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Unfortunately, laughs are unintentional in sequel to much scarier 'The Ring'

Nervous titters greeted The Ring Two's prologue, in which a teen-age boy pops a strange, unmarked videocassette into a VCR, promising his date that she's about to watch "the scariest freakin' movie you've ever seen." Those familiar with the original film know what is to come.

But by the sequel's finale, the preview audience's laughter had risen to hysterics.

DreamWorks Pictures 'The Ring Two' C- Director: Hideo Nakata Starring: Naomi Watts, Simon Baker, David Dorfman, Sissy Spacek Run time: 111 minutes Release date: March 18, 2005 Rating: PG-13 for violence/terror, disturbing images, thematic elements and some language See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer   -- Trailers require Quicktime Rate "The Ring 2"   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

Typically, that's not the intended response for a horror movie.

Based on Japan's Ringu, which spawned two sequels, The Ring was a surprise 2002 hit that made more than $249 million worldwide. When The Ring's director, Gore Verbinski, passed on a second go 'round, the producers recruited Japanese director Hideo Nakata, who directed Ringu and Ringu 2.

But rather than remaking Ringu 2, the filmmakers opted for an entirely new premise.

The screenplay by Ehren Kruger, who also wrote the Hollywood original, quickly dispatches the central notion of a cursed videotape in favor of an expanded back story for The Ring's malevolent spirit, Samara. She's now a persistent, unstoppable evil like modern horror-movie titans Freddy Krueger or Jason Vorhees.

Borrowing heavily from The Exorcist and The Omen, the sloppy, uneven sequel finds Samara (Daveigh Chase) following investigative reporter Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) from Seattle to the small coastal community of Astoria, Ore., where the ghost attempts to possess Rachel's young son, Aidan (David Dorfman).

Samara's motives aren't made clear until the final act. But then, neither is much of anything else.

Rachel moves to Astoria with Aidan to start a new life after the horrifying events of the first film. However, her past comes back to haunt her when a local boy is found dead in front of a television with a look of terror frozen on his face after watching a video.

And no, it wasn't Paris Hilton's sex tape.

Soon Aiden's body temperature is mysteriously dropping to dangerous, hypothermic levels, and bizarre events start occurring, such as a battering attack on Rachel's car by large-antlered deer.

Local authorities suspect Rachel of child abuse — and, apparently, bad driving.

Alternating between scenes of tension and tedium, The Ring Two maintains the original's pervading sense of menace. Unfortunately, the effective use of everyday items as objects of terror has been supplanted by overblown special-effects.

There are large lapses in logic and credibility. Shocks are few and fairly predictable.

Watts, an Oscar nominee for 21 Grams, remains a compelling presence. She carries the film in tandem with the pale, self-possessed Dorfman.

The supporting cast includes Simon Baker, Elizabeth Perkins, Gary Cole and Sissy Spacek, but most are little more than fodder for the vengeful Samara.

The Ring Two isn't as scary as the first film — just more befuddling. By the time it finally started to make sense, the preview audience was way past caring.

It's good for laughs, if nothing else. No doubt, that's a frightening prospect for the studio.