The new movie The Ring is an English adaptation of the Japanese adaptation of the Novel by Koji Suzuki, and despite a multi-million dollar facelift, the movie survives relatively intact when compared to the original Japanese film. Due to cultural differences, however, some elements of the movie had to be changed, but ultimately, these changes had little or no impact on the narrative itself. Akadot writer Karl Theodorson has seen both and delivers the verdict.

***SPOILER ALERT***
Unless you have seen one or both versions of The Ring, your enjoyment of the movie will be seriously spoiled if you read further... unless you like having surprises ruined, in which case, read on.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the two films is the cursed tape itself. In both movies, the origin of the tape is left vague, and the imagery is mostly the same, however the background of the people involved in the tape is very different. In the Japanese version, the woman in the tape was a famous psychic, renowned for her ability to predict the activity of local volcanoes, whereas in the US version, the woman was a Horse breeder driven to madness and suicide after the death of her prize horses. One could assume that this change was due to the fact that the notion of psychic is more acceptable in Japan. The problem with this is when it comes to the matter of the daughter; oddly enough, the Japanese version comes out more plausible.

The daughter of the woman in the tape is the lynchpin that holds the ring up (no pun intended, though the noose similarity is somewhat apropos). In the Japanese version, the daughter of the aforementioned psychic has inherited a power greater than her mother; the ability to kill someone just by looking at them. It is this terrible ability that drives her father to bludgeon her and throw her down the well, to preserve the reputation of his wife. The US version, however, presents the daughter in a Rosemary's Baby fashion; a girl conceived after 60+ miscarriages, a girl who shouldn't have been born, but was... with strange evil powers to boot. Incidentally, the mother killed the daughter in the US version. Why? Well... she was crazy, so there!

Here's the kicker; despite the more improbable origin of Samara (the daughter in the US version), her story actually supplies a better explanation for the tape itself. "She never sleeps." repeats Aidan, the reporter Rachel's son occasionally during the US movie. Aside from the supernatural insomnia that got her stuck in a psych. ward during childhood, Samara's powers remain remarkably vague. All we know is that she's gotc something, and you know it's bad.

You see, apparently, Samara's constant midnight marathons got to be so aggravating that for a time, her father locked her up in the barn, with her sole companion being (equine playmates aside) a TV. Ah ha! The connection may be tenuous, but it's there, unlike the Japanese version where the tape just kind of... happens.

As for horror factor, both movies are close in their execution (again, no pun intended, though appropriate), but the US version visibly restrains itself from the stereotypical Hollywood "over the top-ness" that plagues so many films. On the other hand, the Japanese version is steeped in a subtle underlying terror that builds up to a shocker climax and room for a sequel (of which there are many). So, which of these roller coasters delivers a better ride?

HA! Like I'd tell, that would ruin the ending.

Want to know what happens next? Check out the Ring 2 Japanese manga, the sequel to Ring which is also available here from Akadot Retail.