Cell - Movie Review 

When I saw the run time I knew what I was in for. The book is amazing IMO and there is no way you could make it an hour and a half movie without rushing it, which they did. Lot of good characters from the book just appear for at least 5 minutes before being killed and thus their deaths feel ho hum. This should have been an epic but instead turned into a forgettable movie. Hopefully they can remake it one day into a miniseries.

The Phone plot sounds like the evil plot by, funny enough, Samuel Jackson in Kingsman.

Damn, and I really loved the book. And, yes, the scene on the football field was in the book. IIRC, they blew them up with propane trucks instead of burning them with gasoline. And they were singing something like Aerosmith, or some shit. But, yeah, it made way more sense in the book.

Oddly, I didn't really notice the three things you mentioned, except maybe the editing. The thing that got me was the weird indecisiveness about whether or not to depart from the book story. They'd been following a different script for most of the movie, and then suddenly elements from the book got Frankensteined in (and sometimes immediately ignored) for no apparent reason. I agree though, the ending was bonkers. Maybe this was a dire warning from Stephen King "You don't like my ending, huh folks? Well, lemme show you how much worse it could have been - happy now? Right. Next time, take your story and shut your mouth."

You know a movie's bad when you literally see nothing of it and only find it dumped onto Direct to Video

I think the annoying black bars in the intro represents how cellphones are blocking our full view of life.

I'm still going to see it to see how much they've really changed from the book. Also to see if they've cut any of the Dark Tower links

The way you showed how the main titles looked...was it supposed to represent a cell phone as if you were holding it in front of your face? That's all I can think it was supposed to be.

You might be one of the most forgiving critics I know, so it must have really been bad. Which makes me want to see it for some reason.

Thanks for putting this review out. I've been waiting for the movie to come out and this is the first I heard about it. Well I'm glad John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson at least did a good job with 1408.

Eh, the book is really good. Singing zombies? Totally happened. Different song, though.

Truck driving over people. That bit is unfortunately timed, that's for sure.

I'm just happy this doesn't star Nicolas Cage--who I believe John Cusack is becoming the next of.

Man, budget reasons for editing, splicing, and lighting seem like such bullshit excuses. Seriously, was there no art/photography/computer/video specialization college students available to do this kinda stuff? They should've just gave it to some kid who's two years into his degree, and then review what he's done and see if it's better than the "professional" draft that turned out to be the final cut. A college student would do it on the cheap just for a part in the credits.

It's too bad Stephen King movies have a habit of turning out terrible. He really is one of the greatest authors in the world, you wouldn't think it would be that hard to make good movies out of his books.

I watched your review and - like all of your stuff - enjoyed it. Still watched the movie eventually and hated it...but besides all your points there is one thing bothering me the most. At the bar, Clay is talking to Alice about NORWEGIAN DEATH METAL?! Norway is known for BLACK METAL and Sweden for death. I flipped the table.

From what I understand, the 'phoners' in the soccer field scene (and being set on fire with propane tanks) is in the book. The visions of the Phone leader is also more explained in the novel, and Clay had visions of him before the pulse (lightly hinted at in the film) I watched the film on VOD start to finish, but thought the 'zombie' angle didn't fit so much (it seemed like Romero's Crazies early on) but perhaps it would have been a better film if it was more like The Pod People/Body Snatchers/Puppet Masters. Imagine, if you will, a Phoner sees a person who is not controlled by the pulse. Phoner shrieks in a digital hum. I didn't get the ending. Did Clay get his son back, or did he get his son back by joining the phoner hive? Or should I say The Phoneys? I think Cell failed due to the director, budget, and editing. Some of the actors "phoned" it in too.

6:58 Ah yes, the Tim "The Toolman" Taylor ending.

Darn, I was really looking forward to this at *least* being mediocre! It's almost criminal wasting a concept that good (and Samuel L. Jackson, for that matter). But yeah, the stadium scene is in the book, but I don't think the singing was. I actually didn't mind the original ending, though.

