Dead Zone [Special Edition]

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I was just a kid when I saw the original "Dead Zone." I can only remember the basic details of the film - man is involved in a car accident and remains in a coma for years; when he regains consciousness he possesses special psychic powers previously not present in his brain. In his six year coma, the "dead zone" of his brain comes to life, giving him the powers above that of a normal man.

But the most striking feature of the original was the presence of Christopher Walken as Johnny Smith. The young Walken scared the hell out of me, more than the horrors inherent to the film as Smith recovers from the coma. The 1983 original was more notable as one of Walken's coming out films than for Stephen King's horrific storyline.

Any film remake will inevitably suffer from comparisons to the original, and Lions Gate's 2002 made for television remake of "The Dead Zone" is no exception. Walken's Smith is an entirely different character than the Smith played by Anthony Michael Hall in the re-release, and the plot is centered more on Johnny Smith's recovery and rebirth as he subjects his special powers to the world.

Indeed, more than three quarters of the film take place after Johnny awakes; lending the preponderance of the film to the horror that is more in fitting with Stephen King's original vision. Smith must inevitably re-acquaint with the family, friends, and fiancé that have all since moved on during his coma, but the real fun is when he touches them and he sees everything about them in his mind's eye.

But while we're talking comparisons, I should note one more: the long-term hospital and rehabilitation of Johnny are stolen directly from the script of "Born of the Fourth of July," with Anthony Michael Hall substituting for Tom Cruise in the Vietnam War epic.

While Hall could not be expected to exude the same charisma as Cruise playing Ron Kovac in Oliver Stone´s famous Vietnam film, he lends a suitably appealing characterization to Smith. Hall is actually quite an under-rated actor, having played only smaller roles in films like Edward Scissorhands, Six Degrees of Separation, and Freddy Got Fingered since is starring role in "The Breakfast Club," but he displays significant flashes of brilliance in "The Dead Zone." Hall´s Johnny is downright spooky as he visualizes the sordid tales of others with whom he comes in contact, and his determination to make sense of his psychic affliction is compelling.

That said, his motivations for using his powers at will are somewhat shaky, as is the speed by which he adapts to his new persona.