Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: As others continue Reiko's investigation into Sadako, and her killer VHS tape, shenanigans ensue.
Review: With the enormous success of the first film, it was a no-brainer that sequels were going to follow, but there's a reason why nobody mentions the rest of the "Ring" franchise when discussing J-horror legends. At first they figured they would follow the story in the books with the "Rasen" film (which I'll get to). That turned into a debacle so they tried to create something original with "Ring 2." Surprise, surprise...that failed as well. The main problem is that nothing makes any damn sense, and, instead of expanding upon the mythos, we are left with more unanswered questions. Sadako is also vastly underutilized which was an obvious misstep. The only real highlight (for me at least) was that not only do we get cute background nurses...cute background schoolgirls...but now we got a cute background cop! Heeeeeee...
Dude, I'm serious, I don't know what the hell was happening here. Reiko and the son are hiding out after the first movie as the ex-husband's assistant is trying to figure out what happened. Reiko's flunky coworkers are continuing her investigation into the cursed tape, and, of course, screw everything up--getting one particularly cute schoolgirl, named Kanae, killed. You son of a bitch! The son now has psychic powers similarly to Sadako--I'm assuming they claim comes from the dead ex-husband. Reiko is ran over by a truck at one point but not before we see an awkward scene of her entering the afterlife or something. Totally needed that scene. Sadako is hanging out in Kayako-land for the majority of the film as we learn she was actually alive in the well for 30 years. Yeah, okay. The cops are now also investigating this shit as the movie keeps bouncing back and forth between 3 groups trying to figure this plot out. I did like how the cops are okay with letting the assistant take care of Reiko's son after she dies. Fuck relatives! Oh I forgot, there's a fourth subplot regarding forensic scientists reconstructing Sadako's face from her skull and Sadako's uncle giving her a burial at sea. It's almost as if they deliberately set out to make this story as convoluted as possible.
They continue to keep things ambiguous regarding Sadako's father possibly being a demon, spirit, or whatever else lurks beneath Japan's water; could have been the Kraken for all I know. This ambiguity is further made confusing when they discuss how water can channel Sadako's power somehow as if to further stress she's not fully human. Some doctor thinks he knows a way to disperse Sadako's rage, which I guess is her spirit, out of existence or something. I really don't know. All hell breaks loose as Sadako materializes--not in a cool way unfortunately--and she teleports the assistant and Reiko's son into that precious well. You think that there will be some kind of spiritual showdown as Sadako goes after them but nope. All the background characters appear to be killed in the madness, Reiko's son and the assistant magically survive unscathed, and Sadako is...uhh...killed? Brazenly believing this asinine movie was good enough to possibly get a sequel, they end things with a terrible zinger where, I'm assuming, the curse is continuing but with that schoolgirl, Kanae, as the embodiment. I DON'T KNOW! She's definitely hotter than Sadako's soggy ass so there's that.
There's really no single source for this film's problems; they rushed the production or something. I mean, between the various TV shows, the book series, and the many remakes, they were setting themselves up for disappointment in order to milk the franchise dry. As stupid as the "Sadako 3D" movies are, at least they allowed time for audiences to breathe. This film lacks a proper sense of self, is devoid of scares, and wastes one of horror's most iconic characters. It does have decent cinematography and succeeds in technical aspects but that is overshadowed by the glaring flaws inherent in the story. I can appreciate the attempts to recapture the atmosphere and ominous tone, but nothing turned out as it should have. Oh well...it's not like this franchise can get any more convoluted, can it? Oh fuck...
Notable Moment: When Sadako is climbing the wall of the well, and she is wearing that mask. If only they had done something more with this idea rather than favoring zany antics.
Final Rating: 5/10
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