The book is pretty good; I think I've reread it once, and I doubt I will again. Why King chose to change the beginning... I mean, the beginning of the book was made for a visual medium: He's at a bus stop or something, and in addition to a couple of rubes, there are two innocent, eye-candy schoolgirls on their phones when it goes down. The opening and subsequent first chapters are gripping, and written so well that your inner Mary Sue has no chance to make you think you'd just bad-ass your way out of it. I'm not knocking King; he's a great writer. But he does have two flaws: No plan, and pretensions of philosophy. I haven't read a lot of his stuff, but these flaws have been consistent in what I have read. King is not a deep thinker, and his books seem to be hammer-fit into philosophical arguments that he's not equipped to handle. So even though he's a folksy, I-quote-Beatles-songs type of writer, he still comes off as pretentious. Compare something by Phillip K. Dick with something by King. And his lack of planning is glaring in _Cell._ If you've read his _On Writing,_ which I highly recommend, you know this is exactly what he does: He has a what-if idea, and then extrapolates out from there while at the keyboard. That's legit: Every word typed constrains the next available word, and the story sort of writes itself. But one does put one's self in a corner, and this corner began to loom early as it became clear that King didn't know what the story was that he wanted to tell. And that led us to an ending that was just...dumb. I can recommend getting it from the library, once they reopen, but I can't recommend buying it.

God dammit, I liked this book even with its vague open ended finale and was looking forward to the movie. Thanks for this review, I was wondering what the hell happened to this movie. Love the channel, keep up the good work!

The part in the field, according to the book, they were broadcasting a signal

I haven't seen the film, what song do they sing?

Hey, Celie I got a question. We got two Stephen King movies in 2017, The Dark Tower (starring Idris Elba, and Matthew McConaughey) and the It remake. Which movies are you going to review for this year? Just on a curious tone.

@5:37... OMG! Nice, France omen....

It could've been America's Pulse. It could've been a social commentary of the overwhelming use of technology and how in the novel, it literally makes us insane. But man is it disappointing how it can't even do that.

Does anyone have a link to the troll scene?

Does the Trololo song also happens in the book?

Interesting that this comes right after you explored Stake Land, because that was seemingly the movie Cell wanted to look like. Not that they succeeded. For what it's worth I enjoyed watching "Esther" in a post-apocalyptical movie.

Do a video on what we do in the shadows please. PLEASE! I beg you. I don't know why I want you to do it, I've seen it but I think it would be a great video.

That shaky cam technique you mentioned aggravates me to no end. It is starting to be become pervasive on tv shows as well. modern family, etc...

That sucks, I was really looking forward to this movie once I heard about it.

This kind of reminds me of 'The Signal's from just the premise.

The trololo song is actually traditional russian song congratulating sailors for returning from sea safely. The guy singing it was a bigtime local singing star, but since it was soviet union noone else knew about him and yes i still call it the trololo song.

It reminds me of the Richard Layman book "one rainy night". GBF, how do you think a film, going through the daily process of filmmaking ends up this bad?

I read the book the do go to a stadium but no singing .

I don't wanna be one of those people, but in this case it's so true.. the book was sooo much better. I read it a few years ago and was really looking forward to this because I thought it'd make an excellent movie. I think I would have liked the movie if I hadn't read the book first. I wouldn't be opposed to a remake, even if it happened within a short time. I''m actually hoping it will. It would make a great mini-series like The Stand, or IT ..

This is why you confuse me, man. You praise London Has Fallen in which has some of worst CGI moments I have EVER seen. Then you tear apart this movie for having shitty CGI.... How?

The main problem with Cell is that it's a modernization of King's The Stand including copies of many characters and situations simply updated from an outbreak to what it is here. King doesn't acknowledge this so far as I know, and so the story feels like just another job for some cash vs the book version of the stand which is excellent. King's best screenplay/movie is storm of the century which was written as a screenplay.

