Deathlands (2003)

SPOILERS I began with the Outlanders series of books and just recently started reading the Deathlands series. James Axler, or the conglomeration of writers using his name, are erratic story-tellers at best. You aren't reading Poe or James when you open an Axler book, just mindless post apocalyptic cheese. I really don't understand the bad reviews written here. I entered the film with trepidation - what with the combination of Traci Lords and a Sci-Fi Channel production (which spell disaster) - but this was actually quite entertaining although minus some ingredients from the book - which can be overlooked by the casual fan of the series but not the fanatic. Traci Lords didn't kill the picture and this is handedly the best Sci-Fi original ever produced.VIOLENCE: $$$$ (There is one scene that glorifies bloodletting, when Ryan saves Jak and blows a group of slow-on-the-uptake baddies to bloody pieces. This scene was sensationalized and didn't need all the damn blood - filmmakers seem to subscribe to the excess-is-best theme nowadays. The final shootout scene was terrible though. Ryan and his group basically enter into an ambush but no one even gets close to being hit by gunfire).STORY: $$$ (Although it doesn't follow the Deathlands book verbatim, the screenwriters do a passable job. Many of the lines that are prevalent in the books are used - such as Kyrsty referring to Ryan as "lover" and everyone employing the typical series curses like "fireblast" and double-stupe" which are far preferable than the usual X-rated dialogue we get with tasteless flicks like Scarface).NUDITY: None, this is a Sci-Fi original but there is a plethora in the book series).ACTING: $$$ (The acting could have been better, as well as the casting. Dix was easily the worst casting job in the film but Cliff Saunders did a good job with what was given him - he's just not J.B. Dix. When reading the books I always envisioned David Keith as Ryan but Vincent Spano did a fine job in the lead, although the wardrobe department needs a swift kick to the backside with that Elton John feathery coat he sported. Jenya Lano did a stellar job as Krysty. She has come a long way as an actress, having first seen her in Full Moon's terrible horror film Shrieker in which she did little beyond looking pretty. I must say, her trading the blonde mane for a red one sure enhances her appeal. The kid who played Jak was fine - I was eager to see how they were going to portray Jak and the filmmakers did better than I had expected. Traci Lords adds the name to the picture and to be honest, although campy, she did a fine job in her role.

I have a shelf of Deathlands books. I am missing only -ten- of more than 80 volumes in this series, and I am a fan of it. The last 15 or so books have sucked rocks, but this movie...I was very disappointed. I was -thrilled- to know it had finally been made into a movie, and when Canada's SPACE channel aired it last night (July 22nd, 2005) I stayed up til crazy hours of the morning to watch it.But, they could have put more into making the chars like we knew them. JB wasn't a jolly man, he barely spoke. He and Jak are both described as 'never using two words where one would be enough' in the books. Jak is my favorite char, and while I don't know the actor well enough to know whether or not he did his best, I do think he could have pulled it off had the character been portrayed correctly. I DID like the sick little grin on his face when Ryan and JB asked him if he could handle obtaining a rifle. That just screamed 'Jak'. :> I also liked where Jak was getting angry at being locked up. Jak is often described as being akin to a caged animal when he's locked up, and the glaring red eyes help a lot with that.Krysty has crimson hair and emerald eyes, her brightly colored hair and startling eyes are what make her visibly different. I think they should have invested in some hair dye and -made- the actress look the part. Ryan looked exactly as I would have imagined him to look (except lighter of skin...Men and women very used to the outdoors so much, I would have expected to be tanned. Except Jak, of course) Also...everything was very new looking, including Jak's perfect and unscratched shades. JB looked the part although his face was a little rounder than I pictured him to be.I think they did an okay job of telling the story itself, and for such a small budget it wasn't that bad. I think they could have put more effort into making the characters more consistent with the books. Hair dye can do wonders.Also, someone made a note about how unbelievable it was that four people would set out to change the world. They're out to change the world for themselves, to give themselves a brighter future than they each had before. It's all about a search for hope. I'm not sure I would have started a series of movies (Which I still hope for it to be) with Homeward Bound, though. At least one movie to provide setting and background before going home would have been more interesting and might have attracted new blood as they waited to see more. Homeward Bound seems so finite that it doesn't seem like there is anything left to look forward to.

Where was Doc, Jak's pointed ears, abbreviated way of speaking and flowing white hair? What was with his supposed rages? Ryan was cast well and Krysty also But J.B. should have been taller and more wiry. The redoubt looked like a homeless shelter made of cardboard and there wasn't even a mention of the Mat Trans system which is probably the most integral part of the series. Sadly, because this movie was so badly made there will probably be no more. One wonders why they would pick the fifth book in the series to film. Of course they could have been hoping for the same success that James Bond has achieved (that series of films started with the fifth in the series also).

i think that for the most part the movie was okay. i would have found it a lot more enjoyable if i had not read some of the books first. i wasn't very pleased with Jak, who is my fav charecter in the book. he is supposed to be much more 'economical with words' and i didn't see him use one knife in the movie. Jak is supposed to be a knife fighter, though he does own a .357 Magnum. also, though not as important- his hair is supposed to be longer and he should have two scars on his face, one on his cheak and one on his nose. in addition to that, Jak does drive more then anyone else in the book. he does not need a drivers licens. i was very disappointed at the non-appearances of Lori and Doc, who are key charecters. also--i was not aware that anyone in the story had such good grammer. though not idiots, for the most part they are not really schooled, though most of them could read, not just ryan. overall i just found that there were to many differences from the book.