Dreamcatcher had more credible dialogue

Rating: 5/10 (25 November 2007)

Thomas Jane probably signed up for this film based on his experience in the engaging and very watchable sci-fi movie "Dreamcatcher" (also adapted from Stephen King). One can't help wondering if Jane was disappointed when he saw the final cut of The Mist -- I certainly was.
It's hard to imagine how people will react in this kind of a fantasy situation, but one hopes they will do better than depicted in this film. The dialogue is as unnatural as the spooky things outside in the mist -- and just as inhuman. In fact, the dialogue was the scariest feature of the movie -- scary to know that professionals are getting paid to write this drivel.
The special effects were good, and the action scenes were exciting. Some characters' reactions to the extraordinary events were, however, simply foolish and laughable. You can always tell when dialogue is failing when the audience laughs at a point where they're not supposed to be laughing. This happens several times in the movie.
The film is not totally unwatchable, but you definitely won't be missing much if you skip it. If you have low expectations and want to see a couple of good creepy scenes, it's worth the bargain matinée price of admission.