I watched Cell right when it came out. It's bad but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't finish it. At the same time, it wasn't so bad that it was hilarious. Except the scene where they drive over the zombies lol I don't know how Jackson and Cusack were able to take that seriously when they were filming it

Man, I was looking forward to seeing this movie but after what you said Cecil, I'll be avoiding it.

Just gonna watch this movie for the troll scene. Can someone tell me the time stamp for that?

WOW, and I was very curious about it when I saw it advertise. I did read the book some time ago and I don't remember the ending but I remember I didn't like what happened to one of the characters that got killed right in the middle. Well, I did start watching a little but no time to really get into it, saw a little of the beginning but you know something, I do like watching bad movies so I still am going to watch it one day but not on top of a list. I just got done re watching the original Salem's Lot though with David Soul and made the mistake of watching that remake with Rob Lowe. The remake was ok but the original never lost it's appeal. A movie I could re watch over and over again.

i watched the opening airport scene in Cell and that was about it... but the biggest problem with turning one of his books into a good movie is.... You need the right director... and depending on the book adaptation, is the movie might need to be cut into 2 parts.. or made into a good TV show, so it can explain everything..

A film with SLJ is like a banana split without the bananas; You still got the ice cream.

I wonder if the obtrusive black rectangles that the opening credits used were supposed to be like the cell phones obstructing the airport occupant's field of view.

Cecil, can you please PLEASE review Return of The Living Dead 1985. An unadulterated classic.

Cecil, I noticed you didn't mention "The Happening." ;)

I can't believe how bad they fucked this adaptation up. I remember being pumped when I first heard they were making a movie for Cell because it was one of my favorite Stephen King novels, and not a lot of people knew about it, it kind of flew under the radar. My mother got me a copy of the novel one year for my birthday because I have always been a huge King fan ever since I read "IT" and "The Stand" when I was 15. King novels were actually what got me into reading as a teenager and I was kind of the odd man out because nobody my age willingly read novels for fun in high school, lol. Anyways when she got me Cell I was intrigued because I hadn't heard of it and it was a new King novel to sink my teeth into. I ended up reading it about 3 or 4 times over the years and it was actually a really good story and was a fun read because it was Stephen Kings take on the zombie apocalypse, but instead of a virus or disease, it was a pulse through cell phones that turned people into what could be considered "zombies." Then I heard there was a movie in the works that was supposed to be a theatrical release instead of another King mini series which always seems to take some of Kings works and completely neuter them for a TV mini series. I then started to get a bit skeptical and worried because after initially hearing about a theatrical release, it fell off the radar then was announced as a straight to video release. God damn did they fuck this up. There was potential to make a really good movie because the story was awesome, but if course some inept studio and even more inept director somehow managed to turn a great story into a flaming pile of shit movie. I'm so glad that "IT" was such a good scary movie because prior to the R rated theatrical version of "IT", it seemed like it was impossible for anyone to make a good movie based on a King story. Seriously there have been like 20 or more of Stephen Kings stories that have been given either a movie or a miniseries, and only like 1 out of every 10 is actually a good movie. At least that's the case with his horror stories because his non horror stories make great movies; The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, and Stand by Me are all 3 classics and are even on a few best movies of all times lists. Please Hollywood stop fucking up all of Kings stories, lol. You can literally count on one hand how many of his horror/suspense thrillers are not complete and total shit films, and every mini series has been a complete and utter pile of shit that just destroys the original source material. Just in the 90's alone there were like 5 of his stories that were given the dreaded network television mini series treatment, and instead of getting better each subsequent mini series was way fucking worse than its predecessor, lol.

Well... in the book it was Baby Elephant Walk but ya they do that in the book

god i need to see this and the trololo moment.

99% of King adaptations are crap. Especially if he is directly involved.

LOL REALLY BAD TIMING ON THAT TRUCK SCENE AFTER THE EVENTS IN FRANCE

Actually it wasn't a direct to video release, it was a simultaneous VOD release with it showing in a few theaters. But that shit didn't even make a million dollars in theaters.

