<PERSON>
The first half is the sort of off the wall sequel set-up that I really dig. I mean...a college professor leading a secret course studying the <PERSON> video in an attempt to unlock the afterlife? There's a whole floor of kids milling about casually while the cursed video is playing on computer monitors. 5
They make copies by copying the digital files!
With a series like this, I feel like you either need to go in a wildly different direction, doing away with the initial concept (which Ring Two did) or go all in on the silly deconstruction, which Rings does.
And sure, the second half isn't nearly as interesting as the first half, but it basically devolves into the same mystery hunting the first film did, answering questions left hanging since then. And without <PERSON> hand behind the wheel, it's going to feel a little flatter, but for my money it does a serviceable job closing the loop. I mean...you've got <PERSON> playing a blind ex-priest who goes full Don't Breathe in the third act, so that's got to be worth something!
In any case, I'll take this over the second movie any day. 292