By the time this movie came out, the Ring franchise had become a cottage industry, resulting in a number of books and movies. And this movie was to be the end-all-tell-all of the series. Unfortunately, it ends without telling us anything.
The movie starts 40 years before the first Ring. Sadako is a young adult working at a theatre company on a production called The Mask. When the lead actress mysteriously dies (no mystery to us; this is a Ring movie afterall), Sadako, the understudy, assumes the role. As more cast members die, Sadako falls squarely in the spotlight as the prime suspect. There's also a subplot about a reporter whose boyfriend was the man Sadako killed at her mother's ESP demonstration in Ring 1. Needless to say, she's not a big Sadako fan. And neither will you be, after watching this.
First let me state the ridiculous theory this movie came up with: there are two Sadakos: a shy and timid adult Sadako, who is good, and a silent, lurking prepubescent Sadako, who is evil. Somewhere along the line, Dr. Ikuma, who became Sadako's caretaker after her mother's suicide, managed to split one Sadako into two. The good side grew up, while the evil stayed the same, locked in Dr. Ikuma's attic. This kinda explains how Sadako can kill people and not be aware of it. It doesn't explain, however, why the Sadako of 40 years later is the evil one. But that's the least of the unsolved problems. Who is Sadako's real father? Where did the videotape come from? And why is Sadako so bitter (being stuck in well notwithstanding)? The only thing this movie has going for it is the great ending, where the two Sadakos merge and go on a murder spree (her confrontation with the reporter is particularly creepy). The final scene, where she dreams she's no longer in the well, may bring a tear to your eye. Other than that, there's no reason to watch this; you'll be just as confused about Sadako as you were before.
The movie starts 40 years before the first Ring. Sadako is a young adult working at a theatre company on a production called The Mask. When the lead actress mysteriously dies (no mystery to us; this is a Ring movie afterall), Sadako, the understudy, assumes the role. As more cast members die, Sadako falls squarely in the spotlight as the prime suspect. There's also a subplot about a reporter whose boyfriend was the man Sadako killed at her mother's ESP demonstration in Ring 1. Needless to say, she's not a big Sadako fan. And neither will you be, after watching this.
First let me state the ridiculous theory this movie came up with: there are two Sadakos: a shy and timid adult Sadako, who is good, and a silent, lurking prepubescent Sadako, who is evil. Somewhere along the line, Dr. Ikuma, who became Sadako's caretaker after her mother's suicide, managed to split one Sadako into two. The good side grew up, while the evil stayed the same, locked in Dr. Ikuma's attic. This kinda explains how Sadako can kill people and not be aware of it. It doesn't explain, however, why the Sadako of 40 years later is the evil one. But that's the least of the unsolved problems. Who is Sadako's real father? Where did the videotape come from? And why is Sadako so bitter (being stuck in well notwithstanding)? The only thing this movie has going for it is the great ending, where the two Sadakos merge and go on a murder spree (her confrontation with the reporter is particularly creepy). The final scene, where she dreams she's no longer in the well, may bring a tear to your eye. Other than that, there's no reason to watch this; you'll be just as confused about Sadako as you were before.