Movie Review

**1/2 out of 5 stars

As "The Ring" hit movie theaters everywhere last weekend, moviegoers discovered that all the hype is only half correct. While the movie is indisputably creepy and suspenseful, it fails to answer several questions it strikingly raises during the plot's development.

Talented director Gore Verbinski ("The Mexican" and "Mouse Hunt") brilliantly directed the Dreamworks rendition of the Japanese book and movie "Ringu." Unfortunately, the screenplay by Ethren Kruger ("Scream 3" and "Arlington Road") did not measure up to the same caliber. Many viewers left theaters with crinkled foreheads, still wondering exactly what had happened throughout the nearly two-hour duration of outrageous possibility to which they had just been privy.

Simply, "The Ring" is the story about a strange videotape of untraceable origin that kills people exactly one week after they view it. The movie opens with a "Scream"-like scene where two teenage Catholic schoolgirls discuss an urban legend surrounding the video. As it turns out, one of the girls had seen the tape exactly one week earlier and dies shortly thereafter.

Reporter Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts of "Mulholland Drive"), the victim's aunt, is asked by the girl's mother to get to the bottom of the abrupt and mysterious death. After some detective work, Rachel finds the tape, watches it herself, and receives a phone call moments later. A child's voice confirms the amount of time remaining before the video claims Rachel's life as well.

With only seven days to solve the mystery before she becomes the next victim, Rachel calls on her ex-boyfriend, video nerd Noah (Martin Henderson of "Windtalkers"), for help in getting to the bottom of the tape's deadly consequences. Later, Rachel's son, Aiden (David Dorfman, reminiscent of Haley Joel Osment's character in "The Sixth Sense"), also views the tape, sealing his fate as well. The remainder of the movie is a race against time to save their lives

Rated PG-13 for brief violence and gore, not to mention disturbing images, "The Ring" has been compared to movies such as "The Others," "The Blair Witch Project" and "FearDotCom." The movie certainly chills the blood with the threat of the unknown and possibility of ghosts and the impossible occurring. But the movie stretches longer than it should, with about three twisted endings all rolled into a long confusing resolution, leaving the viewer with even more unanswered questions.

Dreary and constant Seattle rain sets the perfect atmosphere and adds to the movie's creepy tone. A fresh take on the classic horror flick, "The Ring" is the most original scary movie out in quite some time. Yet it still manages to contain all of the traditional scary movie elements minus the blood and gore audiences have become so accustomed to with movies like "Scream" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer."

While artistry always adds to a film's overall ranking, the storyline is what fills up the theater, and unfortunately "The Ring" is clearly lacking in that department. Rather than bundling up and trekking to the nearest movie theater, you may want to hold off until it's released on DVD and watch with friends in a dark room.