Just re-watched the Fog, shame was hopping this was in the same vein.

How dare Cusack ask why this wasn't getting released

I love your reviews! so interesting & always informed & 99% if the time right on the money. I am a massive S King fan & have been for years but can't say i am one bit surprised by your review of Cell as the book was one of Kings' worst ever! if not THE worst! So its hardly a surprise the film adaptation was so lame. Much like Cormac McCarthys book' 'The Road' the book bored me half to death & made little sense & is written like a series of statements rather than a proper novel & has gaps & dead ends all over the place. When i eventually saw the movie low & behold it is simply a visual facsimile of the book! Empty & colourless & just a terrible movie! id be interested to hear your views. Keep up the good work!

I hated the ending. Pulled a "The Mist" trick there. Both books end on ambiguous but somewhat "up" note. In "Cell", Clay blows up almost all the "phoners" that have congregated in an area in Maine. The last page has him trying to reboot his son's brain by letting him listen to a cell phone (the smart student from the private school had figured this out). He puts the phone to his son's ear and the novel ends.

I liked it, and thr execution wasn't that bad. It could have been better, but a few scenes were really visceral.

The laying in the football field with their mouths open is totally in the book. 😂

Damn it, I really enjoyed the novel.

So it makes "The Langoliers" look like "Citizen Kane"...

The ending in the book is he finds his son who is a zombie and he thinks he knows how to turn him back but it ends as he is about to try it so u dont know wether he succeeded or not

I read the book back in the day hell it is actually the first whole book that I read on my own and I do not think that the Zombies singing was in the book if I remember correct they were using boomboxes instead and were listening to songs like Baby Elephant Walk yes you heard me right the Zombies were carrying huge boomboxes around and listening to music while hunting people Steven King you are a freaking genius and about the ending of the book even if it ended pretty abruptly I do not think that it was that bad I was actually really curious to know what was going to happen next and now I really have to see that movie in order to see the Troll Scene

Kind of a shame it seems so bad, the book was pretty good. I had been looking forward to it when Eli Roth was gonna direct it, because he had some interesting ideas. Honestly didn't even realize they'd made a movie about till now in 2018 lol.

I want to watch the Trololol scene but I'm not watching the full movie. Can someone be a saint and give me a timestamp?

I liked the John Cusack/SLJ combo in 1408. They're actually two of my favorite actors, but in this movie, they really weren't good at all. The story does somewhat follow the book closely, but I agree that the execution of the ideas was one of the worst ever seen. Did the people who were involved in making this even care about it? I'm a big Stephen King fan, but his movies are usually terrible :(

Hey I don't know if it's your 'jam' but I for one would't mind hearing your thoughts on Batman The Killng Joke :P

Great... now people are going to start referring to "The Cell" as "that GOOD Cell movie", a title it in no way deserves!

I burst out laughing when they all went round and round in that field.

Sound like a terrible version of The Signal (2007).

Love the humour.

(Spoliers) The ending of the book is that Cusack's character goes to his zombie son who is chained in the basement while Cusack grabs his sons phone and dials at random (he heard a theory that if a person were to get a second blast of the pulse they'd change back). He dials a number at random, holds the phone to his sons ear...... and the book ends. He ended it right after you get closure so the reader is just thinking in their heads "and then what ?"

it's a shame too, cause the book is dam good. Sadly I know this movie was gonna be bad the minute they cast John Cusack. Never like him as an actor. So I knew it wasn't gonna hold any water. if you get the chance read the book, it's good . Almost made me cry

Too bad they fucked it up. I enjoyed reading the book, but when I heard the were doing a film I thought they missed their window. Should have been done when people actually used their phones primarily to call each other. When somebody says 'everybody is on their phones' I would assume they are texting or on the internet. Maybe the studio thought the same and that's why they didn't have a proper budget.

