The Langoliers
  • Network: ABC
  • Series Premiere Date: May 14, 1995
User Score
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No user score yet- Awaiting 3 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1

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User Reviews

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  1. Kai82
    Jun 19, 2021
    6
    It is enjoyable but has weaknesses in the script and the poor special effects destroy the immersion which is rare for me to criticize. It is based on a story from Stephen Kings novella collection “Four past Midnight” which I did not read so you will not get the unavoidable “The books are better” statement (Which is by the way mostly a valid statement even if I hate to make it). By the wayIt is enjoyable but has weaknesses in the script and the poor special effects destroy the immersion which is rare for me to criticize. It is based on a story from Stephen Kings novella collection “Four past Midnight” which I did not read so you will not get the unavoidable “The books are better” statement (Which is by the way mostly a valid statement even if I hate to make it). By the way Stephen King never had much luck with movie adaptations of his works. For each good adaptation or movie there are at least 3 bad ones. Story: It is a story of a diverse group of people that attend a flight from Los Angeles to Boston. During the flight a strange event happen when they fly through an aurora borealis and this left them in a strange situation they could not have imagined. Now they are up to figure a way out and deal with the increasing struggles of the group. It had to be vague to avoid spoilers. The story is interesting, enjoyable and the cast is really good on one hand. On the other hand some scenes are poorly executed and destroy the immersion. For example there is a scene that should be the most tragic moment in the movie with a likable character suffering but despite being sad all I could (mostly) think of was that it was a suicidal idea to do what she did and so foreseeable. Even Star Trek red-shirts will facepalm. Another immersion breaker are the effects. The titular Langoliers do neither look convincing or scary (Mayor critique by many viewers by the way). Because these are carefully set up by the movie it is even more of a let down. I will repeat that I rarely criticize special effects in movies. Maybe not in the double digit numbers in over 250 movie reviews (including a lot of B movies). However here it is a valid point. Actors: I truly liked the cast and they deliver a really good performance. My favorites are Kate Maberly as Dinah Catherine Bellman who does an amazing job as child actor, Bronson Pinchot as Craig Toomy who is such a slimeball and love to hate character and of cause Dean Stockwell as Bob Jekins. This is for me a case of a great cast of actors in a weaker script. Sidenote: I recently discovered that there is even a small cameo by Stephen King himself. Overall this had potential and I see the sparks of a better movie underneath. It is enjoyable but is dragged down by the script and effects. Maybe a remake with a better director and ironed out script would be a good idea. Cant recommend to watch it but say it has redeeming qualities. It is also not garbage enough to give a lower rating. For Stephen King adaptations I will recommend however “The Shawshank Redemption” movie as it is an excellent movie and a book adaptation I consider better than its already great source from Stephen King (Warning it has no supernatural, horror or fantasy elements).… Expand

Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best TV Season of 1995
7
#7 Most Discussed TV Season of 1995

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 15
  3. Negative: 2 out of 15
  1. Dallas Morning News
    Reviewed by: Manuel Mendoza
    Apr 19, 2021
    80
    This self-referential approach works only because the premise is so convincing and the characters are so real. When the mumbo-jumbo kicks in, we're willing to overlook holes in the plot as frighteningly big as the langoliers themselves because we can walk in the characters' shoes. [14 May 1995, p.1C]
  2. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Frederic M. Biddle
    Apr 19, 2021
    50
    The Langoliers is a rather bumpy flight for Stephen King, so keep the sick bags ready along with the popcorn. But this new miniseries puts an intriguing spin on that most timeworn of sci-fi plots, time travel - as long as you can stomach character cliches that approach parody, not to mention a grand finale of flying creepies who look like hybrids between Pac-Man and the scrubbing bubbles of Dow Bathroom Cleaner. [13 May 1995, p.21]
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Ray Loynd
    Apr 19, 2021
    80
    Well worth the wait is the 10-or-so-minute action payoff. It's nightmarish despite the obviously superimposed langoliers (created via digital visual effects) that recharge the final minutes of this miniseries, which isn't over when you think it is. [13 May 1995, p.15]
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