Smoreni Zmaj
"Golden Years" is a 1991 series, based on Steven King's idea, for which most of the scenario he wrote personally. The first season consisted of 7 episodes in a total duration of about 6 hours and ended with cliffhanger. Unfortunately, from episode to episode series had weaker and weaker ratings, so it was canceled. For the purpose of DVD release it was turned into a film. It was shortened to 4 hours and an alternate ending was filmed, so it doesn't stay unfinished. The idea is great, story and characters are developing well and it had the potential to be one of the better King's accomplishments. Unfortunately, it's not. The first hour is so slow and boring that I was on the verge of giving up. Later, the story becomes more and more exciting, and once you get yourself attached to the characters, 4 hours just fly by. Nevertheless, there is an omnipresent feeling that something is wrong. As much as they skillfully turned the six-hour season into a four-hour film, although I did not watch the original version, I always felt that something was missing. But all of this would not have a major impact on the overall impression if there wasn't for a catastrophically bad ending, which so obviously does not belong to this film-series that it's simply painful to see. The story develops for 4 hours in its slow but atmospheric natural pace, and then suddenly ends, as a knife cut, with the end that is forcefully sewn to where it doesn't fit.However, I recommend King's fans to watch it anyway, as well as fans of the series "X-Files", because the film has an atmosphere very similar to this series, as well as a couple of joint actors that enhance this impression. All in all, I enjoyed it, but I would not watch it again.6/10
TheNorwegianGuy
I've always liked the movie adaptations of Stephen King's novels. Even most of the bad ones have that "charming" b-movie feel to them."Golden Years" is a typical Stephen King adaptation, and I think it's a good one. The story is really good and interesting, and you won't get bored. This is more a sci-fi than the typical Stephen King horror movie/series, so don't expect bloody gore and guts. This IS "made for TV" from the early 90s, so don't expect "Spielberg visuals" and jaw-dropping special effects. But if you're able to look past that, I think it's worth a watch. And if you're a fan of other SK- adaptations, it's absolutely for you.
dredpirate
Stephen King had a great series with Golden Years, the characters were interesting and interacted well together. A story about an aging janitor (Keith Szarabajka) being exposed to a regenerating agent in a lab explosion on the day he's told he's going to lose his job because he didn't pass an eye examine. You have your basic mad scientist willing to do anything to make his work become a reality, and a government agency willing to do anything for those results.What really made the series interesting was the fact that the head of security (Felicity Huffman), (who used to work for said government agency) wants to keep the janitor from becoming a lab experiment and his wife (Frances Sternhagen) from becoming a victim. It's a race against time and the authorities to find answers and freedom.The disappointment between the series and the DVD release came with how the DVD ended the story. I remember where the series ended with the death of his wife and his capture. The DVD ending wasn't bad, but it gave is sort of a fairy tale type ending and left you hanging wondering what happens next.I do however recommend the DVD for those who have never seen the series, and even for those who have. The story is good, and even if the ending has changed it still ties in with what's happened in the story. Also, for anyone who likes trivia you'll find a lot of references to names and places from other movies and stories by Stephen King.
allianceadd
ok, i am really into King's stuff, but this is just dreadful. the whole movie, i am waiting for the main character to do something profound with his new youth and power. i can tolerate the worst of movies, as anything is better than watching a cut movie with commercials in it. but this takes the cake. i gave it a 2, and i would never recommend it to anyone.