'Salem's Lot (2004) - A mixed sandwich - 6/10 (04/01/12)

Salem's Lot is another television adaption of a Stephen King novel and definitely too long with a running time of three hours even though the ending definitely lacks of details and seems to be produced in a hurry. It's not a very thrilling movie but it has some entertaining moments, some intriguing characters and a solid acting. Note that the movie features legendary and skilled actors such as James Cromwell, Rutger Hauer and Donald Sutherland. Even though they don't always shine in this production, it's interesting to see them all together in this mini-series.

The movie kicks off as a documentary when the sleepy town called Jerusalem's Lot is introduced by the protagonist. The introduction is definitely too long and bores a lot after an interesting opening sequence.

The movie tries to introduce several story lines with different characters. Some of them are interesting like the love story of Eva and Ed but some are also quite boring like as the fate of the police officers. The movie feels a little bit stretched and lacks focus at some points.

The second half of the movie has some thrills, some action elements and feels overall more dynamical. The main problem is that the ending of the movie is too predictable to surprise, convince or grab any attention.

In the end, I can't really recommend this production as there are almost as many weak as there are strong points. If there's nothing else to watch late on television, it's a good choice but a purchase or loan is definitely not necessary.