February, normally a lull in the film industry, includes many movies aiming to be the first “success” of 2017. ‘Rings,’ the third film based on a book by Japanese author, Kôji Suzuki, titled ‘Ringu,’ does not promise to be that film. Like many horror franchise reboots, it fails to live up to the original film.
Right from the beginning of the film, there are various disconnected character introductions. ‘Rings’ starts with a plane crash that may have come out of the “Final Destination” series. The characters who die in this opening sequence are never given a story, leaving audience members to consider where this film falls related to the past two in the series. Julia, the main character (Matilda Lutz) and two other leads – Holt (Alex Roe) and Gabriel (The Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki) – also have no backstory, and never get past being one-dimensional offerings to some of their inevitable dooms.
After the opening sequence and character introductions, the original VHS tape that was featured in the first two films ends up with a college professor, Gabriel. After he views the tape and receives the eerie phone call that foretells his impending demise in seven days, there are interesting cinematics, like a fly appearing out of cigarette ash and the rain outside falling up towards the sky, instead of the ground. These unique cinematics fit the tone at the moment, but are not continued throughout. It seems like the screenplay was directed by another filmmaker, as the cinematic quality significantly decreased over the course of the entire film. Inquisitor
‘Rings’ is screening at Excel Cinema Colombo, Liberty Lite cinema - Colpetty and Sky Lite cinema - Malabe
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