WasAnnon
Slow pace in the most part of the movie.
SpecialsTarget
Disturbing yet enthralling
filippaberry84
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
SnoopyStyle
Susan Wheeler (Lauren Ambrose) is a medical student starting at her late grandfather's Peach Tree Memorial Hospital. Dr. Mark Bellows (Steven Pasquale), Dr. Theodore Stark (James Woods), and Dr. Agnetta Lindquist (Geena Davis) are some of the senior faculty. Mrs. Emerson (Ellen Burstyn) cares for the coma patients.A&E remade the 1978 movie based on the 1977 novel into a 4 hour TV mini-series. It's important to note that the paranoia of the era worked great to infuse the original with atmosphere. However this one is much more of a thriller. The biggest logic problem in this one is that it's no longer the '70s. It just seems that somebody would just sue in today's world. But if you're willing to accept that, there is some good thrills to be had here.
Tracy T
--SPOILERS! -- I loved the original "Coma" with Bujold and Douglas, and I liked this version, too. Or would have liked it. It was a bit slow-paced, and could have done without the bizarrerie associated with the obviously mental guy who was chasing Susan around, but other than that, it was well-acted and great fun to watch -- that is, until the character of the evil head of the Jefferson Institute was shown praying the Rosary. I mean, really?! Any Catholic who's Catholic enough to pray the Rosary would know that Church teaching prohibits doing evil so that good can come from it, would know that murder is a sin, would understand very well that one doesn't put people into comas in order to conduct medical experiments on them, and so forth, so why, WHY, did the powers-that-be just have to make that character a "Catholic"? Haven't we had enough of this sort of nonsense? Why does Hollywood have to constantly poke at Christians -- Catholics in particular? Would the director have gone out of his way to depict that character wearing a Star of David or as an obvious practitioner of Islam? Why is it not OK to do that to folks of religions other than Christianity? Why is Christianity singled out for this sort of treatment?I am sick of this sort of thing. It really is disgusting. And it's too bad, too, with regard to this particular movie because, as I said, it was otherwise enjoyable. Sigh.
Marc Marchioli
I unlike the other reviewer found the original story quite intriguing as the medical aspects were very accurate and the setting plausible. However, this rework of the story starts interesting but there are way too many distractions that add nothing to the details or complexity of the story. Yes, the large corporate conspiracy is a decent throw-in for Hollywood but others were too much and add little to the quality of the story such as the psycho killer, the floppy haired lead (and by the way in a medical setting floppy hair would not be allowed even by a medical student! It would be required to be cut or kept out of the face/eyes at all times due to health concerns), the crooked police, and quarreling cut-throat medical students (which should be residents to be more accurate).I think taking the original story and updating the technology and possible corporate profit areas would have been plenty (this part was done nicely with the genetic component which was only addressed in the original by the tissue typing for the needed organ).So, take a good story and inject Hollywood and you get what the "Mavericks of Silicon Valley" call the poison pill. It's a good reason why viewers are turning to the subscription channels for high quality programming.Bottom line, nice try but better luck on the next one.
Rich La Bonte (flatrich)
Sometimes it is wise just to let a dead dog lay. As I remember, the first version of Coma wasn't very good. This one is about the same. Overblown to distraction by the Scott Brothers, the TV "mini-series" version features good actors going to waste and almost nothing new.Yeah, there is a big super tech conspiracy tacked on to the original plot, but even that was tame next to 21st century TV series like Dr. Who or Fringe. Lauren Ambrose was excellent in the lead, but deserves better, and it was a joy to see Ellen Burstyn working, even in a sort of Boris Karloff role. James Woods was good. Geena Davis, Joe Morton and Richard Dreyfuss - what were you thinking?I watched it On Demand and, like another reviewer here, was grateful that Fast Forward was not disabled.