I just paused this vid to look up the trolling scene. LMAO. you were right

This was a tough one. The original ending was not much better- it was vague, like the original ending of the Mist short story. I feel like King thought he'd try to do a Darabont and make a gut punch ending, but instead you get the bobbily heads! The book itself was a pretty weak effort because any King fan will recognize the multiple elements he borrowed from The Stand. It was literally like he saw 28 Days Later... one weekend and decided to write a book like that, only using the basic story structure from the Stand. In fact, the only King trope we were spared in the book is the handicapped child who repeats a nonsense nursery rhyme only to have it turn out to be a key to saving the world thing he always does now.

Only creepy part was that K9 officer eating his dog. But that is immediately followed up with the girl getting infected bashing her head in skipping and laughing 😂

Inspiration for DCeased?

Actually, the book wasn't even that bad in my opinion, though it could have been done better as a movie as well... But I did see something that they'll turn it into a short-series or something like that..... Great review

I was expecting a reboot/sequel of that J.Lo film.

I read this book and enjoyed the story, but I never saw the complete movie...so now I'm quite glad, lol!

I watched it with no expectations and... it was fine. I love Cusack and Samuel, it has some cool ideas but it's poorly executed and yes, horrible laughable cgi. Cusack's face in the ending is unbelievable lol

This movie was filmed in Atlanta and the scene where they went to sleep and all had the same dream was filmed at the drive in theater. I was watching them film it from my job. And then they filmed it in Oakland city literally behind my house in the scene with the boy on the swing set. I felt that this movie was following me. I just watched it yesterday and was calling everybody telling them this was the movie I seen them making. It was so bad of a movie tho.

I'm a fan of Stephen King, but he tried to update his book The Stand including some almost copied characters and a very similar plot but not as good, I still don't understand how King never stated as much. Then the movie was a bad version of the second rate story.

I would assume that CGI is all done post-production, but is it pre or post the editing process? Ive noticed that some movies will have decent production value, a decent story and/or director, and then have the worst CGI. Usually in movies that are "meh" in the first place and end up Direct-to-video instead of theatrical release. I always think of The Pyramid, it was produced by Alexandra Aja and distributed by 20th Century Fox, but the CGI is downright horrendous, and they spent good money on the sets, $6.5 million all, total, and it has a couple scenes of "smoke" CGI exacty like in the scene you showed, and its just as bad. How?

now i want to see it...

The truck running over people was in the book.

As a huge fan of your channel I would like to know what I can do to help promote it. Your reviews are leaps and bounds better than most of the other review channels I've seen, yet they have so many subscribers. Let me know what I can do besides word of mouth. Would be happy to do what I can. Wish you continued success.

So its essentially Samuel l jacksons plan from Kingsman but on a larger scale ?

Wow!

the football scene did happen in the book, but it was a different song. the ending was a cliff hanger. and although I liked the book ending the movie ending pissed me off. don't give me a multiple choice ending, give me the ending I deserve.

I watched the opening scene on RU-vid. The only interesting thing about it was Lloyd Kaufman's cameo.

At least you get to see Lloyd Kaufman for a second.

I've enjoyed acting and universe, but that ending...

6 minutes in when people started screaming and rocking, I just lost it. I was laughing so hard I was hurting.

that new walking dead show, was UNWATCHABLE, because of the hand held cam thing. even when theyre all standing still the camera is bobbing all around, it was comically over done.

I thought the premise was cool and it maintained my interest... But there were so many weirdly done scenes. Even the "zombies" themselves - they seemed weird and missed out a lot on the creep-factor. The plane crashing did make me cringe hard.

I saw this for the first time a few nights ago. Although I enjoyed it, but I do see why people think it is not good. I had a feeling that something was "off" when I found out that Samuel L Jackson was going to play the role of Tom McCourt. In the book Tom McCourt id a short white gay guy that hate guns, not a tall black angry divorced war vet.

yeah them opening credits blocking everything was annoying as fuck