Dead Like Me: Life After Death (2009 Video) User Reviews (97)

Well. a BETTER send off than ShowTime fgave it..

[mcgill_j · 6/10 · 5 February 2009]

I thought Dead Like Me was one of the... funniest.. saddest.. smartest.. and just quirkiest shows ever on the air. This film takes place, picking up 5 years later, where everyone left off.. mostly. Now the biggest complain has been the absence of Rube (Mandy Patinkin) as the boss.. a tragic loss to be sure. and the recasting of Sarah Wynter in the role of Daisy Adair, formerly filled by Laura Harris. I will only say.. not to give too much away.. but they got MOST of the cast back.. and a pretty decent.. I won't say it is a definitive conclusion, as it could be left open to more DTV films. But at least it felt there was a punctuation at the end of the sentence which had been hanging for almost half a decade.

I will be the first to admit the movie has its MAJOR problems.. but over all, rough edges and everything.. it is a pretty decent representation of what the best of the show offered, although not quite as adeptly written, or acted.. its much harder to fill in a 90 minute film with so many characters as opposed to a dozen hour episodes yearly. This does seem more done for the "fans" who've missed the show. and its still a welcome return, if not at its best.

It's OK

[matix_d · 6/10 · 18 February 2009]

While it was nice to see the return of the show, this reeked of Straight to DVD production value.

The excessive use of slow-mo and transitional effects were annoying to me, the original series just had a more polished feel to it.

The story line was OK, while it was good they tied up the absence of Rube. His general presence was missed, he kept everyone grounded.

In all honesty this movie has lost some of the charm of the series that made it quirky and dark. I am not saying it's bad, I just think they could have done so much better with how long this has been in production.

And to anyone who may quip that I am looking to find fault I watched the series when it had it's run on TV and bought the DVD's when they came out. I love the series as much as the next person and I want to see it picked up again but not at the expense of the story and the ideals that made the series what it was.

Such a shame. . .

[zephyr-123 · 5/10 · 26 June 2012]

I was so surprised to find this movie because I was a big Dead Like Me fan from the start and was looking forward to seeing a wrap-up of it. Unfortunately, I was mostly disappointed. First off, there are some changes to some of the characters personalities. Of course, Daisy, comes to mind. They had to have another actress play her because Laura Harris either couldn't or wouldn't. People complain that Sarah Wynter is poor at depicting Daisy but I'm not so sure it's all her. When the original Daisy would open her mouth, something interesting came out. Not so with this movie. Daisy's lines in general are just boring. Along with that, there are a few changes in the way the original characters act as if whoever wrote the movie didn't participate in the series and didn't have a good grasp as to what it was all about. I thought perhaps they had different writers but the ones who worked on this also worked on the series. I don't want to give spoilers so I'll just say that some things that happen, esp. the ending with their "replacement" character for Rube, seem completely out of character for all of them. It just comes off as stupid and ridiculous. Another thing is, if they couldn't get Mandy Patinkin, they shouldn't have even bothered with this. He's too important for the composition of the characters to go without and the Henry Ian Cusick part was mostly annoying and pointless. I also wasn't too crazy at how George's mother's change in demeanor from sardonic, cynical and sarcastic to upbeat and recovered from her daughter's death was kind of jarring even though it made sense being after a five year period. There's also a edgy quirky darkness that the original had that is sadly missing here. The best most interesting part of the movie is what happens between George and her sister, which I don't want to say to, again, spoil anything but it is the part that makes this movie worth watching.

Barely average

[Red_Identity · 8 June 2014]

Yes, there are a ton of plot holes in this that make no sense when compared to the series. The lack of Rube really hurts, but the lack of Daisy does even more, simply because instead of just not having her character appear in this, they have another actress play her and her writing is completely uncharacteristic when compared to the show's Daisy. Her development in the show was genius and it's like this film forgot all of her episodes in Season 2 and how much she had progressed. It's pretty much a new character with the name "Daisy" and well, it's awful. Mason is also written in a way that doesn't make much sense. He's a screw-up, but he cared about Rube! Only Roxy and George have some of their show personalities. That whole reaper-Henry Ian Cusick storyline here really sucks.

What saves the film a bit is the family stuff. Okay, some plot holes as well, but the George/Reggie stuff is handled adequately, and also sort of gives closure to the show's ongoing storyline.

Really, this is a pretty mediocre film, and when compared to the show even worse, but it does have some good moments here and there. Stick with the show, this isn't needed.

A Good Movie Haunted by Its Series

[Vincent_B · 7/10 · 17 February 2009]

I guess one could label me a fan of this series, since I own both season 1 and 2 DVD box sets and today I purchased this movie. However I am not here to put frosting on the cake. Any TV series is better than the movie from any point of view. Take into consideration that the writers can afford a few episodes that fail over a two year season. One tends to remember the great episodes and push aside the crappy the ones. So in a nutshell you cannot compare any movie to the series.

I was happy to see they managed to get about 80% of the original cast back after 5 years of doing nothing. I enjoyed the movie but it lacked revelations. There was no cosmic secrets answered about the show. It merely asked more questions and some to most of the characters seemed to take a back seat. I was hoping they would use the opportunity to expand on the "Reaper Society" and I kind of thought that was where the plot was heading but somehow failed to push through.

The focus of the film is on Georgia and Reggie and unfortunately characters like Mason, Roxy, and Daisy become less significant than they should be in this film. The subplot with Cameron Kane wasn't well developed and makes the movie fall short of the mark.

