Dead Like Me: Life After Death
Wow, what a disappointment.
I was a huge fan of the series and was sad when it ended (quite before its time), so I was pretty excited to see what they would do with the movie. Unfortunately, it came with a number of issues:
1. No Mandy Patinkin and no Rube. I had expected this, knowing that part of the reason why the show ended was Patinkin going on to do other things. But the fact of the matter is: He made the show. He really did. And his disappearance was a vague plot point in the movie with a very dissatisfying result. I was hoping that perhaps they could do Dead Like Me with no Rube, but I was wrong. Dead wrong.
2. No Laura Harris, but still Daisy Adair persisted this time played by the voluptuous and mannish Sarah Wynter. Now, I can appreciate curvy women, but part of Daisy's charm was her waifish narcissistic facade, portrayed with awkward but beautiful earnest by Harris. Wynter, however, was more of a caricature of the facade, throwing away any depth that we had learned about Daisy toward the show's end.
It makes me wonder... If you can't secure Patinkin and you can't secure Harris, why would you push on with the movie? I was so distracted by their absence that I could barely focus on the awful plot.
But anyway...
3. Awkward and bad acting. I've already complained about Wynter's portrayal of Daisy, but even Ellen Muth (George), Callum Blue (Mason), and Jasmine Guy (Roxy) seemed to struggle with their previous Dead Like Me personas. Each seemed to be awkward portrayals of caricatures of the characters I once knew and loved.
4. Poor plot line. The movie felt like an extended episode... One of the
bad episodes (hey - every show has them).
5. General sloppiness. The movie felt as though it was thrown together and was riddled with mistakes. From characters wearing different clothes from an earlier scene to a later scene (within the same day, when they SHOULD have been dressed the same) to cause and effect plot holes.
It makes me wonder - Why bother? Oh, wait; just to appeal to the fanboys. I know that I was onboard, but MAN am I dissatisfied. :(
1.5/5