Review of Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) by Adrian A — 18 May 2015

Though not without great moments, Twilight Zone- The Movie feels much more sappy than it should. Two of the four sketches have such doughy-eyed endings, you'd swear they weren't meant to be here.

In the series, each episode left us with a final lesson; a final thought. Here however, we simply watch everyone walk or ride into the distance while dissolving to the next bit. And while that may work fine, it feels lacking any resolution.

The first segment finds no connection to the character, and his lack of likability, and the sense that by the end, he hadn't grown, makes the whole bit feel empty and lacking weight.

The second segment (Spielberg's, no less) is very much unfitting. Feeling more like a fan fiction of his film, Hook, this bit is nothing but kitsch. With almost no other-worldliness to it, it seems more like a bedtime story than a twilight zone bit.

The third segment, though slow to build, has an exciting premise once you discover what's going on. Littered with great practical effects and wonderful overall art design, this one is a joy to watch. It does, however, squander its great premise, and ends on a very dull note.

The finale is a great retelling of Nightmare At 20,000 Feet. While it lacks the slow moving, deeply unsettling quiet of the original episode, it instead gives us a fast, frantic, panicked, and claustrophobic story of "a man on the wing." Plus, John Lithgow is a joy to watch, as always.

All in all, I'd call the movie a tad underwhelming, but not bad. Fun to watch if you loved the show, but probably not a good place to start if you're looking to get into it all.