So why did I give the move a seven out of ten? That in my honest opinion is a "C" average. It is just OK but could have been better. Sadly due to the nature of the story that reapers never grow old they won't be able to make another. The actress Ellen Muth is showing her age. I sincerely hope she can move on to better roles but I am afraid she will always be haunted by the series and movie.

Avoid if you want to keep your memory of the series untarnished

[kcdl · 4/10 · 16 April 2009]

First of all I will say that this movie isn't as bad as it could have been but it got pretty close to it. Feel free to share what you think.

WARNING: Spoilers for both the movie a series to follow.

All the main ingredients to a bad follow up movie were there: Same character different actor, plot holes, contradictions to canon, characters acting out of character, corny dialogue, unresolved plot threads.

Firstly I'll deal with the plot holes or at least contradictions of previously established canon. Suspension of disbelief is one thing but suspension of disbelief shouldn't extend to ignoring the previously established rules within the fictional universe. That is just called bad writing.

Okay the first few episodes of Dead Like Me pretty much centred around the consquences of ignoring the rules. Each time George tries to ignore or get around the rules the consequences are bad. Yet we are meant to believe that Roxy of all people would start disobeying the rules. We know from the series that she disobeyed the rules deliberately and had to put up with Gravelings going after her. You get a pretty good idea the reapers in that group all know the consequences of not following the rules.

Now we are meant to believe that Roxy would go right ahead and ignore the rules because of a sleaze-bag like Cameron? Roxy is an established ball-buster and would not be even the slightest bit likely cosy up to a slease like Cameron, let alone listen to anything he says. It doesn't make sense for her character or her previously established history.

To a certain extent you could say the same is true for both Daisy and Mason, though it is slightly more believable that they would be tempted...esp Mason! The Cameron plot line made no sense. Some have suggest that he may have been there to deliberately tempt each character to see who would be the next head reaper. However if that is true it was a really poorly executed idea and gave no definite clues in the movie. The fact they successful cremated him and (seemingly) sent him to space seems to speak against him being a lackey for the Powers that Be. If he WAS meant to be a tempter that is probably even worse because even though that would explain his motives it would seem a bit stupid that the PTB would used this method to pick the best head reaper. Any idiot could see that It'd be either Roxy, George or a someone from outside the group. Mason and Daisy obviously aren't options for any sane PTB.

George being able to talk to her younger sister makes no sense. It has already been established that if a reaper tries to contact a relative in the living world the lose their memories and end up looking mentally ill. That is of course completely ignored because they wanted George to talk to Reggie. This I find very infuriating as I feel they could have solved the problem AND stuck to canon. For example in the series Reggie seemed to some how catch onto the fact that Millie is actually George. Perhaps they could have explained that in some way like maybe she has a rare ability to see reapers for what they are, in the same way only George seems to see gravelings directly (just a suggestion, perhaps a bad one, but at least it is an explanation!). Better yet they could have had it set during Halloween since it has been semi-established that they show their true faces on Halloween. Point is they could have found some solution based in canon for why she could talk to Reggie/reveal her identity without just ignoring the problem.

Joy wrting a book on grieving and heading up support groups is out of character. Joy has all the compassion of tin foil. That is just part of her character, that's why her husband and daughter were so distant from her - she just found it hard to connect with people and feel sympathy. However it starts off with her being all sympathetic with this woman at a support group. I agree that in 5 years she might have changed but the fact she is STILL having trouble connecting with her own daughter seems to speak against this change. While it is possible that she finds it easier open up to a group of strangers they had nothing in the script to explain that. If Reggie had a simple line like "You can share your feeling with your support group but you can't do it with me" it might have made a bit more sense but as it was it seemed incongruent.

The woman playing Daisy was just atrocious or at least the writing for her was. She didn't even sound vaguely like the original and acted completely out of character. She had none of the sass of the original. The sexual tension/latent romance with Mason was dealt with for about 3 seconds in one scene.They scripted as a bimbo whereas in the series she was cunning and manipulative but with a vulnerable side.

I basically felt that the original series was done a great injustice.

I should point out that even though the two writers did work in the original series they only did a couple of episodes in the first season and several in second season (the latter I didn't feel was as good).

a visit from friends

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 28 March 2016]

George Lass (Ellen Muth) is a grim reaper. She's been dead for 5 years after getting hit by a toilet seat from space. Der Waffle Haus has burnt down. Rube Sofer has moved on. Cameron Kane (Henry Ian Cusick) is the new supervisor. He has a different take on reaping. Daisy (Sarah Wynter), Mason (Callum Blue) and Roxy (Jasmine Guy) start breaking the rules. George has to reap popular school jock Hudson Hart who is secretly dating George's sister Reggie (Britt McKillip) behind his girlfriend Jennifer Hardick (Shenae Grimes)'s back. George's mother Joy (Cynthia Stevenson) has written a book about grief. George takes over at work from vacationing Delores. George is discovered by Reggie.

This is a fine visit from the familiar characters despite the missing Mandy Patinkin and Laura Harris. It's really touching to have George and Reggie together. It wraps up the family's story quite nicely. I'm less taken with Cameron Kane. He's not much of a villain and that side of the movie needs to be much funnier. That half isn't much. Sarah Wynter is an inferior Daisy. In the end, it's great to have George back for a bit.

