The Ring Two

Last updated

The Ring Two
Ring two ver2.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Hideo Nakata
Written by Ehren Kruger
Based on Ring
by Koji Suzuki
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Gabriel Beristain
Edited byMichael N. Knue
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by DreamWorks Pictures
Release date
  • March 18, 2005 (2005-03-18)
Running time
110 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget$50 million [1]
Box office$164 million [2]

The Ring Two is a 2005 American psychological supernatural horror film and sequel to the 2002 film The Ring , which was a remake of the 1998 Japanese film Ring . Hideo Nakata, director of the original Ring, directed this film in place of Gore Verbinski. Noam Murro was attached before Nakata, but left due to creative differences. [3] Naomi Watts, David Dorfman and Daveigh Chase reprised their roles with Simon Baker, Elizabeth Perkins and Sissy Spacek joining the cast.

Contents

The film was shot in Astoria, Oregon, and Los Angeles, California. Originally intended to be released on November 10, 2004, The Ring Two was released theatrically on March 18, 2005. Although it was met with a generally negative critical reception, it opened in the United States with a strong $35 million in its first weekend, more than doubling the opening weekend of The Ring. Its final $76 million domestic gross was less than the original's $129 million, but it took $87 million internationally, for a total gross of $164 million.

It is the second installment of the American Ring series, and was followed by Rings (2017).

Plot

Six months after the events of the first film and the short film Rings , Samara Morgan's cursed videotape has been circulating through teenagers in Astoria, Oregon. Jake Pierce is on his 7th day after watching the cursed videotape. Desperate, he asks his friend Emily to watch it. While Emily supposedly watches the tape, he briefly steps into his kitchen. Jake receives a phone call and is relieved to realize it is only his friend, with whom he had planned to trick Emily into watching the tape. Suddenly, Jake notices dark liquid pouring from under the kitchen door and runs outside to the living room, only to discover Emily closed her eyes while watching the tape. Jake is then promptly murdered by Samara.

Rachel Keller and her son, Aidan, have moved to Astoria from Seattle. Rachel works at The Daily Astorian for editor Max Rourke. Rachel learns of Jake's death, inspecting his body, only for Samara to appear, declaring that she has been looking for her. Rachel breaks into Jake's house, obtains the videotape, and burns it. Aidan experiences a nightmare where Samara drags him into a television. He soon starts developing hypothermia and bruises on his arms. At a county fair, Aidan wanders into a restroom and takes photographs of his reflection, where Samara appears. Rachel takes him home but they are attacked by wild deer on the way. Rachel realizes Aidan may be possessed by Samara.

Max takes them in. While Rachel is attempting to bathe Aidan, he develops an irrational fear of water. Samara causes the water to recede from the bath, replacing Aidan with herself, and terrorizing Rachel so that she tries to drown Samara. Max enters, seeing her drowning Aidan instead, and forces her to take her son to the hospital. Based on Aidan's bruises, psychiatrist Emma Temple suspects child abuse on the part of Rachel, who admits having postpartum depression, and she sends Rachel away. Looking for answers, Rachel returns to the Morgan ranch on Moesko Island, finding evidence of Samara's biological mother Evelyn, who tried to drown her as an infant. Rachel visits Evelyn in a psychiatric hospital, who advises her to "listen to her baby".

In the hospital, Aidan, possessed by Samara, telepathically forces Dr. Temple to commit suicide, then returns to Max's house. Max arrives, suspects foul play, and tries to secretly take photos of Aidan. Rachel arrives, discovering an affectionate Aidan waiting for her, but acting suspiciously out of character. She steps out, finding Max's corpse in his pickup truck. Rachel falls asleep, dreaming of Aidan, who tells her that she will have to exorcise Samara. Upon awakening, Rachel drugs Samara with sleeping pills and places her in the bath to temporarily drown Aidan to exorcise her. Samara is removed but appears on the television. Rachel allows herself to be dragged into Samara's monochromatic world.

