Here's one to blame on the successful American remake of Ringu. It does bring back the director of the original source material, but even then this is a complete failure that suffers from a decided lack of cohesiveness, a throwaway led character (Sarah Michelle Gellar, who has little to no point in the movie but to be this films "Naomi Watts" from The Ring, even copying actions of that character - internet research anyone?), and a general sense of "what the Hell is going on?".

The story bungles it at all times and despite an attention getting opening that has Bill Pullman suddenly plunging off a balcony to commit suicide it soon flounders into a series of "scare" set pieces and forgets to really explain anything.

From what I can gather, the title refers to a curse that happens when a person dies while in an intense rage. Which in turn makes the location that the person died at become haunted and causes anyone who steps foot into the house become targets for death at the hands of malicious spirits.

That's where grad student in Tokyo, Gellar, comes in. She's sent off to a nearby house to fill in for a missing care-aid (who we conveniently saw get killed off at the hands of a spooky little boys ghost) and ends-up getting caught up with all sorts of supernatural goings on and deaths while the movie lurches back and forth between present day and events that happened prior to her coming there while poorly trying to tie it all together.

Despite the film being set in Japan they've Americanized it as much as possible and it just seems that the movie is trying much too hard to creep the viewer out. And while it might manage to do that for some non-horror viewers, us seasoned veterans just aren't buying it. And horror fans are a forgiving bunch, always willing to overlook realism, bad acting, and even poor effects if the movie is at least entertaining or has a decent story behind it.

But alas, despite Takashi Shimizu's stylish direction this doesn't have much of a story and is just another Hollywood "product" that seems to be cashing-in on the latest trend (anyone else getting tired of horror movies filled with static filled imagery and grating, sudden noises?). (Chris Hartley, 10/25/04)

Directed By: Takashi Shimizu.
Written By: Stephen Susco.

Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, William Mapother, Grace Zabriskie.