Awful way to treat a great show

[mike_burz · 1/10 · 20 July 2010]

This movie was so disappointing in so many ways. No Rube. No original Daisy Adair. Mason was given nothing to do. Roxy did not behave as the original character would. And the new head of the Reaper Squad was a two dimensional character with no back story and no real presence in the story. The show had no real story line. Nothing made sense - the actions of the characters did not fit the story's ground rules. The script had none of the raw edginess and dark humour of the TV show. The pacing was irritating - very amateurish. After watching the whole series we looked forward to a wrap up of the show (ala "Serenity"). It would have been better to have let this show remain in purgatory than leave a bad taste in one's mouth. A waste of a creative premise and an excellent original cast.

Not as good as the show...but better than most movies & worth the time.

[y2john · 9/10 · 5 February 2009]

I have waited a year & 1/2 for this movie. So I was more than a bit excited to finally see it.

I am happy to say, it was good. I would LIKE to have given it 10/10, but, I don't think it was excellent.

It certainly takes the shows aspects & uses them well. It does a lot of explaining at the start for newcomers, so you can at least try to follow what was a 2 year TV program with some sense of logic.

First, let me pick at the things I didn't like. I was thrown off by Georgia Lass (Ellen Muth) having a new voice in the starting scenes (which were done to a comic book styling & I personally did not really like...liked it even less when they used it again later in the program. Its like they were trying to fill film space.). But once the show started, her more familiar raspy (but not sounding like a 60 year smoker like in the opening credits) voice seemed to come back. Also, the idea that reapers never change appearance is hard to swallow when Georgia clearly looks older than 18, and Daisy has changed noticeably. The new "boss" Cameron Kane (Henry Ian Cusack) was annoying as hell, he didn't catch on to me in any way & I quite admittedly was rooting for his departure the whole way thru. He cant replace Rube, and it was one of the shows biggest flaws in trying to replace him. No more Der Waffle Haus, this was a staple of the show & if they do more movies, or bring the show back, they have to recreate it. It was sorely missed. I didn't like the new Happy Time, it looked too high end for HT. There is a scene where Delores (Christna Willes) & Georgia are interviewing someone with another co-worker, and its in a conference room that you would envision in fortune 500 companies, instead of a temp agency. Daisy Adair (Sarah Wynter...played by Laura Harris on the TV series) was "good" but again, like Cameron/Rube, you cant replace the original & in this case they literally tried to. Daisy suddenly has no southern accent & seemed to go back to the shallow Daisy of the first few episodes, instead of the complex Daisy of the later episodes.

Now, what worked. The cast still were able to pull off their roles to perfection. Mason (Callum Blue) looked, acted and sounded like Mason most of the time. His character showed no change & his idiotic incompetent slacker mentality was placed in perfectly when needed. Roxy (Jasmine Guy) was in fine form & showed even more attitude than she did on many episodes of the show...which is great, since we are to believe she has this ass kicking attitude, which only was shown a handful of times in the series, here it was in almost every scene (except where she meets the Police commissioner & oddly turns Daisy like for a minute). Georgia was still great. Her dry sarcastic tone was a little lighter in this, but its still there. Her interaction with her sister was maybe too short (hey, 2 more scenes of that to build it up more would of been great instead of cartoon drawings wasting film). Her expression & words at the end of the episode were perfect as she is showered in a downfall of post it notes. It also gives the viewers overwhelming hope, that if there is another movie, or return of the show that a much needed return may happen. It was both wonderful, and frustrating to me. Wonderful in the hint that there could be a return. Frustrating in the possible false hope, or worse yet, if there isn't anymore episodes, no way to tie up that loose end. The supporting cast of Delores & Joy (Cynthia Stevenson) were quite good when they had screen time. Reggie (Britt McKillip) got more screen time than probably ever before & she ran with it well. She has grown up, she has matured, and she has developed a life. Of course, she is still haunted by her sisters untimely death & when she is confronted with the possible death of someone else she is close to, she is pulled back in after possibly just finally getting on with her life. I always liked Reggies character on the show, and was glad they gave her a lot more screen time here. Her interactions with Joy & Georgia was terrific & really added to the movie IMO. I was disappointed how little screen time was given to Crystal (Crystal Dahl) as Happy Times mainstay receptionist, and the fact there was no Kiffany at all.

The movie opened up as many doors as it closes. Which is good for giving a new movie/return of the show room to move, but it is bad if there is no more as many questions are again unanswered.

As an avid fan, I was going in, with high expectations & low hopes. I was demanding excellence, since thats what the show always brought. But I was fearful it wouldn't meet up to that level & be a giant dud. I am pleased to say that it was good enough that it will make most DLM fans happy. Could it be better? Yes. Could it have been worse, DEFINITELY.

It was most certainly worth the 87 minutes I spent watching it thru the credits. Any DLM fan has to see it, if for no reason than to go down memory lane & keep up to tabs if there is a resurrection of the show (lets hope).

Hopefully the execs at MGM are taking notice of the great reviews its getting everywhere & bring the show back.........with Rube & the original Daisy.

A Decent Epitaph for Dead Like Me

[marimbadaddy · 6/10 · 15 March 2009]

Dead Like Me: Life After Death, is a good entry into the series. Though not quite as fun or engaging as the series was, it was quite enjoyable to see the characters again, and how they have all grown, matured, and subtly changed. It felt a bit restrained in comparison to the episodes which had a bit more energy and emotional content. However, the quality of dialog, special effects, and visual design are all very good.

