Micro-Review #140: 11.22.63

Based on the Stephen King novel

I reviewed the novel (somewhat unfavorably) a few years back and decided to give the TV mini-series a chance because of its high imdb rating.

English teacher Jake Epping (James Franco) finds a portal to 1960. This gives him three years to stop the Kennedy assassination. He tries his damnedest, with many complications along the way. If you can suspend disbelief and accept the tired time-travel story device, you might decide Jake’s journey is worth following. This is a rare case of the TV adaptation being better than the novel. The era comes alive, the suspense is well placed, and there are worse kinds of unchallenging entertainment available to stream.

The downside: The Stephen King habit of exaggerating character traits transfers to the screen. The last two or three episodes of the eight-part miniseries lapse into soapiness. Rather than building to a breathless crescendo, the story plateaus before a somewhat predictable ending. Still, the acting is good, and if you like time-travel stories, this one is bound to satisfy.

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