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The Langoliers

The Langoliers

List Price: $14.98
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Stephen Kings rocks - the movie doesn't
Review: Somebody already said this, I'm sure, but I'm just enforcing their statement: this is an unbelievable sci-fi story with bad acting and bad effects. How bad is it? Bad enough to make me give it 3 stars, despite the great concept.

The whole thing kept me disgusted: the blind girl is just annoying and rather convenient and the rest of the crew is totally unconvincing. The special FX are laughable (check out the langoliers - yes, they were supposed to look scary) and not worth the "thrilling" three hours you wait to see them. So far, I just said the lows about it - but I do think it's a great film for a broken-leg-weekend. This is just the kind of movie they should refilm; contrary to that, they keep pushing themselves and trying to remake great movies that were already beautifully made.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I love this movie.
Review: The Langoliers is one of my favorite movies. I know I've seen it at least three times, the first time when I was six (I am now fourteen). I know the acting is not the best, nor is the special effects great, and I did think it was a little long, but I love the plot. I mean, it gave me something to think about. I am now just starting the novella and I already think that the movie didn't do it justice. If you don't like the movie try the novella.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the Best Movies I've Ever Seen
Review: I first saw the second half of this movie on TV a couple of years ago, and was so glad to have the chance to order it for myself. After getting it, I watched it three times. It is one of the best movies I've ever seen. It reminded me a lot of the old black-and-white Twilight Zone series from the 1960's. If you were ever a fan of that, you will LOVE this.

Important note for overseas viewers: I am in Morocco, and have multisystem machines, which include NTSC. However, when I ordered this DVD, I discovered that my machine must only contain the CANADIAN version of NTSC, which is a lower number than the U.S. version. So it only plays in black and white on my television. Before your DVD player (or video player, if you order that version) has the 4.43 NTSC.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Movie, Amateur Acting
Review: This movie is one of Stephen King's best. It doesn't add up to Stephen King's IT but The Langoliers is very good. I was a bit skeptic at first but when I saw it I knew it was the classic work of Stephen King. Bronson Pinchot was the only decent actor in this movie in playing the part of crazy Craig Toomey. Other than the acting, this movie was superb! A must see for any Stephen King fan.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Intriguing premise makes for a decent thriller.
Review: The Langoliers is a very intriguingly plotted 3-hour long thriller about a group of people who awaken on board a red-eye flight only to find everyone else on board the plane is gone. It's a great beginning, and the movie sustains interest throughout its entire running time, no mean feat for such a film of such length. But a couple of things should be made clear about this film. For one, if you have an interest in seeing it, you should try your best NOT to find out anything about the plot other than its initial premise. There are some problems, however, that keep this from getting a good 4-star rating from me. Number one would have to be the dialogue, which flucuates between intellectually stimulating and downright preposterous. There are also the special effects, which really do stink quite a bit. The final scene is also rather cringe-inducing, but otherwise, this is a pretty decent adaptation of a fascinating novella from Stephen King. This isn't as good as The Stand or Storm of the Century, but it'll hold your interest for 3 hours.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: King can do a lot better
Review: I have to say that I was surprised to see the amount of good reviews here. This has to be one of the worst Stephen King adaptations ever made, and that's saying something, what with 'Graveyard Shift'. The premise is mildly interesting - a group of people on a plane enter a time rip. All the people, everything has disappared and the Langoliers are coming. For such a long movie, the suspense isn't very well racked up. The mention of these mysterious Langoliers punctuates the film, with a mad man (the only good actor here) mentioning them fearfully whilst tearing up pieces of newspaper. When the Langoliers finally do arrive, it's a major disappointment. In a way, it's a shame that the movie wasn't given a bigger budget because the idea of these things crunching their way through the landscape to the small group of people could have been quite effective. As it is we're treated to the bland imagery of an airport and the runways outside. How are we to really believe that these people are trapped in a huge international airport.

What really brings this film down is how incredibly predictable it is. The characters in it include a blind child, a young woman who becomes a pseudo-mother to her, the well-built hero and the mad wimp. Yes, there's not one cliché unaccounted for. As all of these characters are two-dimensional then it's hard to feel any sympathy for them.

