This entertaining, close adaptation of the Stephen King novel is a product of the '80s, in some ways charmingly so and in other ways not so much.
From my perspective, the movie's flaws include Amy Madigan, who doesn't much appeal to me. The score is effective enough in parts, but in other parts invokes that '80s tinkly, jingly fantasy-type music, as when the kids in ET, The Goonies, or Something Wicked this Way Comes see something wonderous. Those strains have no place in a horror movie. Similarly, while the special effects and make-up are in some ways charmingly '80s, the animation at the very end, immediately after the climax, are lame and enough to cast a pall over the conclusion. The conclusion itself, and the moment the movie cuts to credits, is also too abrupt. The movie needs the epilogue of the novel. This and certain other difficulty describe elements are why, in my opinion, Romero became steadily less interesting as a director as his career progressed. Dark Half is one of a few decent movies he made outside of the original Dead trilogy, but it shows the flaws in his directing style, which causes his films to lack a certain completeness, like a wall that needs one more coat of paint. All of his films are rough around the edges, and that is not a problem with all of them (it's part of what makes the original Night of the Living Dead a great movie) but it is a problem with this one, with Monkey Shines and with The Crazies, even though each of these movies is pretty decent.
The movie is reasonably well paced, but it shares one of the flaws from the novel; namely, the shear incompetence of every police officer or state trooper, which is even more tedious to watch than it is to read.
The aspects of The Dark Half that are good, and which make it entertaining, include Tim Hutton, who is always appealing and always effective in his roles. A very young Michael Rooker is fine, although not really who I would have cast. Julie Harris has a small but appealing turn as a professor Tim Hutton's character consults.
Despite all of my complaints, this is an entertaining enough movie and certainly a step above a lot of other adaptations of King's novels. Romero, through the script, which he wrote, does manage to capture the main plot and story elements of the novel. It's actually quite a decent script outside of the issue I noted above with the cops, which he was simply taking from the novel. Certainly worth a viewing for fans of '80s horror and of King adaptations.
From my perspective, the movie's flaws include Amy Madigan, who doesn't much appeal to me. The score is effective enough in parts, but in other parts invokes that '80s tinkly, jingly fantasy-type music, as when the kids in ET, The Goonies, or Something Wicked this Way Comes see something wonderous. Those strains have no place in a horror movie. Similarly, while the special effects and make-up are in some ways charmingly '80s, the animation at the very end, immediately after the climax, are lame and enough to cast a pall over the conclusion. The conclusion itself, and the moment the movie cuts to credits, is also too abrupt. The movie needs the epilogue of the novel. This and certain other difficulty describe elements are why, in my opinion, Romero became steadily less interesting as a director as his career progressed. Dark Half is one of a few decent movies he made outside of the original Dead trilogy, but it shows the flaws in his directing style, which causes his films to lack a certain completeness, like a wall that needs one more coat of paint. All of his films are rough around the edges, and that is not a problem with all of them (it's part of what makes the original Night of the Living Dead a great movie) but it is a problem with this one, with Monkey Shines and with The Crazies, even though each of these movies is pretty decent.
The movie is reasonably well paced, but it shares one of the flaws from the novel; namely, the shear incompetence of every police officer or state trooper, which is even more tedious to watch than it is to read.
The aspects of The Dark Half that are good, and which make it entertaining, include Tim Hutton, who is always appealing and always effective in his roles. A very young Michael Rooker is fine, although not really who I would have cast. Julie Harris has a small but appealing turn as a professor Tim Hutton's character consults.
Despite all of my complaints, this is an entertaining enough movie and certainly a step above a lot of other adaptations of King's novels. Romero, through the script, which he wrote, does manage to capture the main plot and story elements of the novel. It's actually quite a decent script outside of the issue I noted above with the cops, which he was simply taking from the novel. Certainly worth a viewing for fans of '80s horror and of King adaptations.