I have all four Ringu films, and while I like them (even though the Japanese with Ringu, along with Ju-On ran both of those series in to the ground), I still haven't come across a single person that actually explains why Ringu is better than The Ring.
This is really getting out of topic but fine, one last thing to say. The Ambiance, the mythology, the fact that every image in the video was witnessed again by her in some way shape or form which leads to the question if some one tries to solve this do they all have similar things happen to them, like horses jumping off ship, and those that weren't served no purpose other than been abstract (rotating upside down chair) the dad was a tool, the needless puns here and there like the 'you're going to die' part when he's buying cigarettes, the fact that the little girl had teleportation powers that had a TV static effect and when they showed her face it didn't really impress, she looked fishy or like a lagoon monster, and the kid just looked sickly in the American version but quiet kids in Japan are pretty normal so he didn't stick out like the other did.
They only ever just say it's better just because. The attitude that all remakes are bad is hackneyed at this point.
Never said that, The Departed has been a perfect example of a remake made right. The Birdcage, A Fist Full of Dollars, Fanny, Twelve Monkeys, Last Man Standing, The Mirror has Two Faces, Oscar, Scent of a Woman, or Bangkok Dangerous are all examples of a good American version. The issue is that all of those are the exception, not the rule.
The American version of The Ring was well acted, written, and just objectively made better with its sickly cinematography and set pieces. The original film at times is practically anchored in reality (so to speak) with a sometimes sloppy narrative. (Ryuji has a degree of sixth sense to detect the supernatural? Wat? You just pulled that out of your ass movie)
Acted I'll give you but written? I don't agree. As for the notion that it's detached from reality, it's a horror movie, the very premise is unrealistic, anything revolving around the core of the story been unrealistic comes with the territory. As for the Dad, that's not that uncommon a theme in none American countries, Mexico, Japan, China, Russia, all of them are far more accepting of such concepts. Americans just don't subscribe to the same ideas, it's a thing.
So yea, the only people I ever hear say Ringu is better are those who have already conditioned themselves to say it is despite not having any real reason backing it.
Sometimes people can't, they don't have the words. They just like it more, can't put their finger on it but they know that they do. To like something is such an objective thing, it's not easy to pin down what it is that one likes for this or other reasons.
Granted, The Ring is the ONLY American remake of a J-Horror film I'd say is better.
I still like The Grudge, both 1 & 2.
