Sadako 3D + Sadako 3D 2 (2012-13)

Sadako 3D (2012)

Dir. Tsutomu Hanabusa

A Ring Cycle movie revival based on author Koji Suzuki's novel, S (2012). I've not read it, so can't comment on how faithful the film is or isn't.

A new cursed video is uploaded to the internet, meaning every PC, laptop, tablet, phone, etc, offers a possible entry point for Sadako's return.

It sounds like a natural progression of what came before, but whereas Nakata's first two films were mature horror that made me soil myself, Sadako 3D is teen horror that made me yawn and check my watch periodically.

Silent Hill type creatures work just fine in a Silent Hill setting, but in Ring's world they were ridiculous. The only saving grace was Satomi Ishihara, who deserved to be in a better movie.

Sadako 3D 2 (2013)

Dir. Tsutomu Hanabusa

Even though much of the potential of 3D 2  is wasted, the end result is still much better than the teen horror that was the first film.

Some of the exterior scenes are quite beautiful, but when it moves indoors and attempts to frighten viewers, it falls flat. Dir. Hanabusa sets up some effective scares that get ruined by the addition of CGI. CGI just isn't scary. It's lazy and boring. The sooner film-makers get back to creating atmosphere with skills, music, and lighting, the better things will be for viewers.

Connections between protagonists hold the story together when it seems to be struggling to find a focus, and if you stay for the duration the final third raises the bar a little. It doesn't make much sense, but it's definitely the best part.