From a big King fan, this is HORRIBLE... "The Langoliers" is better.

Rating: 2/10 (18 May 2008)

The only reason I'm giving this a 2 out of 10 instead of a 1 -- is because of the acting. The acting is alright. But that is where the praise ends.
I'm not sure why Frank Darabont (Green Mile, Shawshank) took on this film. The way it was made is laughable. Seriously... "The Langoliers" is a better made film. Why? Because it stuck to the original storyline. The story stands on its own merit -- even if the movie has crappy effects and second-grade acting.
The Mist was a good short story. If Darabont had stuck to the story-line, he'd have had a passable film. But key pieces of the story were completely left out.
And the *ending*. MY GOD. Did Darabont think he knows better how to end this story than Stephen King? Darabont's ending SUCKS and is an example of the worst "Murphy's Law" tripe. In the book, they are driving into the unknown -- with hope -- with a chance. You never know if they make it out of the mist or run out of gas. A perfect ending which eloquently characterizes the book -- and the mist -- itself.
I'm sorry, but this is a failure. Save your money. If you thought you were going to see "The Langoliers" -- be prepare to be disappointed.