THE RING

Large, confused futuristic fantasy: the novel of the screenplay of the forthcoming (we're told) movie. The improbable backdrop: far in the post-nuclear future, Earth's single continent is occupied by: Rulers, superhuman immortals whose paranormal powers derive from their manipulation of the golden ""Light"" (whatever that is); their sometime rivals, the engineering-whiz Giants; and the exploited Workers. Young Worker Cain, who has some paranormal powers himself, is befriended by the minstrel and paranormal-powered Loukas; after many years, and some training by the Rulers, Cain will evolve a plan to destroy the Rulers by stealing the Ring, some sort of paranormal amplifier (maybe), kept on another planet by the Sisterhood (whoever they are). After various muddy complications, Cain obtains the Ring and drives the Rulers off into space--but the Giants seize the Ring (why? They have no paranormal powers and can't use it); and many more years pass before Cain can successfully beat them and drive them off into space too. Wildly uncontrolled--hard to see how a coherent movie could arise from the mess--one-dimensional, and not even half thought-out. A slick, often entertaining narrative, held together with glue, bailing-wire, and fingers-crossed optimism.