Editing The Ring (2002 film) (section)

=== Critical response ===
On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 71% based on 209 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "With little [[Splatter film|gore]] and a lot of creepy visuals, ''The Ring'' gets under your skin, thanks to director Gore Verbinski's haunting sense of atmosphere and an impassioned performance from Naomi Watts".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ring/|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|title=The Ring|access-date=March 6, 2025|archive-date=February 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220104848/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ring|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] assigned the film a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{cite web|website=[[Metacritic]]|title=The Ring|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-ring|access-date=March 1, 2019|archive-date=February 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220103908/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-ring/|url-status=live}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave ''The Ring'' an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com/|title=Find CinemaScore|format=Type "Ring" in the search box|publisher=[[CinemaScore]]|access-date=October 16, 2021}}</ref>

On ''[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|Ebert & Roeper]]'', [[Richard Roeper]] gave the film "Thumbs Up" and said it was very gripping and scary despite some minor unanswered questions. [[Roger Ebert]] gave the film "Thumbs Down" and felt it was boring and "borderline ridiculous"; he also disliked the extended, detailed ending.<ref name=RogerEbert>{{cite web|url=https://rogerebert.com/reviews/the-ring-2002|title=The Ring Movie Review & Film Summary (2002)|author=Ebert, Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|date=October 18, 2002|publisher=RogerEbert|access-date=March 1, 2019|archive-date=December 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230180234/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-ring-2002|url-status=live}}</ref> Jeremy Conrad from ''[[IGN]]'' praised ''The Ring'' for its atmospheric set up and [[cinematography]], and said that "there are disturbing images ... but the film doesn't really rely on gore to deliver the scares".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/02/28/the-ring|author=Conrad, Jeremy|website=[[IGN]]|title=The Ring|date=February 28, 2003|access-date=March 1, 2019|archive-date=June 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624150708/https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/02/28/the-ring|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Film Threat]]''{{'}}s Jim Agnew called it dark, disturbing and original.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmspot.com/movie/279209/the-ring/reviews/critic.html?tag=scorecard;more|publisher=FilmSpot|title=The Ring|access-date=July 19, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927234725/http://www.filmspot.com/movie/279209/the-ring/reviews/critic.html?tag=scorecard;more|archive-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref>

Despite the praise given to the direction, some criticized the lack of character development. [[Jonathan Rosenbaum]] from the ''[[Chicago Reader]]'' said that the film was "an utter waste of Watts ... perhaps because the script didn't bother to give her a character",<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.filmspot.com/movie/279209/the-ring/reviews/critic.html?tag=scorecard;more|newspaper=The Chicago Reader|title=The Ring|access-date=July 19, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927234725/http://www.filmspot.com/movie/279209/the-ring/reviews/critic.html?tag=scorecard;more|archive-date=September 27, 2007|df=mdy-all}}</ref> whereas William Arnold from the ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]'' disagreed, claiming that she projects intelligence, determination and resourcefulness in the film.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/The-Ring-is-plenty-scary-but-the-plot-is-a-bit-1098673.php|author=Arnold, William|title='The Ring' is plenty scary but the plot is a bit hairy|work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]|date=October 12, 2002|access-date=March 1, 2019|archive-date=March 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190302090858/https://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/The-Ring-is-plenty-scary-but-the-plot-is-a-bit-1098673.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Several critics, like ''[[Miami Herald]]''{{'}}s Rene Rodriguez and ''[[USA Today]]''{{'}}s Claudia Puig,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Puig |first=Claudia |date=2002-10-17 |title='Ring' has hang-up or two |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2002-10-17-the-ring_x.htm |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=[[USA Today]] |archive-date=March 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307033317/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2002-10-17-the-ring_x.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> found themselves confused and thought "for all the time [the film] spends explaining, it still doesn't make much sense".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Rene |date=October 18, 2002 |title=Movie: The Ring (2002) |url=http://ae.miami.com/entertainment/ui/miami/movie.html?id=76950&reviewId=10055 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030621002822/http://ae.miami.com/entertainment/ui/miami/movie.html?id=76950&reviewId=10055 |archive-date=2003-06-21 |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=[[The Miami Herald]]}}</ref>