Surely, this film won't be as enjoyable to individuals who are not familiar with the series, as they won't perceive the subtle character differences, and certainly won't understand why the reaper team is so frustrated with the new team leader of Cameron Kane. Nor will neophytes to the series pick up on the fact that George's mom has also grown and matured significantly, or why it was such a big deal that she reveals her secret to her sister. And despite the fact that they did an excellent job of introducing "the world" that the story is built upon, the significance of Der Waffle Haus, Happy Time, and even Murray the cat, are all lost.

Overall, it was a satisfying experience, and yet leaves me regretting the series was canceled so prematurely. Dead Like Me was such a refreshing show, with its dark humor, yet its light and happy sadness. The ensemble cast, weird deaths, and character arcs, are all sorely missed. In fact, I canceled my Showtime subscription when I heard they had canceled the show. I hope there are additional installments into the franchise, but I fear that this is it. And if that is the case, it was a satisfying way to tie it up, unlike the unceremonious cut it received five years ago.

Fan of the Series? Then Skip This.

[bobfingerman · 1/10 · 24 June 2009]

After reading a few bad reviews of 'Dead Like Me: Life After Death', I was prepared for something not very good. What I got was like watching a necrophiliac having his way with the corpse of that wonderful show. How Stephen Godchaux and John Masius, both regular writers on the series, could seemingly have so little connection to everything that made that series special is a deep mystery (and I don't feel good slagging this off, as I've enjoyed their work in the past).

Where the series had been original, lively, funny, poignant and quirky (in the good way, which is a rarity), this thing is irritating, boring, not even remotely amusing and feels disrespectful and opportunistic. The threadbare plot involving a callow replacement for the sadly absent Rube (performed with subtlety and wit in the series by Mandy Patinkin) is a bust that never goes anywhere or even resolves itself. That Rube's substitute is a man who was killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11 is in particularly bad taste, especially since it adds nothing to his character, who is a miserable creep; it's just a weird throwaway. The replacement of series original Laura Harris, as Daisy Adair, is also a major trouble spot. Sarah Wynter, in a word, is awful. Harris's Daisy was imbued with a knowing sadness under her surface superficiality. Wynter just devours the scenery playing Daisy as a vapid, talentless idiot.

It's nice that talented original cast members Ellen Muth, Callum Blue, Jasmine Guy, et al, got work, but they deserved a better vehicle than this shoddy, mawkish mess.

If you are a fan of the Showtime series, do yourself a favor and skip this. Once you've watched it you can't un-watch it and doing so will only make you mourn anew the premature death of the original. Which, I suppose, is apt.

Fun and satisfying followup to a great show

[jlpicard-3 · 8/10 · 17 February 2009]

I'm a fan of the original show, so reading the (rather negative) reviews here at IMDb I had very low expectations for _Dead Like Me: Life After Death_. I mean -- no Rube? A different Daisy? George looks different? Why should I even bother to rent this? But I did -- and I'm happy to report that _DLM:LAD_ is a really good movie, *much* better than you'd think reading about it here. The stuff that I thought would bug me (no Rube etc) didn't matter at all. There are two major plot lines and both are engaging and well-written. Without giving anything away, one of the plots involves George's mom and sister; I always thought the "George's family" segments dragged in the original show, but in the movie George's sister Reggie has grown up and she brightens the screen whenever she appears. The writing is good and a couple of lines had me on the floor ("je ne sais quoi"), plus there are a number of "we always wanted to see *that*!" moments which I won't spoil for you.

Yes, George looks older but her new look grew on me pretty quickly. If I had to make one change, I'd have added more exposition about Crystal, but maybe some things are never meant to be known.

In short: thumbs up, a good movie following up on a wonderful show.

Retour mitigé

[benedictevidal · 6/10 · 5 February 2009]

I just watched the movie and I'm a bit disappointed. Even it's nice to see Georgia, Mason and all the gang, I really missed Rube. We lost the charm of the morning meeting with post it. At the end, I think they lost the spirit of the original series. As I like very much Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond in Lost, I have some trouble to see him as the new boss. Luckily Dolores' character stay as good as usual but it's not enough to make the all movie actually funny. The movie opener with the comic's style make me think of Heroes but I don't see the point of all this. Anyway, it's seems that this project is a little bit confuse and in the end a little bite disappointing.

I feel tainted after watching this travesty! Why destroy the memory?

[Mysticpuma · 1/10 · 7 January 2011]

It's difficult to even know where to begin! Firstly I have to repeat a common theme through all the posts I have read and that is, DLM was (still could be) a fantastic show. The wry take on the irony of everyday life, things we take for granted, death just another one of those things, the interaction,humour and frailty portrayed by the cast had me completely hooked.

I think I made the mistake of watching the Two Seasons back-to-back on DVD and then expected the film to be a finale giving closure to all those who were left in the wilderness when 'The Suits' decided to cancel the show.

Well, this is obviously what the suits decided it could have been', but to quote Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park; "Yeah, but your scientists (Suits) were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should".

Okay, let the ranting begin, apologies, I will go off at Tangents but seriously if you spent time watching the series and followed 'The Rules', this film decides that the most fundamental rule set out in the Pilot episode doesn't matter! We don't decide who lives or dies, we take the soul to save them suffering, as-per the young child in the train-wreck. If you leave the soul, it will decay and become distorted and twisted and not the person that once-was.

The film then says, "Nah......doesn't matter!" You have Roxy 'saving' a man from drowning and pushing his soul back into his body!!!!? She is one of the strongest personalities in the show, abides by the rules (apart from ripping a man's soul from his body in temper, before putting it back) and even moved into Law Enforcement, so strong is her moral conduct. Yet here we have her breaking a fundamental rule?

