The Dead Zone

Rating:
Summary: A brilliant, underappreciated adaptation of King's novel
Review: For some reason, The Dead Zone has always been one of my least favorite Stephen King novels, but I have to say this movie adaptation of the novel is first-rate indeed, one of the most underappreciated of all the movies based on the work of the king of horror. The film's success is due in large part to Christopher Walken; with a less capable actor filling the role of Johnny Smith, this movie could have turned out as flat as a pancake. Walken, the consummate actor, is mesmerizing here. It's a complex role to play, as Johnny Smith has not exactly been blessed by the kind hands of fate. When we first meet him, he is a happy English teacher preparing to marry the woman he loves; a stormy night and a runaway milk tanker later, he wakes up to find that five years have passed, his girl has married someone else, and he is all but incapable of even walking. If you think this is a film about eliminating a politician of great and destructive evil, you're not even half-right. While that is of course the focus of the concluding minutes, the movie itself is all about Johnny's struggles to come to terms with his new life, a new life which includes a frightening power to see into the past and future of those whom he physically touches. The first manifestation comes in handy, as he helps save a nurse's little girl from dying in a fire, but traumatic, soul-draining visions of horror take a lot out of a guy as time moves on.

Johnny first comes to terms with his power when he agrees to help the police discover the identity of an elusive serial killer walking the streets of Castle Rock (which, for some strange reason, is supposedly located in New Hampshire rather than Maine). This experience only makes him retreat farther into himself, compelling him to move to another town and try to begin a new life within the comfort of his own protective walls. A traumatic vision concerning one of the students he is tutoring leads him to discover a new aspect of his power, and this discovery comes just in time for him to make a difficult decision as to whether or not to sacrifice his own life in order to prevent a truly cataclysmic event from taking place in the future.

David Cronenberg directs this bleak but absorbing film, but don't expect the kind of gore Cronenberg is famous for, as this is not a gore-mired film by any means (although the deaths we do witness are pretty satisfyingly presented). The Dead Zone is a psychological study of human nature and a suspenseful thriller, not a horror movie per se. Martin Sheen leaves an unforgettable mark on the film with his portrayal of as slimy and dangerous a politician as you would ever want to meet (and, as a side note, impersonating Elvis Presley's voice apparently goes over big among New England voters for some reason).

A lot of care and detail went into the making of The Dead Zone, and it shows. The atmosphere is dark and palpable from start to finish, and Christopher Walken commands the viewer's rapt attention at all times. There are a number of very moving scenes, particularly in relation to Johnny's new relationship with his former fiancée, so don't be surprised if Walken coaxes a tear or two out of the corners of your eyes. Many of the early movies based on King novels did not translate to the big screen very effectively, but The Dead Zone is an often overlooked and very impressive exception.

Rating:
Summary: Worth seeing over and over again.
Review: This movie is one of our favorite movies. We thought the acting was excellent. The plot kept us involved. The mood created by the director is dark without being depressing. Every time we watch it, we see nuances that we missed before. We don't typically enjoy R-rated movies, because the violence and sex are usually a cover-up for lack of plot. (There is definitely both violence and sex in this movie, it is not for children.) It is one of the few movies my husband has enjoyed seeing more than once.

Rating:
Summary: Ok!
Review: This movie was ok, it was based on Stephen King's book The Dead Zone which wasn't really my favorite Stephen King book so I reluctantly watched the movie and I actually enjoyed it and think it's better than the book and has terrific acting from Christopher Walkin, Martin Sheen and Brooke Adams. The things I didn't like about the book weren't in the movie so I guess that is why I preferred the movie and I think it's worth watching for Christopher Walkin's great performance as Johnny Smith.

Rating:
Summary: 4 stars for Chris Walken alone
Review: This big-screen adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel is a mixed bag. First of all, forget Anthony Michael Hall... Christopher Walken is the definitive Johnny Smith. His performance in this film merits four stars all by itself. The movie effectively captures the atmosphere of the novel: Johnny's alienation from society, his sense of loss. The problems with this movie are mainly structural.

For one thing, the movie did a poor job of handling Greg Stillson (Martin Sheen), who was more of a major character in the novel. Stillson is way too intriguing a character to simply be shunted aside until the second half of the film. The part of Sarah Bracknell was totally miscast. Also, they chucked the engaging opening of the novel in favor of a more bland introduction, with Johnny and Sarah riding some rinky-dink roller coaster and Johnny suddenly getting a headache. In departing from the start of the novel, the filmmakers miss out on a few important plot points, like Johnny's childhood accident or Johnny's run of luck (all bad, as it turns out) on the Wheel of Fortune at the fair. You never get a sense in the movie that the two main characters have any real chemistry. And much of the novel's dark wit is lost because there is very little mention of Johnny's culture shock when he wakes up.

