Neil Lovelady

Dr Sleep: Review from an SK constant reader. Alright, I'm somewhat surprised at the elation I feel for a director actually following a great novel's storyline (mostly). I've said it before (particularly following a Stephen King adaptation in recent history). You have a great story.....follow it. Stop making up extraneous plot twists (and sometimes completely different stories) that don't add anything. Yes, I'm talking to you "It Chapter Two".....and if you think I would even stoop to mentioning you "The Dark Tower", you are sorely mistaken....(and horribly conceived by a cretinous ape). Dr Sleep has a fascinating and gripping storyline, this movie makes good use of it. The good: Acting in this film was masterful. Casting and performance by all really made this movie work. Ewan McGregor hit it out of the park, and I particularly enjoyed the actor who played Crow Daddy. The director really made these characters whole and complex. The cinematography, effects, and the score really immerse you in the story. And again, as a Stephen King nerd I felt a lot of the most compelling parts of the book were left in tact and translated wonderfully. I also found myself being surprised and effected by some elements I hardly noticed in the book. Last of all, I just really enjoyed myself and didn't have time to nitpick anything while I was watching. The bad: While I understand the conundrum they faced in needing to pay homage to the Stanley Kubrick film to reach that audience. I didn't love the re write at the end to incorporate it. This was slightly lightened by the fact that I saw "The Shining" as a kid before I ever read the book, and have some nostalgic memories of it. I also understand the original ending of the Dr Sleep novel would be less sensational cinematically. That being said....kind of felt like an abrupt detour, for the purpose of dragging out those twins in the hallway a few more times. And while I admit my bias as a fan of the novels, it did seem to lose a bit of steam (somewhat unintentional reference, kind of intended) towards the conclusion. All in all: One of the best movies I've seen in a while (especially if I hadn't just watched "Joker"). A solid representation of the original story, mixed with a bit of mostly positive additions. And to all the critics talking about the disturbing depiction of harm to children...travel back in time to when we were reading "Lolita" in school and remember....you're supposed to be disturbed, otherwise you wouldn't get anything from the experience.