I loved the Stephen King epic of the same name, and I loved the assembled cast for the TV series. It seemed so perfect, yet I knew that it wasn't going to be all that I hoped.
A plague of biblical proportions sweeps across the country, decimating the U.S. and taking millions of lives. The few that survive are summoned, through dreams and visions, to the "good" area, lead by the kind Mother Abigail (Ruby Dee), or the "bad" area, lead by the demonic Randall Flagg (Jamey Sheridan). Gary Sinise, Adam Storke, Molly Ringwald, and Rob Lowe play some of those summoned to Mother Abigail, while Miguel Ferrer and Sam Anderson play some of those summoned to Randall Flagg.
The book was epic. It had a massive cast of characters that were all original and interesting, and all faced their own demons with the decision to go to Flagg or Abigail. I know it's unfair to compare the book to the adaptation, yet I felt letdown by "The Stand". It lacked the backstory and the character development that made me care for the characters, and once again I know there are budget and time issues, but why eat the cake if you don't have all the ingredients? Don't get me wrong, it's not all bad. Gary Sinise is fantastic as the hero, but Molly Ringwald, who plays his girlfriend, really lacks. I cared about her character in the book, but in the TV series she's lifeless. Rob Lowe and Adam Storke are pitch-perfect, and Ruby Dee is exactly like the Mother Abigail I knew in the book. Miguel Ferrer is awesome as the villainous Randall Flagg's henchman, and Jamey Sheridan is magnifique as Flagg himself, perfectly emulating the demonic mystery from the book.
I don't know how to rate The Stand. I can say I enjoyed it but I also can say the whole thing felt a bit cartoony, fake even. If you're a die-hard fan of the book, don't expect too much, but if you're not you'll probably have a lot of fun.
A plague of biblical proportions sweeps across the country, decimating the U.S. and taking millions of lives. The few that survive are summoned, through dreams and visions, to the "good" area, lead by the kind Mother Abigail (Ruby Dee), or the "bad" area, lead by the demonic Randall Flagg (Jamey Sheridan). Gary Sinise, Adam Storke, Molly Ringwald, and Rob Lowe play some of those summoned to Mother Abigail, while Miguel Ferrer and Sam Anderson play some of those summoned to Randall Flagg.
The book was epic. It had a massive cast of characters that were all original and interesting, and all faced their own demons with the decision to go to Flagg or Abigail. I know it's unfair to compare the book to the adaptation, yet I felt letdown by "The Stand". It lacked the backstory and the character development that made me care for the characters, and once again I know there are budget and time issues, but why eat the cake if you don't have all the ingredients? Don't get me wrong, it's not all bad. Gary Sinise is fantastic as the hero, but Molly Ringwald, who plays his girlfriend, really lacks. I cared about her character in the book, but in the TV series she's lifeless. Rob Lowe and Adam Storke are pitch-perfect, and Ruby Dee is exactly like the Mother Abigail I knew in the book. Miguel Ferrer is awesome as the villainous Randall Flagg's henchman, and Jamey Sheridan is magnifique as Flagg himself, perfectly emulating the demonic mystery from the book.
I don't know how to rate The Stand. I can say I enjoyed it but I also can say the whole thing felt a bit cartoony, fake even. If you're a die-hard fan of the book, don't expect too much, but if you're not you'll probably have a lot of fun.