Mini-series remake of the classic 1979 mini-series may follow Stephen King's novel better at times, but fails to be scary.
Writer returns to his home town and must turn vampire hunter when the locals start becoming creatures of the night.
This is a moderately entertaining re-envisioning of the original film, but it's far from being flawless though. While in parts this version rings truer to King's novel than the 1979 mini-series, it also differs greatly too. Yet another flaw is the fact that this film, like so many remakes, is constantly (and annoyingly) reminding the audience of it's modernization. Yes, we know that computers and the internet exist, must we be reminded of it in every other scene? And yet another flaw lies with the characters, none of whom come off nearly as likable or well-rounded as they do in King's novel or the original mini-series.
But despite my griping I must admit I enjoyed this remake. The atmosphere was good, as were the filming locations. The CGI FX weren't too bad, although they pale in comparison to the makeup FX of the first mini-series. The music score was nice and there was the occasional touch of style in the direction.
The cast was OK, but the performances were very uneven. Young Dan Byrd and James Cromwell were the best of the lot.
All around this remake is OK, King fans might find it of interest, but this fan will gladly take the original mini-series over this one.
** 1/2 out of ****
Writer returns to his home town and must turn vampire hunter when the locals start becoming creatures of the night.
This is a moderately entertaining re-envisioning of the original film, but it's far from being flawless though. While in parts this version rings truer to King's novel than the 1979 mini-series, it also differs greatly too. Yet another flaw is the fact that this film, like so many remakes, is constantly (and annoyingly) reminding the audience of it's modernization. Yes, we know that computers and the internet exist, must we be reminded of it in every other scene? And yet another flaw lies with the characters, none of whom come off nearly as likable or well-rounded as they do in King's novel or the original mini-series.
But despite my griping I must admit I enjoyed this remake. The atmosphere was good, as were the filming locations. The CGI FX weren't too bad, although they pale in comparison to the makeup FX of the first mini-series. The music score was nice and there was the occasional touch of style in the direction.
The cast was OK, but the performances were very uneven. Young Dan Byrd and James Cromwell were the best of the lot.
All around this remake is OK, King fans might find it of interest, but this fan will gladly take the original mini-series over this one.
** 1/2 out of ****