Okay, I have read all the posts and see that Sarah Wynter takes a hammering for her portrayal of Daisy. Now I agree that she played Daisy Adair completely out of the character we had become to know. A character who's frailties and subtle cracks in the tough exterior were beginning to slowly ebb out and expose who she really was. A sad and lonely person who's years of reaping had left her emotionally damaged.

This character played by Laura Harris was mesmerising and brilliantly acted. What I refuse to say though is that Sarah Wynter is at fault for completely closing all the doors on that subtlety and instead went back to the self-centred version we saw in her first appearance.

Now, lets be honest, Sarah is an Actor who is told by the Director how he/she wants the character to be seen, there are also the writer's who gave the Director the duff-est of scripts to work with, I cannot blame Sarah for her portrayal just the idiots who decided that Two-Seasons of character-building was not really what the viewers needed or wanted! Are they kidding. Laura Harris's acting and character building made the viewer sympathise with her. In one-fell-swoop, they decided that Sarah would be merely a shadow (almost a Graveling!) of that dynamic, set in motion through the brilliant scripts of the show.

In the Laura version I am sure that when Daisy forgot the words on stage, she would have broken down and ran from the stage. Her chance at fame at-last in her grasp, snatched cruelly from her and sentencing her to more years of misery in a world she was yearning to depart?

Rube,Rube, where-for-art-thou Rube!? He got his Lights...ooooohhhh-p-leeeease!!!! What a cop-out! Lets be honest Rube was the man you just wanted to know what the heck was going on! His Authority when questioned, often brought a perfect response of "well you do that, then lets see what happens" attitude, which made the viewer wonder just what powers/options were available to him? Watching the 'Behind-the-scenes' feature, he nailed perfectly what it was that made the Second-Series for his character. He explained that each show just gave you a tiny piece of the jigsaw that expanded his character. The money in the undelivered envelope being terrible mistake, the wanted poster (alluding to a Bank Robbery), his daughter being found as a Reaper arrived, perfectly awaiting the line "I Reap what you Sow" (it never was said), as he met his daughter the day he died.

Why did he need that money? Did he die the day of the robbery and manage to post the money just before his fate?

Mason, a character who was the joker in the pack, but like Ying and Yang with the character of Daisy he felt a bond that almost became Brother and Sister, especially brought home when she refused his offer of the ring. Mason was a cool character, the naughty child who you just knew was going to one-day really make Rube show his colours while goading Roxy and Georgia, again an almost perfect balance of humour and again frailty as you see him find the record showing Daisy's last-words, then realising that she really is the damaged goods mentioned above.

I would write more but you get 1000 words.....give the film a miss...please!

A poorly written, hastily cast cash grab from MGM that doesn't extend, close out or do any justice to the series

[liquidcelluloid-1 · 7 June 2009]

Network: Direct to DVD movie; Genre: Comedy/Drama; Content Rating: R (profanity, dark comic violence, sexual content); Available: DVD; Perspective: Contemporary (star range: 1 – 4);

For reference I'd recommend any reader of this briefly skip over to my review of the original Showtime series "Dead Like Me", where the show's freshness, originality, creativity and strong voice inspired me to a 5 out of 5 star rating. The direct-to-DVD feature "Dead Like Me: Life After Death" opens with a well-done, but redundant re-cap of the show's premise already captured so well in creator Bryan Fuller's movie-quality Pilot for those unfamiliar with the series. But then again, if you're unfamiliar with the show you wouldn't be interested in this movie.

Stunned at the unexpected loss of former team leader Rube (Mandy Patinkin contractually unable to be in the film), workman-like grim reapers Georgia Lass (Ellen Muth), Roxy (Jasmin Guy), Mason (Calum Blue) and Daisy Adair (Sarah Wynter replacing "24" sister Laura Harris who was hopefully off making the far better horror/comedy "Severance") are whisked off to a new life managed by unsavory new boss Cameron (Henry Ian Cusik, "Lost"). All seems great at first, limos take them to an upscale restaurant replacing Der Waffle house and Cameron quickly replaces their trademark post-it notes with blackberries, but Cameron plays fast and loose with the reaper code of conduct and the new "do-what-you-feel" attitude starts to have dire results. The first of which causes George to miss a reap which traps a teenage boy in a coma and brings George face to face with the boy's secret girlfriend: her sister, Reggie (Britt McKillip all grown up now).

Series episodes were structured like a wheel, centered around a theme with every character branching off as a sprocket to illustrate a different element of that theme (a la Sex and the City). "Life" is all over the place. One minute it's about George's reluctance to take reaping into the 21st century and her distrust of Cameron, then it launches off into a story that is essentially a rehash of the season one episode "Reapercussions" (which in 45 minutes covered this ground with more imagination). It throws in a random subplot involving Delores (Christine Welles, not her usual shiny self) giving her cat Murray a swan song only because the two are fan favorites.

"Life after Death" is a shallow, cynical cash grab from MGM with a hastily assembled cast and a script, by showrunner John Masius and co-writer Stephen Godchiux, that could have used several trips back to the writer's room. "Dead" heads will be disappointed all around by this venture. For starters all of the characters have been hollowed out and turned into one-note bits dispensing cringe-inducing one-liners, particularly Mason who is now just a goof. Georgia is no longer the antisocial, sardonic voice of a generation, but a protagonist, functioning in society, doing what's right as any protagonist does.

