The Mist is one of my favorite Stephen King short stories. When I heard they were making a movie version I was torn. On the one hand, I loved the idea of seeing the story brought to life, but on the other, I know that sometimes his stories just don't translate well. What I loved about the written story was the lack of a reason why behind the mist. And well, we know that movies don't exactly let the reason behind why things occur just hide in the background anymore. They like to spoon-feed it to you.
So yes, the bulk of the story remains the same. Dave Drayton travels into town one day to pick up supplies after a terrible storm has knocked a whole heck of a lot around his lovely lake-front home. He takes his son with him, leaving the wife to guard the homestead. Once in town, strange things start to happen. A mist is moving across the town, and something's in the mist. Something that likes to eat people. Dave and his son are trapped in the grocery store with some other townsfolk, including the crazy religious freak, Mrs. Carmody, who declares it the "end times" and starts ranting about sacrifices and the second coming. Tension build between those who begin to follow Mrs. Carmody and those who hold to reason and fact. The question becomes will Dave and his band of "common sense" folks survive, or will they be sacrificed at the hands of the new religious fever infecting the survivors? Will they stay in the store or will they take their chances in the mist? Has the mist overtaken just the town, or has it reached everywhere?
What I liked? I thought the actors did a very fine job here - Thomas Jane was Dave and Marcia Gay Harden is sufficiently creepy as Mrs. Carmody. Although, she does tend to turn into a stereotype after awhile, but then I don't know how you could not make that character over the top, seeing as her purpose to the story. The creatures were scary, the atmosphere spooky, and there were some moments where I definitely jumped in my seat.
What I didn't like? Andre Braugher was woefully underutilized. He was a really nice foil for Thomas Jane's character. And the ending. Yes, I didn't like it. I understand it was approved by Stephen King (he's credited as saying he wished he'd thought of it), but I just didn't get that he and the others had reached that point of despair. It seemed too much like an ending Hollywood decided on for shock value, rather than it being true to the characters. Also, the reason behind the mist was of course inferred rather heavily, rather than left up to the imagination.
I wasn't disappointed in the movie version at all, but I don't think it could ever be as fascinating and as much of a draw on my imagination as the story itself.
Rating: 4 Purrs for some awesome dialog, spooky atmosphere, and of course, The Punisher, Mr. Thomas Jane
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