Finding herself in the bottom of the well Samara died in, Rachel discovers the lid is partially open. She scales the well's walls, pursued by Samara, but escapes by climbing out and pushing the lid shut on Samara, locking her out of her and Aidan's lives.

Wandering through the woods, she comes to the cliff where Samara's adoptive mother Anna committed suicide. Hearing Aidan's voice, Rachel falls off the cliff and falls into the water, returning to the real world and reuniting with Aidan.

Cast

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 20% based on 189 reviews, with an average rating of 4.44/10. The site's critical consensus states: "Ring Two serves up horror clichés, and not even Hideo Nakata, the director of the film from which this one is based, can save Ring Two from a dull screenplay full of absurdities". [4] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 44 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [5]

Roger Ebert considered it better than the first film, giving it 2+1⁄2 stars: "The charm of The Ring Two, while limited, is real enough; it is based on the film's ability to make absolutely no sense, while nevertheless generating a real enough feeling of tension a good deal of the time". [6]

Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale. [7]

Home media

In the unrated edition DVD release, a few extra scenes were included that were not in the theatrical release. These scenes include conversations with Rachel's new neighbor (and neighborhood gossip), numerous additions in which Max shows a romantic interest in Rachel, more scenes with Samara prior to her possession of Aidan (including one in which she is shown to enter him in the restroom at the local fair), and an extended opening scene. However, the scene in the theatrical cut in which Aidan first encounters a deer while wandering the local fair (prior to the deer attack) has been removed from this version. The scene when the power went out was changed with a scene of the lights in Aidan's room going on and off, as well as the oven downstairs catching fire. Also, some musical cues were changed such as when Samara leaps out of the well in the opening scene.

The short film Rings (2005) (which was also included on a special edition of The Ring released just before The Ring Two arrived in theaters) was also included on the unrated DVD. The film officially debuted on Blu-ray on October 26, 2012, in Japan, containing all the extras from the DVD and including the Unrated Cut. [8] The film was released on Blu-ray and 4K UHD in the United States for the first time on March 19, 2024 by Scream Factory as part of The Ring Collection, containing both its Theatrical and Unrated cuts. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Ring</i> (2002 film) 2002 American film directed by Gore Verbinski

The Ring is a 2002 American psychological supernatural horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and written by Ehren Kruger, and stars Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Jane Alexander and Brian Cox. It is a remake of Hideo Nakata's 1998 film Ring, based on the 1991 novel by Koji Suzuki. Watts plays Rachel Keller, a journalist who discovers a cursed videotape that kills the viewer seven days after viewing it.

<i>The Goonies</i> 1985 film directed by Richard Donner

The Goonies is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed and co-produced by Richard Donner from a screenplay by Chris Columbus based on a story by Steven Spielberg and starring Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, and Ke Huy Quan, with supporting roles done by John Matuszak, Anne Ramsey, Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano and Mary Ellen Trainor. In the film, a group of kids who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon, attempt to save their homes from foreclosure and, in doing so, they discover an old treasure map that takes them on an adventure to unearth the long-lost fortune of One-Eyed Willy, a legendary 17th-century pirate. During the adventure, they are pursued by a family of criminals who want the treasure for themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daveigh Chase</span> American actress (born 1990)

Daveigh Elizabeth Chase is an American actress. She began her career appearing in minor television roles before being cast as Samantha Darko in Richard Kelly's cult film Donnie Darko. She would subsequently provide the voices of Chihiro Ogino in the English dub of the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away, and Lilo Pelekai in the Disney animated feature film Lilo & Stitch and its subsequent franchise, before appearing as Samara Morgan, the child antagonist in the 2002 horror film The Ring.

<i>Spiral</i> (1998 film) 1998 Japanese film

Spiral is a 1998 Japanese supernatural horror world cinema film. It is a sequel to the 1998 film Ring. It is directed by Jōji Iida and is based on the novel of the same title by Koji Suzuki. It is titled The Spiral in English on the Japanese poster and video packaging, and it was previously released in North America as Rasen and in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Philippines as The Spiral.

