The Ring Two (2005)

Director:

Hideo Nakata

Writers (WGA):

Ehren Kruger (written by)
Kôji Suzuki (novel)

Release Date:

18 March 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Fear comes full circle.

Plot:

Six months after the incidents involving the lethal videotape, new clues prove that there is a new evil lurking in the darkness.

Plot Keywords:

Videotape | Dead Animal | Water | Good Versus Evil | Drowning

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Naomi Watts	...	Rachel
Simon Baker	...	Max Rourke
David Dorfman	...	Aidan
Elizabeth Perkins	...	Dr. Emma Temple
Gary Cole	...	Martin Savide
Sissy Spacek	...	Evelyn
Ryan Merriman	...	Jake
Emily VanCamp	...	Emily
Kelly Overton	...	Betsy
James Lesure	...	Doctor
Daveigh Chase	...	Samara (archive footage)
Kelly Stables	...	Evil Samara
Cooper Thornton	...	Father of Emily
Marilyn McIntyre	...	Mother of Emily
Jesse Burch	...	Male Reporter

Also Known As:

Samara (Hong Kong: English title) (Singapore: English title)
The Ring 2 (International: English title) (alternative spelling) (UK)
Samara: Ring 2 (Philippines: English title) (informal title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence/terror, disturbing images, thematic elements and some language.

Runtime:

110 min | 128 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Taiwan:R-12 | Germany:16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | USA:Not Rated (unrated DVD version) | Hungary:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18SG | Malaysia:U (cut) | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 | South Korea:15 | Japan:U | India:A (cinema release) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15A | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Poland:15 | Singapore:PG | Spain:18 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Astoria, Oregon, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

According to the production notes, there were bizarre incidents on set of life reflecting art. On the seventh day, the production office was discovered to have flooded overnight, the result of a burst water pipe. Water is a strong theme in the film. In response, director 'Hideo Nakata' requested a Japanese purification ceremony be carried out by a Shinto minister, but the strange incidents continued. While on location, a swarm of thousands of bees descended on the prop truck, prompting the immediate evacuation of the department, before the bees left as quick as they arrived. For no apparent reason, a five-gallon water jug burst open in the production office kitchen, one again flooding the same room that had flooded only weeks earlier. One morning on the Universal lot, a set costumer stepped out of the parking garage to discover an antlered buck charging across the asphalt in her direction. Though deer are a regular occurrence in the hills, the similarity to the deer attack in the film is uncanny.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: The Israeli cover of the DVD release contain the names of two of the movie characters - Rachel and Aidan. While Rachel is listed as 'Naomi Watts', Aidan is listed as 'Aidan Keller', instead of his real name, David Dorfman.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Emily: Ever seen a shooting star?
Jake: Sure. You?
Emily: You know what you're supposed to do, right?
Jake: What do you mean, make a wish?
Emily: If you saw one right now, what would you wish for?
Jake: Well, that's a secret.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Orphan (2009)

Fear comes...maybe half circle.

The Ring was my favourite film of 2002, the best horror film I'd seen in ages, and I subsequently saw and enjoyed (with the exception of Ring 0 - What the hell was that?) all the Japanese films as well.

So when I heard that the director of the original films was set to do the second "remake", it was suitably excited. Imagine what he could do with a bigger budget and better technology? It is however, not even close to the first, and such improvements don't surface (same CGI, C-list Hallmark Channel cast). It does manage to keep you nervous throughout, but the proper scares are too infrequent and it appears to take itself too seriously. This is all too evident when the creepiest kid in cinema is admitted to hospital and The Ring 2 turns into a child abuse drama for around twenty minutes, leaving you wondering when it'll pick up a bit again.

It's also the kind of film that demands that you re-watch the first one before you go to see it; the opening makes no sense unless you've seen "Rings" on the Collectors Edition DVD, and there's a ton of stuff that may have easily been forgotten if you saw the film three years ago.

It's alright; it's a horror sequel-remake thing, so you don't expect too much and you wont be disappointed, but you can't help but think it could have been done a bit better.