ManiakJiggy This is How Movies Should Be Made

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

pointyfilippa The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.

Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

utgard14 TV mini-series adapted from Stephen King's epic apocalyptic novel about a plague that wipes out most of the world's population. A group of walking clichés survive, some joining the forces of good (led by Ruby Dee) and some joining the forces of evil (led by Jamey Sheridan, sporting a hilarious mullet). "The Stand" was never my favorite King novel, although I did enjoy it when I read it probably twenty years ago or so. This mini-series was almost doomed to failure from the start for trying to accomplish a story with such grand scope on a TV budget. It's directed by Mick Garris, who has directed many Stephen King adaptations (most of which are garbage). I'm not a fan of Garris but I will say this is definitely him putting forth his A effort. He's limited by his budget and lack of talent so he does remarkably well considering. Most of the Love Boat-style cast are adequate, with some standing out for good performances (Gary Sinise, Rob Lowe, Miguel Ferrer) and others standing out for how hammy they are (Ruby Dee, Jamey Sheridan, Matt Frewer). Others are just plain awful (Laura San Giacomo, Parker Lewis). On the whole, it's very watchable for its length but never reaches its potential, TV excuse notwithstanding. At times it is extremely campy and even corny. There's some entertainment in that, of course, but it hurts the film more than it helps because the story really needs you to take it seriously for it to work.

hellraiser7 "The Stand" is my favorite book from the author and favorite books in general. I remember when I heard about a mini series for The Stand was coming out, you can imagine my excitement. Seeing it then didn't disappoint me, and I still think it hold pretty well today; granted it's not perfect but I feel for what they were able to do, it does well.The story just like in the book is great, what I really liked about it is that in a strange way it's kinda a modern day fantasy epic, which I thought was cool since that's territory the fantasy genre doesn't tackle much for some reason. But most importantly that this is a Christian story, but in a good way where it's not preachy or heavy handed buy rather suttle.I really like some of the business with the virus in the first and second part of the series. The way it plays out is terrifying and plausible if an outbreak ever occurred making everything go straight to hell; it's sort of reminiscent of the book/TV miniseries "Day of the Triffids" as well as the film "28 Days Latter".However to me what was more interesting were the supernatural and Christian elements. I even like how in some places there are some parallels to the biblical stories. Most of the business with the virus and the survivors is pretty much part of Revelations. Las Vegas is pretty much Sodom and Gomorah and Bolder, Colorado is Bethlaham. You name it's there.The themes are also there without slapping you over the head like love, faith, redemption, transcendence, standing up against evil and sacrifice.The characters are great and I really like the cast which consists of experienced actors that work. And part of what made the story stand out is in the amount of depth and story arc around them which made me actually care even sad when one or few of them die.Gary Sinise is solid as Stu Redmen, I sort of imagined this actor in that role. I like that he's a blue collar man of the country whom is smart and has quiet charisma. Even like that he doesn't like being pushed around or takes crap from anyone it shows he is more than capable of standing up for himself. Molly Ringwold (one of my favorite actresses) was solid as Frannie Goldsmith, I'll admit it was real surreal but at the same time great seeing her in something like this; it's a shame she didn't have a bit more afterward. Her character is sweet, has a certain vibrancy to her, but there is also a sense of maturity. The chemistry between both Stu and her I think is solid and you know are right for one another.Larry Underwood (Adam Stoke) is great, he's my favorite protagonist in the book. What I love about his character arc is that it's a story about redemption. His character at first seems like the least likely person to survive the apopocalise because of the amount of trouble he's gotten himself into like doing drugs, fame and money getting to his head, but what I like is deep down he's really unhappy and want's another chance. You can say in one hell of a way he got it and you see him slow go thought a transcendence as that person he was from the past slowly fade and we see he becomes a better person, from being more responsible for himself and everyone else, a family man. I always like stories like that which to me are the most fascinating, where the characters are broken in some way and they gain the most enlightenment and faith than ones that already believe and act like they have all the answers. All the other characters also go though their own transcendence as well which are also fascinating in their own way.Randall Flagg he's one of my favorite fictional villains. Yeah, I'll admit this version in the mini series is slightly different but I feel some of the persona and menace that is Randall is still intact. And for the record Randall is a recurring character in most of King's stories "Eyes of the Dragon" and the "Gunslinger" series, both which still need a visual medium adaptation.He's not the devil more like an emissary to him, but from his persona he comes pretty close. I really like how charismatic he is which makes sense since most cult leaders usually do, so it's easy to see how the disciples of evil would fall under his spell. He makes a lot of references which is part of his trademark showing how knowledgeable and smart he truly is.However what makes Randall really scary and menacing is that he is never what he presents himself. Despite that smile he puts on, you know there is something wrong with it because it's not a happy smile but looks more like a sinister sneer. And he can really turn a 180 once he drops the nice guy act, which to me is disarming and can make a villain all the more scary. Overall, I think this is a very good adaptation and one of the only mini series of Steven King I like, if you a fan or non fan I think it's worth checking out. I would love to see a revival of this, may'be as a TV series but for premium channels like "Showtime", with the great amount of depth the book has let alone the fact that two other Steven King stories have TV shows of their own "The Dead Zone" and "Under the Dome" I see no reason why not."The Stand" will keep you on your feet.Rating: 4 stars

Anders Olsen I like the story, read both the original and the extended version.I like a lot about it. For a book-to-TV thing, it's been done with respect. It's a bit like The Shining mini series. It follows the plot and works pretty well. However, I don't understand the cast. I like 2 people in that cast, and none of them are main characters. I've always been a fan of Shawnee Smith. She does an excellent job as the mean spirited nymphomaniac. Like in the Saw series, she has a penchant for playing unstable persons. I'm also a fan of her looks. The other character I like, is Ed Harris as the general. When it comes to the other roles, their looks, voices and so on, does just not work for me. Granted, I read both books first, so naturally, I created my own images.But all in all, worth a watch, and if you have read the book(s), have a look, it's OK.

dgoggans I read the rave reviews before I sat down to spend six hours watching "The Stand". By the beginning of part 2, I had to stop and check IMDb to see if there was another version, and maybe I was watching the cheap one.The raves for the acting and casting baffle me most. Molly Ringwald is possibly the worst imaginable choice for such a pivotal role, and her acting throughout is embarrassingly awful. No one shines, but she stands out for all the wrong reasons.My initial impression seemed so out of sync with the majority here that I forced myself to watch it all and keep an open mind, but the outcome didn't change.It's tripe, people, acted and staged badly, and a total waste of six hours of your life. Read the book. It takes longer, but you'll get to do your own casting and staging, and you won't have to watch Ms. Ringwald.