Review: The Mist

The Mist was originally a novella by Stephen King that has been translated into a motion picture. A story is about a small town called (classically) Castle Rock which is overcome by a mist. The screen play was written by the same man who wrote The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, however if you are expecting another of these stories, you may be disappointed. With cheesy CG (computer generated or computer graphics, and a background that is not really believable, it is the acting and the story of human nature that makes this movie, in my opinion, one of King's best.

The Mist is an age old horror story about monsters, however the real story is human nature and the struggle people have with beliefs and their own personal strength. Mr. King does an excellent job at involving you with most all of the main characters stories and allows you to bond with each character before the main story starts to really open up. Just over 2 hours long, the movie is fairly well paced and feels just long enough.

Dave Drayton, played by an under rated actor Thomas Jane, is an artist living in Castle Rock. His wife and son play great, but small parts. After leaving his wife at home, Mr. Drayton and his son head to town along with their neighbor, who is acted by Andre Braugher, Brent Norton. Quickly after entering town to get food because of a recent storm, the melee ensues. The first 45 minutes is spent introducing you to some of the main and supporting characters. Although Jane was the main star of the movie, the part that provokes the most emotion you will feel is Mrs. Carmondy, played by Marcia Gay Harden.

I do not want to spoil anything about the movie, but I would like to touch again on human nature and the power of choice. Mr. King does such a great job at pointing out how humans truly act in life and death situations. Life isn’t always about coming together and giving a warm fuzzy feeling. Humans, like animals when cornered, react on instinct. When people are facing death and are not strong enough to push forward, they look to a higher power for something to believe in. Sometimes it is too late to realize the choices you are making.

Final Summary:
While I believe this is one of the better King movie adaptations, I found the CG a tad cheesy especially with today’s technology. I don't think that this killed the movie, but along with an over the top premise to the movie, I found the approach held me back a little from giving 5 devil horns. For any King fan, this is a must see, and for any horror suspense fan if you don't have high expectations you should enjoy this as well. If you are the type that needs reality in every aspect of a movie, you may not enjoy this.

Survey Says: 4 outta 5 devil horns