I love Stephen King's work, and I particularly enjoyed 11/22/63, but I'll be the first to admit that his novels don't always translate well to screen. In fact, I'd say that a large majority of them get lost in translation. 11.22.63's premiere isn't an entire failure, but it doesn't exactly spring to mind when I think of the great King adaptations, either.
The story follows Jake Epping (James Franco) as he travels back in time through a portal in his friend Al's (Chris Cooper) diner's closet (it's Stephen King, just roll with it) and is tasked with preventing the assassination of JFK, thereby, hopefully, making a better present world. It's a fun story concept, but it worked much better in the novel.
For one thing, I couldn't help feeling that this episode was far too rushed for its own good. Bridget Carpenter's script isn't electrifying, and it speeds through wholly necessary developments and ideas. Jake is whisked away, before we even really get to know him (we know he's divorced and that he teaches), and the time travel plot line is established in a matter of maybe ten minutes. I realize that Stephen King loves to keep things moving, but it doesn't translate well to the screen. This show needed to find more time to breathe. We needed to live in the present for a little longer, we needed to learn more about Jake, and we needed to learn more about the time travel.
The acting in the present day scenes was also a little stiff. Franco was serviceable in the role, but not great by any means. Chris Cooper (who seems to be in everything) wasn't particularly engaging, as he just sort of grunted his way through his awkward King-like lines. This wooden acting and mediocre script didn't make for a great pairing, but once Jake stepped through that door, everything changed.
And it's when Jake is back in 1960 that the show really shines. The sets and costumes are a miraculous achievement, and it's evident that a lot of care and attention (not to mention money) went into these scenes of the past. There's no denying that this is where the show's heart truly lies, and it's also where it finds its greatest strength. It's at it's best when Jake is simply walking around town and observing the culture, the buildings, the people. It's in the past that the show finally finds time to indulge in itself a little bit, and works for the best.
Jake needs to find money in the past, so he bets on a boxing match, which infuriates the bookies. This stuff a little tired. But what isn't tired is the past's insistence on remaining unchanged. Jake encounters many obstacles when trying to alter or interact with the past, including a car running down the payphone he was using to call his dad, nearly being crushed by a falling chandelier, and having his Bed and Breakfast room burn down, which effectively ruins all of his detailed notes. It's exciting stuff, and the visual effects used in these scenes are especially good.
The episode ends with Jake forgoing his objective, as he realizes that he's in way over his head. Before he goes back to Maine, he makes one last stop in Kentucky to stop the murder of one of his classmates' family. We'll have to see where this storyline goes (if Jake can go through with it) and how it alters the present. Maybe when he returns, he'll find that Sad Story Man is nowhere to be found, as he's found solace elsewhere.
Overall, it was a very functional episode. I just wish that, in the future, the show will stop to smell the roses, so to speak. Oh, and a little more enthusiasm from Franco wouldn't hurt, either.
B-
For more reviews, head over to nathansharp28.wordpress.com.
The story follows Jake Epping (James Franco) as he travels back in time through a portal in his friend Al's (Chris Cooper) diner's closet (it's Stephen King, just roll with it) and is tasked with preventing the assassination of JFK, thereby, hopefully, making a better present world. It's a fun story concept, but it worked much better in the novel.
For one thing, I couldn't help feeling that this episode was far too rushed for its own good. Bridget Carpenter's script isn't electrifying, and it speeds through wholly necessary developments and ideas. Jake is whisked away, before we even really get to know him (we know he's divorced and that he teaches), and the time travel plot line is established in a matter of maybe ten minutes. I realize that Stephen King loves to keep things moving, but it doesn't translate well to the screen. This show needed to find more time to breathe. We needed to live in the present for a little longer, we needed to learn more about Jake, and we needed to learn more about the time travel.
The acting in the present day scenes was also a little stiff. Franco was serviceable in the role, but not great by any means. Chris Cooper (who seems to be in everything) wasn't particularly engaging, as he just sort of grunted his way through his awkward King-like lines. This wooden acting and mediocre script didn't make for a great pairing, but once Jake stepped through that door, everything changed.
And it's when Jake is back in 1960 that the show really shines. The sets and costumes are a miraculous achievement, and it's evident that a lot of care and attention (not to mention money) went into these scenes of the past. There's no denying that this is where the show's heart truly lies, and it's also where it finds its greatest strength. It's at it's best when Jake is simply walking around town and observing the culture, the buildings, the people. It's in the past that the show finally finds time to indulge in itself a little bit, and works for the best.
Jake needs to find money in the past, so he bets on a boxing match, which infuriates the bookies. This stuff a little tired. But what isn't tired is the past's insistence on remaining unchanged. Jake encounters many obstacles when trying to alter or interact with the past, including a car running down the payphone he was using to call his dad, nearly being crushed by a falling chandelier, and having his Bed and Breakfast room burn down, which effectively ruins all of his detailed notes. It's exciting stuff, and the visual effects used in these scenes are especially good.
The episode ends with Jake forgoing his objective, as he realizes that he's in way over his head. Before he goes back to Maine, he makes one last stop in Kentucky to stop the murder of one of his classmates' family. We'll have to see where this storyline goes (if Jake can go through with it) and how it alters the present. Maybe when he returns, he'll find that Sad Story Man is nowhere to be found, as he's found solace elsewhere.
Overall, it was a very functional episode. I just wish that, in the future, the show will stop to smell the roses, so to speak. Oh, and a little more enthusiasm from Franco wouldn't hurt, either.
B-
For more reviews, head over to nathansharp28.wordpress.com.