It's a shame really, because there are so many fantastic King adaptations - check out 'Carrie', 'The Shining', 'Misery' and 'The Shawshank Redemption' - but this lacks the humanity that past King films have been so full of. It also lacks the mind-numbing fear that gives many King adaptations their edge. Unfortunately, this is not only mediocre but also dull. Avoid it.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Hard to believe this [...] exists on film!
Review: I am so sorry that I wasted my time watching this movie. .....there should really be a law against transferring such a wasteful piece o' [...] onto film. ....this movie features annoying characters and third-rate acting, as well as special effects which were probably created in a high school's film class. And to top it off, the story goes on waaaay too long. .....If you can't avoid this film, then atleast prepare a noose for yourself before pushing the play button.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Langoliers?
Review: This film presents an interesting perspective on the unlikely possibility of passing though a "time rip" and what that might be like. Unfortunately, it is basically a Stephen King short story that that has been put on a medieval rack and cruelly stretched into a full length movie. Nine passengers and a pilot wake up from naps to find themselves alone on a jet. They land at (where else?) Bangor, Maine, and find the airport is deserted. As they attempt to figure out what has happened, it becomes clear that they are in grave danger and must depart the airport or be killed by whatever has taken everybody else. As time goes on, the danger increases, time becomes shorter, anxiety rises, and real tension is building. At least for the audience. The characters in the story are too busy talking to take the danger seriously. I found myself wanting to yell at the TV screen "Quit standing around talking to each other and get out of there, you idiots!" It's not their fault, of course. In the absence of any interesting imagery (until the last 5 minutes of the movie), the story line can only be stretched out to movie length with lots and lots and lots of dialogue. Even in the climactic scene, when a horrible death is imminent for all of them if they don't hurry, they stand around talking, and watching the destruction as it approaches, which is something only a person with one lone kernel of candy corn for a brain would do. I found that aspect of the movie downright aggravating.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A bizzare movie experiance...
Review: After watching 'The Langoliers' I wasn't quite sure what to make of it! The actual premise of the film is excellent; It's intruiging, slightly disconcerting, and really makes one wonder what they would do in such a strange situation. What a fantastic plot then! But I guess that's down to Stephen King's ability to turn out a good story. However, then came the script. It was truly awful with some appalling lines. In addition, the characters were pretty 2-dimensional. The chap from 'Quantum Leap' had one of the only vaguely intresting characters, though even this was dogged by poor scripting:"...My dear boy..." Who speaks like this in the 1970's for heavens sake? Sorry, that should be 1990's, but I won't say anything about the special effects, as good scripting and sympathetic characters would'nt have made that an issue.

The film has got 3 stars from me purely as a comprimise. Some bits I would like to have given 5 stars, and others, well...!!!
I do feel sorry for the actors then, with the exception of the 'English' chap, who was rather poor even with the limited recources he had, and though I usually have a soft spot for Kate Maberly since I saw 'The Secret Garden', even her character became irratating. Again though, that was the script, not her acting ability.

After all that, should you see it? Well yes, it's an enjoyable film with some excellent points, and some terrible points, and frankly nothing in between. Perhaps one to rent rather than buy, unless it comes at a very good price.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Clever-as-ever from Stephen King
Review: I avidly read the novel Four Past Midnight this time last year,and so when I came across a movie adaptation of the first story in the chronology,I decided to watch it to see it how my imagination wouldn't let me.As it is,it's an engaging enough tale,with amiable acting and cheap sets/special effects (check out the ''meatball'' monsters towards the end).Don't worry that it's directed by Tom Holland,who also helmed the appalling Child's Play and Fright Night,this time the story is told with taste and class,and at an unrushed pace.The premise of the film is extremely imaginative and intriguing,many will argue that it's incredibly far fetched,but then Stephen King never was a conformer.For a TV movie,this is certainly nowhere near the quality of the book,but it's still probably one of the best.


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