Ringu 2 (1999)

Reiko takes Yoichi into hiding when her son begins to display frightening powers. Meanwhile, Mai Takano and the authorities begin a desperate search for them, as the mysterious Ring curse spreads...

Director:

Hideo Nakata

Writers:

Hiroshi Takahashi (screenplay), Kôji Suzuki (novel)

Stars:

Miki Nakatani, Hitomi Satô, Kyoko Fukada

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Miki Nakatani	...	Mai Takano
Hitomi Satô	...	Masami Kurahashi
Kyoko Fukada	...	Kanae Sawaguchi
Fumiyo Kohinata	...	Kawajiri Ishi
Kenjirô Ishimaru	...	Ômuta Keiji
Yûrei Yanagi	...	Okazaki
Rikiya Ôtaka	...	Yôichi Asakawa
Yôichi Numata	...	Takashi Yamamura
Masako	...	Shizuko Yamamura
Miwako Kaji	...	Kazue Yamamura
Katsumi Muramatsu	...	Kôichi Asakawa
Daisuke Ban	...	Heihachirô Ikuma
Rie Ino'o	...	Sadako Yamamura
Reita Serizawa	...	Okazaki no Dôryô - Sakuma
Shinmei Tsuji	...	Manshon Kanrinin

Storyline

In this sequel to Ringu (1998), Mai Takano is trying to learn more about the death of her boyfriend, Ryuji. She soon hears stories about a videotape haunted by the spirit of a girl named Sadako, who died many years earlier. Supposedly, anyone watching the tape will die of fright exactly one week later. After some investigating, she learns that Ryuji's son, Youichi, is developing the same psychic powers that Sadako had when she was alive. Mai must now find some way to keep Yuuichi and herself from becoming Sadako's next victims.

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Plot Keywords:

videotape | psychic | curse | sequel | second part | 

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

23 January 1999 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Ringu 2

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$18,686,644

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ring 2 Production Group, Asmik Ace Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ringu (1998) and Rasen (1998) were shot back-to-back from the novels by Koji Suzuki and released in theaters as a double bill. After audiences hated The Spiral, Asmik Ace Entertainment hired the cast and crew of the original to make this replacement sequel.

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Quotes

[regarding Yoichi's powers]
Mai Takano: Hey, will you promise me something?
Yoichi: What?
Mai Takano: That you'll never do that again... no matter what happens.
[pause]
Mai Takano: It's really scary. OK?
Yoichi: Are you on my side?

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Connections

Follows Ringu (1998)

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Soundtracks

Kôri no yô ni hohoende
Written by Tomoyasu Hotei
Performed by Miki Imai

User Reviews

Doesn't quite emulate `Ring's smartness but, as horror sequels go, stands strong

This movie takes place a week after the events of `Ring', making the first movie pretty which a pre-requisite for viewing (director Nakata fortunately doesn't feel the need to waste too much time on annoying exposition). We now look at those who were in contact with characters from the first movie and how they're getting on. This calls for the reprisal of most of the cast, including the lead Reiko. This time Reiko fears that her son, whom she saved in the previous flick, may be under the influence of the evil of Sadako. Guess what? She's out to stop her!

There's less tension evident in `Ring 2' than the previous, less a sense of worry and desperation. Part of this is due to the shifting of character's prominence. Another element is because this movie takes a somewhat more analytical approach to the events of the first – the police are involved, scientists are trying to understand the phenomena. While this makes sense from a realism angle, it does somewhat detract from the underlying menace of Sadoka.

Structurally the movie takes the same idea as the previous – a slow build up to a climatic event, interspersed with some moments of terror. Some of this terror now comes from a child – playing on innocence – and the child in question, Yoichi, is quite capable of being frightening in a blank-faced way. However he's just not as capable as having the greater, unknown, terror the previous movie produced – like any sequel in the genre there's the feeling of the killer slashing their way through each flick.

Nakata is fairly competent with what he has. The lighting is often muted, the camera work focused (without being intense), his actors giving grand performances… but somehow the second time it doesn't work out quite as well. This, coupled with a disappointing ending, left me somewhat disappointed. There's some good moments in it – particularly with the television images – but overall it fails to quite grab you. Still a far more intelligent fare than the gore-drenched horror that most adhere to in this genre, and you could do a lot lot worse. 6/10.