help make The Ring franchise achieve a renewed popularity, especially when there are visions of a cave instead of the classic well fans and non-fans of the original movie all know.
Is Sadako just adapting to the modern times to get more views for her YouTube channel? The result is stale and awkward, and appears to have an unfamiliar familiarity, all because the standard trademark is gone.
In spite this, viewers will still get to see the classic well scene again after so many years at one point of the movie, so better be on the lookout. This may be a relief for hardcore fans, but not to be condoned as the well is not the primary focus. Nor was the cave given enough explanation why it was not shown during the previous movies, as it plays an essential role in Sadako’s life and suffering.
To know that this story is an adaptation of a new Koji Suzuki novel, Tide, will perhaps give the needed rationale for this new turn. But then, it begs the question: Why did Mr. Suzuki made this plot twist when it might defy the previous story about the contents of the video?
What is this new twist and how does it affect the original story? Watch and find out.
Probably the greatest fault of this movie’s screenwriters is that they tried to incorporate cliches into the new film. Some story elements will remind the viewers of the American thriller Carrie. This should not be the case, as The Ring has its own style in scaring its viewers.
In fact, this film is the pioneer in catapulting Asian movies to box office hits in the late 90s up to early 2000s because of this oriental novelty, so why add something that does not fit? It could generate its own conflict without having to borrow from others, especially from western countries where jump-scare is a common tactic.
Sadako’s original cursed video is enough to mysteriously haunt the audience, only that fresh ideas should be combined with the plot. Leave the cursed video unchanged.
Reincarnation cliches should also be used sparingly, better yet avoided altogether to preserve the beauty of the original flick. Sadako need not to be reincarnated. Her curse lives on with the video she produced.
The interesting part is this movie isn’t a form of a spin-off, nor is it a fan fiction. Again, it is an adaptation of a new novel from The Ring author, Mr. Suzuki. If the book outlines what is in the film almost accurately, then it’s a bit disappointing.
In spite all these, there are still fragments of consolation in the film: Viewers can be intrigued with the surviving friend of the relatively first victim of the cursed videotape, Masami Kurihara, who still lives in the same psychological facility where Akikawa is working. Her appearance in the story is essential because she sheds light on who Sadako really is to the unsuspecting protagonist.
The film’s protagonist, Filipino-Japanese actress Elaiza Ikeda, is much-deserving of praise because of such a fine acting prowess beyond her age. Her eyes alone can act and deliver messages of paranoia, fright, melancholy, and desperation to her audience very effectively. She has gone a long way from her previous films portraying a high school student in romance comedies, to think she’s just 23 years old when the movie was shown.
Over all, the film deserves 7 out of 10 stars considering the insipidity of the entire plot, the exceptional cast portrayals, and the effectiveness of how it can hold a candle to the original The Ring movie.
(Do you love the way this article was written? If so, please avail of the writing services of this website's author. Check it out!)