Surprisingly enough, much of "Life" belongs to McKillip. Suddenly thrust into the lead, the young actress does a fine job with it, it's that – even in the series – the entire Joy/Reggie storyline was an unnecessary, and poorly conceived trapdoor escape from the fantasy of the grim reaping story that seemed to move the show backwards. In the series it gave the show one tiny toe grounded in domestic drama, by expanding it in the movie, it very often swallows the production entirely in melodrama. I can see teenage girls crying and screaming at each other anywhere, but I can't see a bizarre Rube Goldberg series of events set in motion by a Graveling that leads to someone's death anywhere but "Dead Like Me".

Speaking of the Gravelings, a certain surprise revelation regarding George and the Gravelings at the end of the 2nd season is disappointingly not addressed at all in "Life". From Mandy Patinkin's rock solid performance to Stewart Copeland's whimsical music to Laura Harris portraying a ditz like Daisy Adair with a perfect (and rare) steely-eyed determination that everything she says is right – there are more things that I can count, big and small, from the show that are missing from this production.

Maybe the most dispiriting thing about "Life" is how unnecessary it feels. Given the chance to bring a loved TV series back from the dead for a last hurrah is a golden opportunity and should inspire the showrunners to swing for the fences. "Life" looks like a tired afterthought that forgot what it used to do so well in the first place. It makes no effort to close the series out with a bang or to extend the stories into exciting new territories. Although, it is kind of fun to see the show's informal theme song, "Boom Boom Ba", making another appearance. "Dead Like Me" fans deserve a whole lot better than "Life After Death".

* ½ / 4

You reap what you blow bubbles at...

[suspiria10 · 7/10 · 19 February 2009]

Director: Stephen Herek

Stars: Ellen Muth, Callum Blue, Jasmine Guy, Sarah Wynter, Britt NcKillip, Henry Ian Cusick

Synopsis: Now that Rube is gone the crazy band of Reapers must welcome their new boss Cameron (Cusick of "Lost") into the fold. After anarchy reins supreme George (Muth) must step out as the voice of reason even though she's breaking one of the golden rules and threatening to throw a wrench in the festivities by contacting those in a reaper's former life.

Thoughts: I was very fond of the short lived "Dead Like Me" show. Full of quirky characters and at times side-splitting situations "Dead" was very cleverly written and sensationally acted. I was a wee bit hesitant when I first heard the announcement of the film but when most of the cast returned I was much more interested. The two major character changes were the loss of Mandy Patinkin's Rube and Sarah Wynter stepping into a role originally played by Laura Harris. Other than that the same magic is here on a slightly bigger scale. The characters have nicely matured and progressed and the screenplay gives the fine ensemble a lot of fun situations to chew on. The overall look is a bit different. Director Herek wisely injected a bit more drama in "Life" and tweaked the look to resemble the Oscar-winning "American Beauty". Two changes that work for the continuation. They even manage to give you a possible taste of things to come. "Life After Death" succeeds in spite of the changes and I for one hope there's more to come.

Incidentally if you've never seen the show it's perfectly fine to jump in here. All the nuts and bolts are set-up fine and most won't have any problems following it. But if you really enjoy it go snap up the first two seasons. You'll be glad you did.

3.5 / 5

Two Thumbs Down

[lenny76 · 1/10 · 23 May 2010]

I only came across the TV series title in the last couple of weeks and sat through both seasons as fast as possible, as I absolutely loved it! After enjoying these immensely, I was looking forward to an extension of the same, within the movie. Unfortunately, the best I can say is that MOST of the acting and MOST of the dialogue wasn't too bad, and they did manage to get SOME story in there.

In short, it was such a disappointment to find the movie had less content than an episode, seemed very choppy and forced most of the way through, started without a real beginning and finished without an end! I want my 87 minutes back!

I guess as the old saying goes: "What has been seen cannot be unseen"... *sigh*

Nice send off to an excellent series

[zenjunkie · 7/10 · 14 February 2013]

Unlike the other reviews I really liked this film. The series was exceptionally brilliant but ended abruptly with nothing resolved. This film rounded everything off nicely. I get the feeling that some reviewers didn't get the ending. Think about it guys - it was perfect!

OK now - watch out for spoilers coming up.

I will say this much - I missed the original Daisy, her vulnerability made her character special. Having said that her replacement handled the part well. I also missed Rube - but the whole film was about how they handle his 'moving on' and events leading to the ending as they deal with the annoying Cameron. Everyone else was as before. The whole thing with Reggie is finally sorted and everyone gets a better understanding of what their role in reaping actually is. Now - the ending (stop reading now if you don't want to know). There could be no other ending if you think about it. Georgia takes Rube's place. Perfect. If you truly loved the series - you will not be disappointed. Remember - everything must pass.

Very, very disappointing.

[LarryC1 · 3/10 · 14 January 2011]

If this represents Brian Fuller's (director of the first few episodes of the series) work, then it was a good thing that he left! This DVD movie is flat and disappointing. It is, at times, illogical (the series had a strict logic to it). For example, if shooting the bad guy through the head doesn't 'kill' him, then why, for heaven's sake does cutting him up with a chain-saw and burning the body do the trick? The plot doesn't seem to know where it is going with result that the viewer loses interest. Dolores Herbig has lost her bubbly enthusiasm, Mason is now hopelessly addled, Daisy's past is no longer believable or relevant and Roxy is now somewhat scary and dangerous! Rube is sorely missed. This is a dumbed-down version of the original series. WHAT A PITY!!