<i>The Lawnmower Man</i> (film) 1992 science fiction dark horror film

The Lawnmower Man is a 1992 science fiction horror film directed by Brett Leonard, written by Leonard and Gimel Everett, and starring Jeff Fahey as Jobe Smith, an intellectually disabled gardener, and Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Lawrence "Larry" Angelo, a scientist who decides to experiment on him in an effort to give him greater intelligence. The experiments give Jobe superhuman abilities, but also increase his aggression, turning him into a man obsessed with evolving into a digital being.

<i>Scary Movie 3</i> 2003 film by David Zucker

Scary Movie 3 is a 2003 American parody film directed by David Zucker. It is the sequel to Scary Movie 2 and is the third film in the Scary Movie film series. The film parodies the horror, sci-fi, and mystery genres.

<i>The Mummy Returns</i> 2001 American action adventure film

The Mummy Returns is a 2001 American adventure horror comedy film written and directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, Patricia Velásquez, Freddie Boath, Alun Armstrong, and Dwayne Johnson in his film acting debut. The film is a sequel to the 1999 film The Mummy and was distributed by Universal Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sadako Yamamura</span> Antagonist in the Ring franchise

Sadako Yamamura, reimagined as Park Eun-seo (Korean: 박은서) and Samara Morgan for their respective adaptations, is the main antagonist of Koji Suzuki's Ring novel series and the film franchise of the same name. Sadako's fictional history alternates between continuities, but all depict her as the vengeful ghost of a psychic who was murdered and thrown into a well. As a ghost, she uses nensha, her most distinctive power and weapon, to create a cursed video tape. Whoever watches the tape will die exactly one week later unless the tape is copied and shown to another person, who must then repeat the same process.

<i>The Rage: Carrie 2</i> 1999 American supernatural horror film by Katt Shea

The Rage: Carrie 2 is a 1999 American supernatural horror film directed by Katt Shea, and starring Emily Bergl, Jason London, Dylan Bruno, J. Smith-Cameron and Amy Irving. The film is a sequel to the 1976 horror film Carrie based on the 1974 novel of the same name by Stephen King, and serves as the second film in the Carrie franchise. The film was originally titled The Curse and did not have connections to the Carrie novel or film, but was eventually rewritten to be a direct sequel to the 1976 film. Its plot follows the younger half-sister of Carrie White (Bergl), also suffering with telekinesis, who finds that her best friend's suicide was spurred by a group of popular male classmates who exploited her for sexual gain.

<i>Rings</i> (2005 film) 2005 American film

Rings is a 2005 American supernatural horror short film. It was initially released as an extra disc with a re-release of The Ring on DVD. The film serves as a sequel to The Ring and a prelude to the opening sequence of The Ring Two.

Kelly Stables is an American actress who has appeared on stage, as well as in film and television. She is known for her television roles, such as Melissa on Two and a Half Men, Eden Konkler on The Exes, Will Vandom in the animated series W.I.T.C.H., and Kelly on Superstore.

<i>When a Stranger Calls</i> (2006 film) 2006 American thriller film by Simon West

When a Stranger Calls is a 2006 American psychological horror film directed by Simon West and written by Jake Wade Wall. The film stars Camilla Belle, Brian Geraghty, Katie Cassidy, Tessa Thompson and Clark Gregg. Belle plays a babysitter who starts to receive threatening phone calls from an unidentified stranger, played by both Tommy Flanagan and Lance Henriksen. It is a remake of Fred Walton's 1979 horror film of the same name, which became a cult classic for its opening 20 minutes, which this remake extends to a feature-length film.

