Ringo [DVD/Netflix] Same story, slightly rougher than the Hollywood release. Two and a half stars. Click below for my full review...Having already seen the Ring, I thought it would be worthy to see the Japanese original. We watched it with my mom who, unlike Jenn and I, did not need the subtitles.

The movie itself is the same tale with slightly different ways of filling in the background story. In my opinion the original was pretty vague in building up who exactly some of the characters were. The Hollywood release took a bit more cinematic license in filling in those gaps, but it worked well for them.

Some scenes, such as the opening sequence, were nearly identical, right down to the layout of the house. I guess some things you just don't need to mess with.

Though the Hollywood version was not gory per-se, it did have a certain shock value in the appearance of the victims. The Japanese version seemed to rely more on music and sound than visual effects to scare the audience. This tactic worked well, even though I knew what was coming, I still found myself cringing in anticipation.

I think the infamous "closet scene" in the Ring is one of the scariest moments in horror films in recent memory. Ringu did not muster quite that much horror.

One thing I noticed was the lack of a continuous soundtrack. This may be a cultural difference.

If you've seen the Ring, I think its only natural that you follow up with the Japanese original. The Ring is a great homage. If you haven't seen the Ring, I'd wait to see it first.

Two and a half stars