One of my all time favorites.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Blistering performances.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

First off, let me say I read the book by Stephen King, AND I saw the original movie with Christopher Walken. Book gets a 10, Walken movie gets a 9, this series gets a 7 bordering on 8, totally due to shortcomings in the continuity and plot resolution. WARNING SPOILERS FOLLOW: For one, I see no excuse for replacing the actor who played JJ in the final season of only 13 episodes. I also see ZERO reason for killing off Walt. And perhaps WORST of all, the last episode titled DENOUEMENT provides anything BUT resolution, leaving the ultimate question of the series as to "How will Johnny avert Armageddon?" totally up in the air. This series reminds me of the XFILES in that it truly SHINES when it serves up an independent episode with its own inherent plot rather than meandering down the soap opera of conspiracy and Armageddon which becomes increasingly convoluted as the seasons progress. There are several episodes in the series which I would give a ZERO if I could, most notably the series FINALE which resolves NOTHING, and the idiotic episode where the US government uses Johnny to fight terrorists, and the obligatory major yawn of a boxing episode. But thankfully there are MORE episodes which deserve a 10 in their own right, than there are duds. I give a special tip of the hat to ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL who truly shines as Johnny. At the beginning I thought it might be difficult to get the image of that elephant lamp out of my head from THE BREAKFAST CLUB, but Mr. Hall proved he has range as an actor. Also a much appreciated bonus in the eye candy category when Jennifer Finnegan shows up as an occasional guest star starting in Season 4. THE DEAD ZONE is another example of a show which ended far too soon. Truly an IDEAL premise for a TV series. I will NEVER begin to understand how NFL football can be around until the end of time but a great series like this only runs for 6 seasons, and only half seasons at that.

The Dead Zone has managed to keep its episodes fresh over the years and that has made it interesting to watch. The way the lead character's "psychic" ability is limited allows stories to unfold in unpredictable ways.The series is basically about a man who wakes up from a long coma with a new ability. He can touch people and things and get flashes of their background - often things that deal with something important that has or will happen to them.This gives him a reason to pursue finding out more so he can make a positive difference. What keeps the stories interesting is that his flashes are limited and uncontrolled - he can't just "get the answer" to something. He gets bits and pieces which are also sometimes not in sequential order. It's a little bit like the "CSI" shows, but with a little more novelty.The F/X used are really interesting too. During his flashes, he's sometimes able to get them to 'freeze'. Then he can actually walk around the whole scene while all motion is stopped (including things in midair). Nicely done.The only part that is a little bit of a negative is his bizarre extended relationship with his former girlfriend, her (and his) son and her husband; it's a little too weird and adds nothing to the show. If you like good stories dealing with "psi" (short for psychic) or "CSI"-type shows where bits of evidence take the stories in unpredictable directions, you should check out this series.

Making a TV show out of a fantastic Stephen King (book and)movie is a bold move! But with a great Anthony Michael Hall they succeeded in creating a series full of drama and suspense! I saw things in the first three seasons that were exciting and thrilling! Almost every episode contained a surprise in some form! Anthony Michael Hall created his own character very different from the movie! He adds some humor but also is intense and even frightening when needed! The sound and visual effects that are used to show how John's visions work are one of the highlights of the show! I also liked that Johnny was constantly improving in using his ability! I don't know what happened after these three wonderful seasons! Season 4 had it's moments but already was a sign that the series was getting worse! Inconsistencies in the plot,no improvement in skill,repetitive story lines,no real surprises) I do not want to talk about fifth season,because that season doesn't even come close to what "Dead Zone" was! After seeing 2 episodes from the sixth season I only can conclude that this one is even worse than the fifth season! It is very disappointing to see a fantastic show being turned into a show that it is now! Nothing inventive,boring (repetitive) story lines,one major character killed off,for some reason the Armageddon is stopped (for now,just like that) and almost no John L. Adams as Bruce! I think the character of Bruce was necessary since he kept John Smith sane! And also provided some great interaction between them! It should have been better if they would have stopped this show after the third season! I will keep on watching the show for closure but I sincerely hope that the show will improve to the high level of the first three seasons!The grade (9) I have given is for the first three seasons!Season 4: 7Season 5: 5,5Season 6: ???

I saw this at blockbuster and figured "what the hell." It's Stephen King and about psychic stuff, so I figured I was pretty safe. All in all it was good. I haven't seen any of the series, though after seeing the pilot I may try to tune in. The story was good, but what I really liked the best was the visions flashes, especially when Anthony Michael Hall would sort of freeze frame on a vision and explore it. I'm a sucker for good effects and this movie had it (again, can't say anything for the series) but I was impressed with the level of detail in these freeze frame vision scenes, like rain drops and bomb fragments suspended in air, cool stuff. The `Movie' or pilot itself was well rounded in that it had a start, plot, and a finish, as to not leave you with a cliff hanger ending. If you're into Sci-Fi's & effects, check it out.