Unbiased (as much as possible) Review Without Spoilers

[wireflight · 10/10 · 28 February 2009]

First of all, regardless what you think of the movie, if you haven't yet gotten both seasons of the series on DVD, by all means, get your copies of those as soon as possible & watch them!

Is change good or bad? Well, I suppose that can only be answered, "yes." You see, it matters what is being changed, & how that change manifests itself. Having so stated, I generally prefer the familiar – which means that I generally abhor change.

In the broadcast versions of Dead Like Me, we lost Betty Rhomer (Rebecca Gayheart) after 5 episodes, & though I didn't then share with her fans profound enthusiasm for her character or performance, I had grown accustomed to her, & I was deeply disappointed.

My initial reaction to the appearance of Daisy Adair (Laura Harris) was, "OMG, they've gone "replacement blonde" in an effort to boost ratings, using the 'sex sells' model in a show not only that isn't about sex, but also that doesn't have a significant sexual component." I thought at first that the show was ruined, but I kept watching; what I quickly discovered is that Harris is a most excellent actress & that the writers understood how to integrate Daisy into the DLM story.

That Harris is very easy on the eyes turned out to be a bonus – a perfect dessert to follow the substantial main course. In that case, every aspect of the change was surprisingly good.

That isn't to discount Gayheart, who is in every sense a fine actress, but to recognize that Harris earned her fans after Gayheart had already set the bar awfully high.

As the story unfolded, I was pleasantly amazed to discover the actors & writers taking the DLM experience to a level even higher than where the show began; then, in a flash, the de-orbiting toilet seat of fortune snuffed-out my favorite show.

Some time later, I was elated to discover there was being made a DLM movie & I looked forward to its theatrical release: all we DLM fans & I would be vindicated when the box office numbers were tallied. Then I learned the movie was going to be direct-to-DVD.

Okay, that's a minor setback – but as soon as Rube Sofer (Mandy Patinkin) starts bustin' chops in the trailer, when people get a chance to see ... WHAT? No Rube? & Daisy stays, but someone else is going to play her? I was immediately overwhelmed with the sensation that the DLM franchise had been lost: clearly, the universe had gone mad. Or had it?

I own the complete first season of Dead Like Me, two sets of the complete second season of Dead Like Me, & now I own the direct-to-DVD movie Dead Like Me: Life After Death. Yes, I've watched them all (plus every episode of the series as it aired on Showtime, & most or all of the SciFi rebroadcasts). Kudos to the team that edited the SciFi versions: they seamlessly replaced the "foul language," so that the censorship wasn't obvious.

Without spoilers: my overall impression of Dead Like Me: Life After Death is that, like the series, it is too short; by that, I mean that it left me wanting much, much more! But, isn't that the whole idea? There were some plot twists that I think were inevitable for reason of continuity, & it's always tough to overcome prejudice arising from actor substitution.

Pleasantly, the movie also focuses more on George Lass (Ellen Muth) than did the broadcast series. This is probably as much a result of the crutch principle as anything else, but it works in a way that really saves the movie.

"Saves"? Okay, maybe that's a bit strong: remember, I'm prejudiced by the broadcasts. In reality, there's an awful lot of development that happens through the series that doesn't readily translate through the movie format, & that requires compromises.

The makers of Dead Like Me: Life After Death brilliantly incorporated storyboards to aid in the transition between scenes & to bring the uninitiated up to speed without boring longtime fans of the series.

However, even these conceits left a lot to be condensed into its 87-minute runtime, & that means among the reapers that the roles of Daisy Adair (Sarah Wynter), Roxy Harvey (Jasmine Guy) & Mason (Callum Blue) are minimized & stereotyped.

Some purists will take issues with the scripting as it relates to character development within the movie. In the end, I think the directors & editors did the best that could reasonably be expected from a comparatively short feature movie format.

I urge the readers of this review to obtain for themselves a copy of the DLM direct-to-DVD movie Dead Like Me: Life After Death; even though it is set 5 years after the George's death, it works in several different ways: 1) It is a passably good introduction of the DLM series to the uninitiated; or, alternatively, 2) It is a passably good ending to the DLM story: if it goes no further, DLM fans won't feel completely cheated; or, alternatively, 3) It is an EXCELLENT bridge between the DLM series & future DLM productions.

Given the diversity of missions & objectives defined by the DLM fanbase, & Given the budgetary constraints & political battles that threatened to kill the project before it got the green light, plus the myriad hurdles that threatened its survival during production, & Given the post-production, mastering, manufacturing & distribution problems that cropped up, that this movie ever got distributed is barely less than a miracle, & those factors must be considered in any reasonable review of this movie.

I got mine through Amazon.com; if you haven't ordered your copy yet, order it today! Review, comments by The Wireflight Group // 20090228-2021

It had potential, but could have been so much more.

[arnoldggill · 7/10 · 19 June 2015]

With that summary title, I'll come up with what I didn't like first. Daisy (Sarah Wynter) was a serious mis-cast. She came across flat and amateurish. It was, literally, painful to watch (and I have watched this movie quite a number of times).

They also made a mistake moving the location from Vancouver to Montreal. The West Coast scenery was missing, making it hard to believe it was supposed to be in Washington State. I know you gotta go where the money takes you, but still. And, of course, since the real Waffle House was demolished in New Westminster, that set was gone anyway.