<i>Carrie</i> (1976 film) 1976 film by Brian De Palma

Carrie is a 1976 American supernatural horror film directed by Brian De Palma from a screenplay written by Lawrence D. Cohen, adapted from Stephen King's 1974 epistolary novel of the same name. The film stars Sissy Spacek as Carrie White, a shy teenage girl who is constantly mocked and bullied at her school. The film also features Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, William Katt, P. J. Soles, Betty Buckley, and John Travolta in supporting roles. It is the first film in the Carrie franchise.

<i>Children of the Corn 666: Isaacs Return</i> 1999 film by Kari Skogland

Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return is a 1999 American supernatural slasher film directed by Kari Skogland and starring Nancy Allen, Natalie Ramsey, John Franklin, and Stacy Keach. It is the sixth film in the Children of the Corn series.

<i>Sliver</i> (film) 1993 film by Phillip Noyce

Sliver is a 1993 American thriller film based on the Ira Levin novel of the same name about the mysterious occurrences in a privately owned New York high-rise sliver building. Phillip Noyce directed the film, from a screenplay by Joe Eszterhas. Because of a major battle with the MPAA, the filmmakers were forced to make extensive reshoots before release. These reshoots actually necessitated changing the killer's identity. The film stars Sharon Stone, William Baldwin, and Tom Berenger.

<i>The Last Exorcism Part II</i> 2013 American film

The Last Exorcism Part II is a 2013 American supernatural horror film co-written and directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly. It stars Ashley Bell, Julia Garner, Spencer Treat Clark, and Louis Herthum. It is a sequel to The Last Exorcism, and was released on March 1, 2013. The film follows Nell Sweetzer as she attempts to recover from her past experiences and start her life anew. Nell then starts to realize that the demon that previously possessed her has come back for her. Unlike its predecessor, it is not presented in a found footage format.

<i>Rings</i> (2017 film) 2017 film by F. Javier Gutiérrez

Rings is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by F. Javier Gutiérrez and written by David Loucka, Jacob Aaron Estes and Akiva Goldsman. It is the third installment in The Ring series and is based on elements of Spiral by Kōji Suzuki. It stars Matilda Lutz as a young woman finds herself on the receiving end of a terrifying curse that threatens to take her life in seven days. Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki, Aimee Teegarden, Bonnie Morgan and Vincent D'Onofrio also stars in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Keller</span> Fictional character

Rachel Keller is a fictional character in The Ring film series. The character, created by writer-producer Ehren Kruger and portrayed by Naomi Watts, serves as the protagonist of The Ring and The Ring Two, sharing similarities with Reiko Asakawa from the original Japanese films.

<i>The Ring</i> (franchise) Horror film franchise

Ring, also known as The Ring, is a media franchise, based on the novel series of the same name written by Koji Suzuki. The franchise includes eight Japanese films, two television series, eight manga adaptations, three English-language film remakes, a Korean film remake, and two video games: The Ring: Terror's Realm and Ring: Infinity. While most installments of the franchise are dramatic supernatural horror fiction, other genres are also explored with the novel Loop (1998) being science fiction-focused, and the manga series Sadako-san and Sadako-chan (2019) and Sadako at the End of the World (2020) and feature film Sadako DX (2022) being comedy-focused.

References

  1. ↑ "The Ring Two – Box Office Data, DVD Sales, Movie News, Cast Information – The Numbers". The Numbers . Nash Information Services. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  2. ↑ "The Ring Two". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  3. ↑ LaPorte, Nicole (March 9, 2004). "Helmer exits 'Ring 2'". Variety . Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  4. ↑ "The Ring Two". Rotten Tomatoes. March 18, 2005. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  5. ↑ "The Ring Two Reviews, Ratings, Credits". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  6. ↑ "The Ring Two Movie Review & Film Summary (2005)". Chicago Sun-Times. March 17, 2005. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  7. ↑ "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com.
  8. ↑ "The Ring 2 Blu-ray Release Date October 26, 2012".
  9. ↑ "The Ring Collection 4K UHD Release Date March 19, 2024".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.