DVD Title
Ringu 0
International Title
Ring 0
DVD Length Original Length
98 Minutes 98 Minutes
Company Year of Manufacture
Dreamworks 2005
Language Subtitles
Japanese English, French, Spanish
Region Number of Discs
1 1
Aspect Ratio Sound
1.85:1 (Anamorphic) 5.1 Surround
Extras
. Menus (English)
. Chapters (24)
Captures
Review

The final disc in the Ringu Anthology of Terror, Ringu 0 is an acceptable release, and nothing more. The presentation of the movie itself here is fine, but there is nothing noteworthy about it as the video quality here is passable while the audio is decent; unfortunately, the disc has no extras at all, like Dreamworks' other "Ringu" titles.


 Video:

Far from the best video quality in the Anthology set, that nod would go to Ringu and Rasen, Ringu 0 is still presented well enough here. There isn't a great deal to praise, but nothing really goes awry to the point of detracting from the viewing experience. The colors here are one of the more positive aspects, as they tend to be rather lush in contrast while the disc boasts a pretty vibrant array. As for the source used for teh transfer, it's in good shape with just about no scratches. That said, there is a lot of noise on the video track. In fact there is a noticeable layer of grain through out, and I'm not referring to the intentionally grainy segments with Sadako. However, I haven't seen the film outside of this release and wouldn't be surprised if this grain was intentional by the film makers to try and make this prequel look a little older or for another creative reason. On the plus side there are really no blatant signs of compression, while there appears to be minimal edge enhancement, but the film good have stood to be a little sharper in definition. As for the brightness level, it's actually done well here, a surprise given the other discs in the Anthology. It appears to be set at just the right level, with the only segments that are made hard to distinguish being on account of the source material.

Ringu 0's original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 is preserved on this disc, and is Anamorphic for widescreen TVs.


 Audio: Star Rating

Another fine audio presentation from Dreamworks, whose only real fault is a lack of options. There is only one audio track present on Ringu 0, which a 5.1 surround track of the original Japanese audio. The surround track is presented well here, with no inconsistencies, like pops or crackles, to be heard. The speaker distinction is also apparent, and noticeable on some sequences like the screams in the forest.

The audio track is accompanied by, removable, English, French or Spanish subtitles.


 Extras:

Nothing to be found here, unless one gets excited over a menu and chapter breaks.


 Overview: Star Rating

Bottom line, it's just another ho hum disc from Dreamworks; however, as part of the Anthology set, it's a real deal for the price. A separate cover for the DVD would have been nice, though, but the price is still right regardless.

This disc can only be purchased in the DVD box set: Ringu Anthology of Terror.

- Anthony Romero  
Buy the Box Set