But there were also things that I liked. What happens when the team leader gets their lights? The movie was really the job interview for the new team leader, and only George passed it. I had also wondered - was it possible for a reaper's character to grow and mature? The series tantalized this question, with Daisy and Mason moving forward (especially in Season 2), but then also falling back repeatedly. In the movie, George grew. Which is also why she got the reaper promotion.

And besides, don't you want to know what happens when a reaper reconstitutes themselves from their ashes and discovers they are in orbit?

Oh My Gosh! If you like the series don't watch this!

[darthstang2 · 2/10 · 6 December 2010]

Let me begin by saying that I adore the Dead Like Me series. With that being said I feel that this movie was an insult to a wonderful t.v. show. I am not gonna complain about George looking older, Mason being a little chubby, or any of the nit picking gripes most folks have for this movie. What I will complain about is how this film has a totally different feel than what fans of the series had came to love. The dark quirkiness of the series is gone and replaced by slick looking production and crappy camera angles. So now I will get down to business as to what was wrong with the key elements of the film. For starters Joy Lass has somehow went from being super bitch in the series to mother of the year. Happy Time doesn't even look like the same place.(Although I was glad Murry had more screen time) George has somehow been exhumed and laid to rest in another graveyard and gotten a larger headstone. Der Waffle House burns down in the second scene. The comic book crap with the voice overs. The product placement of the stupid phones that everyone got their reaps on. How Hudsons ETD changes and its never explained why. No answer as to how Betty (Rebecca Gayhart) was able to jump over the cliff and into the lights in season one. Every scene with Sarah Wynter and the way she ripped apart Daisy as a washed up, talentless, co-dependant actress and not the sly, cunning woman we had grown to love/hate. They should have just said Daisy had gone to the lights with Rube and this dumb blond chick was someone new. No answers to what became of the relationship between Daisy and Mason. Too Much Roxy.. I felt that Jasmon Guys character was never that necessary in the series and only annoyed me. This movie gives ya lots of her.How so many scenes were spent retelling stuff already known such as how a reaper looks different. It was like watching the pilot episode all over again. The post its falling from the sky in the end had more cheese than Wisconsin. The only thing that I can say was good about the movie was George reveling herself to Reggie. We all wanted this to happen in the series and felt it was only a matter of time before it happened. I really wish that the series had lasted longer than it did. If you look at how the last episode ended with George walking by a sleeping Reggie and Joy at her grave and dropping candy only to have Reggie wake up and see George in the sunrise as George explains in the voice-over what its like to be "Dead Like Me" was a better wrap up for the series (although not intended) than what this movie was.

A fitting end and (hopefully) a fantastic new beginning...

[danielhockley · 8/10 · 4 February 2009]

Right first off, I would have loved to give this movie 10/10 BUT I can't... I just can't.

The film was great, despite some reviews i have read who obviously watched the film with extremely high hopes, expecting nothing to have changed at all and to pick up exactly where the TV show left off answering some of the all important questions the fan base has been itching to answer ever since the series was laid to rest, which i admit would have been good BUT impossible...

Such examples of unanswered questions are: "how can George do *THIS*?", "why did *THAT* happen?", "will *XX* ever get with *XY*?". my point of blanking out the important part of the questions wasn't JUST to prevent spoilers BUT also to attempt a suggestion as to why they couldn't answer these questions in this film; the reason for making this film was to hopefully jump start the series OR failing that to appeal to the fan base the series had to start with. Now answering these questions in 90 minutes is just not feasible in either case, it wouldn't make sense to anyone that hasn't seen the series and so interest is lost... also the original fan base would either be annoyed at these questions (which we have been bugging ourselves with for what seems like millennia) being rushed and not really answered, or we would have closure (of sorts) and there are no active plot lines to continue the series with.

In my personal opinion the plot and new character (Cameron) were fine additions to a fantastic show!

Now where it unfortunately loses these 2 points are: Daisy... Daisy Adair (I am a big fan of Laura Harris, so Sarah Wynter's performance as Daisy just wan't good enough for me)...

All that aside if I have to put up with Sarah as Daisy and no Rube. That is a small price to pay to get this show back on the air.

Good But was Missing Something

[Dreamcomputers2000 · 7/10 · 10 March 2009]

Don't Get me wrong I love the series and to see most of my Favorite characters was very exciting. and but i was very upset that they chose someone else to play daisy Adair and on top of all that the person which i am sure is a great actress did not have the same finesse as the actress that we all know and love. Also We got to see George's Sister all grown up which i great to see what happens to her family. Let me tell you i hope the Creator of the show see these comments so they can listen to the real fans of the show hopefully they will let take this as a sign and continue the show. Also i am soooo happy,Please bring back Dead like ME

it's over, people

[sophiej468 · 2/10 · 31 May 2009]

as every DLM fan knows,things change. There comes a time to let it go, don't look back, move on. It's just a shame that the amateurs got hold of this, since they clearly don't understand what reaping is all about or what any reasonable end to this story would be. Actually, they do get it in their handling of Mandy Patinkin's unavailability to replay Rube, but apparently they weren't listening to themselves or they would have known how to deal with the absence of Laura Harris. Sarah Wynter is probably a perfectly nice person and decent actress but she is not the Daisy we came to love/hate. not even close. Henry Cusick as the new head reaper is as slimy as the script wants him to be, but what kind of warped sensibility wanted him to be that? It's lovely to see the grown up Britt McKillip, and making un-George a whole lot more attractive should have been done in the first place. Otherwise, nothing to see here, move along.