Review: DEAD LIKE ME: LIFE AFTER DEATH

I've always been a big fan of Bryan Fuller, so I rightly loved the beginning of the old show-time show Dead Like Me. Then he left the show and the series went downhill a bit, but like a loyal viewer I still watched each week to see what kind of antics a British Druggie, Hot Actress, Woman Cop, and good ol'e Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), could get into. I'll admit it - I'm not a fan of the main character, her mom was too mean, he job was too sucky, and her story arcs never went anywhere (probably cause Fuller left). Then the series got cancelled and they announced a straight to DVD movie. It came out on Tuesday.




Ok, so Mandy Patinkin is gone due to scheduling conflicts but they replace him with a new head reaper Cameron (Henry Ian Cusack, L O S T). The story is fine, its a normal Dead Like Me episode, just really bloody long. My issue with the movie is the fact that none of the characters are properly explored. Mason (Callum Blue) spends all his time around a hot model - doing absolutely nothing. Roxy (Jasmine Guy) hit people and thats about it, and Daisy.... well.... 'll get to that later.

Callum Blue was my favorite back in the good old days of the show being on the air. That man is so funny i would laugh watching him do an autopsy. It is sad he is underused in the movie, but towards the end he gets his legs and has some fun. Henry Ian Cusack has some great stereotypical one liners, but the ending makes ZERO sense (you'll get it if you see it), and Jasmine Guy is pretty much the same character as she has always played, with very little change.

Georgia Lass finally gets some ALRIGHT character development, but like usual it never really goes anywhere. My biggest problem with the movie is the recasting of everyone's favorite character Daisy Adair (Sarah Wynter - FORMERLY Laura Harris). Laura Harris made an amazing character back in the series. Everything from head bobs to accents was amazing that she did. Sarah Wynter on the other hand slaughters the character that was created. Every line is off, the acting is way over done, and I personally think that since her character was not important to the plot at all, if they couldn't get Laura Harris back, they should have written her out of the movie. Her and Mason's tensions never get explored at all either.

Essentially, if you are a big fan of the show, you might appreciate the ATTEMPT at a movie, and if you haven't seen it, there's no need to.

What the writers really need to do is refresh themselves on the rules and watch a few episodes again before they have a go at making Dead Like Me: Life After Death 2.