The Flawed Walk: The Long Walk is a ridiculous film

Is it normal to be out of breath after walking up the stairs?

If a bloodthirsty fire is chasing me down, will I be too winded to take the emergency exit?

“The Long Walk” directed by Francis Lawrence answered those questions for me.

The film is an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1979 novel of the same name.

“The Long Walk” is set in a dystopian version of the U.S., where 50 young men are chosen to participate in a contest that involves walking until they physically can’t anymore. If the contestant stops walking, then they are shot. The last man alive wins riches and has a wish of their choice granted.

The film is an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1979 novel of the same name.

The contestants come from impoverished backgrounds, and they sign up for the contest because they need the money to support themselves and their families.

Unfortunately the film missed the mark for me.

It was disappointing to see a premise that could have been a poignant commentary on capitalism and social status watered down into a film that forces emotion out of the viewer.

The film draws the viewer into a bath full of tears and watches them awkwardly sit in it for the runtime of the film.

Because the movie follows a group of men walking on the highway for almost two hours, with virtually no change in scenery or plot, the film relies heavily on dialogue.

Truthfully, the script doesn’t suit the nature of the film.

As 50 men walk to their death, it’d be reasonable to think they’d be angry and emotional towards one another.

But instead of offering the viewer a realistic portrayal of a descent into anger and despair, the characters often speak with the inauthentic banter of a bully in an ‘80s movie.

The movie finds the modern equivalent of the language spouted from a boy in a letterman jacket and a buzzcut 40 years ago. The men often rely on crass and obscene language and insults that fall flat and are forced.

In this film, a man loses his life over picking a fight with a guy who tells what’s essentially a yo-mama joke.

The way the characters interact with each other is hardly realistic, which is very, very necessary in character and dialogue-driven movies.

There are a few shining moments of natural dialogue, such as some of the personal conversations held by the lead characters Raymond Garraty, played by Cooper Hoffman, and David Jonsson, played by Peter McVries.

But authentic dialogue should be the standard for a script, not a highlight.

The Major, played by Mark Hamill, was a showcase of this inauthentic dialogue. Hamill put on his most gruff, grizzled and cartoonishly evil militaristic voice, like a sadistic image of the mascot of The General Insurance.

The Major was the antagonist of the film, a military leader in the totalitarian society, constantly driving ahead of the boys and taunting them throughout their hike. His exaggerated and unserious persona took me out of the movie's atmosphere every time he was on screen.

Although I am critical of the film, there were aspects I enjoyed. The premise may sound boring, but my focus was held on the film for its entire runtime and I was invested into the world and the characters, even with its flaws.

Unfortunately this movie didn’t inspire much thought, emotion or reflection in me. I was mainly thinking about how I’d likely be dead by mile 10, maybe 15 if I had a bowl of heart-healthy-cereal that morning.

But as the credits began to roll I knew that this movie had changed my life, it inspired me finally to build up my cardio.