Big Spoiler Alert. So read this only if you've already seen it... or don't care. But you should see it.
First, I give this a 7. It's got some great actors, music, and directing. The creepy mood that the miniseries created was perfect. I sat and watched this straight through and wasn't bored once, despite it's being 5 hours long. UNFORTUNATELY, I couldn't escape two things. First, the massive plot holes, especially towards the ending, and second, the fact that they gave up on the mystery of the room by the final third of the film. One example of a huge hole: The Order. Why even create that subplot if you're going to leave it hanging the way they did? The only answer is that this was supposed to be a pilot. But it didn't feel that way. And there are dozens more that make equally little sense. Second, the mystery was just dropped. The whole question about how and why the room came to be and who the Occupant was before whatever happened happened was just left to float away as though no one would really care anyway. Sure, Joe wanted his daughter back and one could argue that he was thinking about her and nothing else. But to use that explanation is just giving the film an excuse to be sloppy. For a detective, he barely asked any questions and I feel as though it was intentional so we would forget that there was a mystery to begin with. People, especially detectives, are curious and I'm sure that if confronted with something this bizarre, they'd be asking questions for hours (and not get up and leave before the omelets even arrive).
Sadly, these two problems seriously deflated my impression of the series. In large part because they were so annoying. It started out so fun with the competing groups vying for control of the objects and the characters involved behind the secrecy. But once the last hour came, it was as though the studio sent down a memo telling the director to wrap it up so they could start filming a reality TV show on the sets.
This is another example of why you give people enough time to complete the story rather than force it into an allotted time slot. My only hope is that these problems I had were the result of an over-zealous editing team, and that if a DVD of the miniseries comes out, the scenes from the cutting-room floor can be picked up and re-attached so that some sense can be made out of the thing.
In conclusion, it's good. Very good. But it could have been great.
First, I give this a 7. It's got some great actors, music, and directing. The creepy mood that the miniseries created was perfect. I sat and watched this straight through and wasn't bored once, despite it's being 5 hours long. UNFORTUNATELY, I couldn't escape two things. First, the massive plot holes, especially towards the ending, and second, the fact that they gave up on the mystery of the room by the final third of the film. One example of a huge hole: The Order. Why even create that subplot if you're going to leave it hanging the way they did? The only answer is that this was supposed to be a pilot. But it didn't feel that way. And there are dozens more that make equally little sense. Second, the mystery was just dropped. The whole question about how and why the room came to be and who the Occupant was before whatever happened happened was just left to float away as though no one would really care anyway. Sure, Joe wanted his daughter back and one could argue that he was thinking about her and nothing else. But to use that explanation is just giving the film an excuse to be sloppy. For a detective, he barely asked any questions and I feel as though it was intentional so we would forget that there was a mystery to begin with. People, especially detectives, are curious and I'm sure that if confronted with something this bizarre, they'd be asking questions for hours (and not get up and leave before the omelets even arrive).
Sadly, these two problems seriously deflated my impression of the series. In large part because they were so annoying. It started out so fun with the competing groups vying for control of the objects and the characters involved behind the secrecy. But once the last hour came, it was as though the studio sent down a memo telling the director to wrap it up so they could start filming a reality TV show on the sets.
This is another example of why you give people enough time to complete the story rather than force it into an allotted time slot. My only hope is that these problems I had were the result of an over-zealous editing team, and that if a DVD of the miniseries comes out, the scenes from the cutting-room floor can be picked up and re-attached so that some sense can be made out of the thing.
In conclusion, it's good. Very good. But it could have been great.