However, there are also many things that the movie does right, the casting of Dr. Weizak and Sheriff Bannerman in particular. The Castle Rock sequence is particularly chilling, and quite faithful to the book (allowing for the necessary sacrifices in backstory).

Anyways, the bottom line to all the long-winded rhetoric you just read is I would recommend "The Dead Zone" on the strength of Chris Walken's performance alone. ****/5 stars

Rating:
Summary: The ice is going to break.
Review: This is a good, quietly somber adaptation of a good, quietly somber STEPHEN KING novel. CHRISTOPHER WALKEN is perfect as the tortured JOHNNY SMITH, a man who, after a five year coma, awakens with second sight. The television series with ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL is decent but lacks the dreary despairation that this film carries and WALKEN's performance blows away HALL's. Not much of a horror film, but a supernatural drama with some tight pacing and a moody sense of dread that puts the viewer in JOHNNY's shoes as he explores THE DEAD ZONE.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie; Martin Sheen's best
Review: Dead Zone was an excellent book by Stephen King, but it is just as good on film.

The best part of it was Martin Sheen. A far cry from his saintly President in the West Wing, Sheen plays a maniac politician running for US Senate who believes it is his destiny to one day be President. His eerie and frightening Greg Stillson is one of my favorite movie villains of all time, and arguably Sheen's best character. He alone makes this movie worth watching.

Rating:
Summary: Emotionally powerful, imaginative--bravo to Walken
Review: This is far and away the best movie based upon a Stephen King novel (although Kubrick's "The Shining" is also very good) and a bravo performance by Christopher Walken really adds to this film's punch. The storyline is simple. John Smith is in a terrible traffic accident which puts him in a comatose state for five years. When he awakens his girl has married someone else, and the world has moved on without him. He also awakens with the power of limited second sight. As John tries to put his life back together, the psychic ability and the notoriety it brings stand in the way, making for a fascinating story. The film moves at a very brisk clip and continually holds the viewer's interest. This is an emotional and somewhat haunting movie that will strike an emotional chord in most viewers.

Christopher Walken's performance is superb. He really understood the role, and this is the best performance that I have seen him in. Tom Skerrit and Martin Sheen play supporting roles and do well. By the way, this film has an excellent musical score that captures the mood of the story just right, and really adds to the wistful tone of the movie.

In my opinion some of the Stephen King novels have not translated well to the big screen. This one does. This is a superb adaptation of King's novel and is very faithful to the novel, rarely departing from it.

This is a fine film that most film viewers and all Stephen King fans will enjoy and appreciate more than once.

Rating:
Summary: Overlooked and underrated
Review: Stephen King is a household name in America. However, some of his finer work gets lost in the shuffle of films like "The Shining," "Pet Sematary," and "Carrie." "The Dead Zone" is just such a case.

This movie is absolutely incredible. Christopher Walken stars as Johnny Smith, who wakes up one day to discover he has been in a car accident-induced coma for five years. His fiancee is married to another man and has a child and his job is gone. However, he soon discovers that he has been blessed--and cursed--with second sight as a result of the accident.

Walken gives an amazing performance as a man torn apart by this strange phenomenon, and Martin Sheen is chilling as the sinister politican with his sights set on the presidency. With the surprise ending and the interesting concept behind it, this movie is definitely one of the best I have ever seen.

Rating:
Summary: As close to perfect as you can get!
Review: This is one of my all-time favorite Stephen King stories. Not only does the video stay true to the book, it is well-made. Christopher Walken and Brooke Adams are a formidable team. This story answers the question, "if you knew, when Adolph Hitler was a young boy, what he would turn into, what would you do when no one believed you?" This story answers that question without a cut-and-dry "let him live" or "kill him." A brilliant piece of work in the tradition of Stephen King.

Rating:
Summary: The Dull Zone
Review: The movie follows the book very well. Usually I prefer it when a movie attempts to be true to the book, except when the book is written by King. King is an excellent author, but his books do not translate to film very well.

The Dead Zone is a prime example of a great book that made a boring movie. There isn't enough character development to make you care what's going on. This is one case where they should have focused on one aspect of the book and left the rest out.

Christopher Walken is the one reedeming factor in this movie. There is one scene where Walken gets angry and you catch a preview of some of his future roles. If you're a Christopher Walken fan then that one scene is worth the price of the DVD.