Predictable commentary is a bummer

Rating: 5/10 (6 April 2008)

I'm a big fan of horror(scary) flicks. Probably that's the only reason I give this one a 5/10. It started off just fine, but then before long it sinks into social commentary.
Let's see now, there's the religious zealot blaming everything on sin with redemption coming only at the cost of the non-believers blood. There's the "secret" project of the army(government) bringing apocalyptic catastrophe on us all. There's the meek middle-aged grocery store who in reality is a crack shot with a pistol and an otherwise unappreciated hero. I could go on for a dozen more characters but why bother.
The FX are common at best. Anyone in the baby boomer generation could spot these a mile away.
The story could easily have been written by some lost-along-the-way goth school dropout. It's kinda like that drawing you've seen where the kid draws himself next to his family, but several of the family members are drawn with thick black charcoal, and eventually scribbled over, wiping them out of existence. Hmm, has King and Darabont reverted to their true selves? - I really expected much better.
Go ahead and see it, but either borrow it or rent it. Oh, I'd be more than willing to sell you my copy for 50% of the retail price. (shipping and handling not included.)