By: Kiley Prom Freelancer
Continuing the route of its predecessors, this unnecessary third movie in “The Ring” franchise follows the story of the girl who’s never used a brush, as she continues her murder streak through old pirated VHS tapes.
Updated for 2017, the characters make use of current technology such as quicktime files and cellular phones, as well as keeping to the roots by starting with the original VHS tape.
Fit with a stereotypical young love between a 26-year-old who viewers are supposed to believe is a freshman and a girl who can’t attend university for a reason they never care to elaborate on, this new installment is unnecessarily packed with plenty of cheesy romantic comedy tropes.
“Rings” follows what many horror movies have done before by casting an actress with tremendously bad acting and breathing problems, and an actor whose only memorable moments are the few times he takes off his shirt.
“There’s no hiding” from this strange plot that includes a random girl on the side of the road whose presence is confusing at best until the last 20 minutes of the movie.
The film also takes our main couple on a wild goose chase, sending them back and forth between the only three buildings in the small town of Sacramento Valley, in search of the decomposed corpse of Samara.
“Big Bang Theory’s” Johnny Galecki, or Professor Gabriel as he’s referred to in the film, makes his appearance as the occult leader of students who spends his freetime showing anyone willing to watch a film from a VCR he procured at a garage sale. His character turns the already far-fetched concept of a girl coming out of the TV into a science fair project.
Vincent D’Onofrio shows up in the latter half of the movie as the saving grace of the film, playing a very convincing role as a blind man whose character becomes much more memorable as the film goes on.
The filmography was well done, all things considering. The director, F. Javier Gutiérrez, incorporated heavy use of imagery that he featured in single framed shots throughout the film. Gutiérrez also included a lot of religious symbology such as a church, crosses, as well as a painting of the Virgin Mary that contrasted with the demonic nature of the film. The director also seemed to take some pointers from popular directors before him, cashing in on the dolly zoom effect utilized in Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Vertigo,” to create a feeling of disorientation.
The movie itself has no scary moments aside from a few jump scares you can see coming from a mile away, and some uncomfortable moments for the entomophobes in the audience.
Other than a few plot holes, such as the protagonists phone never running out of battery despite using it as a flashlight for over 30 percent of the film, and a confusing timeline, “Rings” is not bad. It’s not the best horror movie of all time, nor the best in the “Ring” franchise, but it did manage to keep me engaged for 100 minutes without falling asleep. However, the movie offers no rewatch value.
Contact the author at kprom15@wou.edu
3/4
+ Great supporting cast
– Unrealistic plot holes
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