I'm not one of those people who believes that "the original" is always better than the remake. I'm not an art-house film snob that way. The American remake of
The Vanishing has a much higher production quality and stronger acting than the original Dutch version, and the remake also has a better (even if happy) ending.
Sommersby is extremely cheesy, but at least it's easier to watch than
The Return of Martin Guerre, which had me bored at "Bonjour." That said, this remake of the original Japanese
Ringu stinks. It's not scary. The plot and characters aren't particularly compelling, and it leaves you with a general sense of meaninglessness at the end. What does the movie have going for it, though? Well, Naomi Watts, although nasty to look at now (deathly skinny), fakes a pretty good American accent. The special effects, though unnecessary, were masterful. Yup. That's about it. If you want a good scare and a compelling mystery, watch the original
Ringu. Stay away from this one.
--A.Y.