Saturday, July 25, 2020

'Ringu' Wrap-Up: Rings (2017)

After 10 years, someone brought back the Ring Franchise in America.  Oops, re-shoots.  More re-shoots.  So, after 12 years, someone finally brought back the Ring Franchise in America...
In a Syfy Opening, people on a plane are in peril since one guy watched the video (still on tape!) right on cue.  It also happens that someone who saw it before was there to...stop nothing.  More on this bit later.

Here's my first issue- what tape?  Rachel burned what seemed liked the last copy in The Ring 2.

Now there is just another one for this Scene and to set the Plot in motion?
A man- Johnny Galecki- buys a VHS Player from a Yard Sale and decides to play the tape inside.  70% odds of finding a snuff film.

Instead, he finds, you know what.
Some time later, we meet our 2 Leads.  The guy is going away for College, which sure ended well in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

I will say that our Female Lead is no Megan Fox though- she can actually emote!
When he suddenly won't answer her calls, she goes to his College and finds a group of people studying the cursed footage called the Seven.

Seems like a waste to not re-used the Rings group...when the Film is called Rings.
Can she solve the *now updated/retconned* mystery of Samara before it is too late?
Or will the Film get bogged down in random details like Copying Quicktime Films and/or comparing the File Size of said copies?

To find out, watch the Film.  I had to spend $3 on it, so you'd better!
On the surface, it is more of the same.  Another Film with another woman trying to find Samara's remains to set her free.  Another Film where people still keep watching the same damn video and never learn.  We also have another guy who is doomed for helping her out.  We also also have an older Character Actor playing a key figure related to Samara.  So what's different?  Well, they move the video from Analog to Digital, running them all on Apple Machines.  I'd argue how much of an upgrade that really is.  The wrinkle here is that someone is copying the video and having people watch it to study it.  His reason is, well, stupid and I won't SPOIL it.  Instead of an ex-boyfriend or a new replacement, we have a current one.  Progress?  It is weird to see how they reuse some Plot Points (like a group who watches the cursed Tape) and tries to tweak it slightly- especially when both Films have the same name!  The big thing here is that they try to expand the mythos...even while also messing with it.  Remember when they buried Samara and that was a bad thing?  Well, now someone un-buried her...before it happened last time.  Let's also reference her past while getting the details wrong.  It's okay- the whole Plot doesn't hinge on it or anything.  No Sissy Spacek either- bummer.  The Film tries to find a balance between new and old.  It kind of works, while not overall impressing too much.  That probably explains the need for all of the Reshoots, the February Release and the near-immediate lack of interest.  So who did they get for this one?  Oh, it's...aw...
A decent extension of the Series, even if it is chock full of retcons.  It's just a shame that it is probably going to lead to nothing.

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