The original "It's a good Life" was one of the creepiest show I have ever seen, with a terrifying 6 year old Bill Mumy as Anthony Fremont.
Now, 40 years later, Bill Mumy reprises his role. Try as his may, it's just not as good. Bill Mumy was a great child actor but only a good adult actor. A better actor like Edward Norton could had sold over an older Fremont as terrifying, although it seems more plausible to have a 25 year old Anthony. Cloris Leachman was outstanding and Bill Mumy's daughter was up to the job of being Anthony's daughter.
There are 2 reasons why this should had been a 2 part episode: 1. what happened to Anthony's girlfriend/wife? That could had made a good back story. I would had had her character breaking from fear of Anthony, getting married out of fear as much as love, and incapacitated some way, not put in the cornfield and 2. A half hour TV show in 1961 is now just a 25 minute show in 2003, with the extra commercials. The plot and suspense couldn't develop now as the did 40 years ago in the original Twilight Zone.
This was still a very good story and keeps in spirit with the original. Given a long history of great successful shows with disastrous sequels, that is an achievement.
Now, 40 years later, Bill Mumy reprises his role. Try as his may, it's just not as good. Bill Mumy was a great child actor but only a good adult actor. A better actor like Edward Norton could had sold over an older Fremont as terrifying, although it seems more plausible to have a 25 year old Anthony. Cloris Leachman was outstanding and Bill Mumy's daughter was up to the job of being Anthony's daughter.
There are 2 reasons why this should had been a 2 part episode: 1. what happened to Anthony's girlfriend/wife? That could had made a good back story. I would had had her character breaking from fear of Anthony, getting married out of fear as much as love, and incapacitated some way, not put in the cornfield and 2. A half hour TV show in 1961 is now just a 25 minute show in 2003, with the extra commercials. The plot and suspense couldn't develop now as the did 40 years ago in the original Twilight Zone.
This was still a very good story and keeps in spirit with the original. Given a long history of great successful shows with disastrous sequels, that is an achievement.