Firestarter (1984)

Who payed the critics

Fantastic!

Best movie ever!

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

the first half of the film is boring but the second half liked me a lot. Plus I liked seeing a very young Drew Barrymore. I liked the figure of my present father and even more, the bad figure, John Rainbird (George C.Scott), an actor already seen in the movie "Dr. Strangelove". The story is a bit banal in some places, but the scene of the farm is unforgettable.

My mission to watch 30 horror movies from the 80's continues with Firestarter (1984). It reminds me of modern shonen anime where the main character rides with overpower.I wouldn't be surprised if this movie had an inspiring effect on such series as Naruto and Code Geass. Our main girl reminds of Naruto who is uncertain, week and quite pitiful character, they both still have a great power in them. Her father on the other hand has power similar to Lelouch, Code Geass's main character.My problem with Firestarter isn't really that it reminds me of originality lacking, lazily written anime that is full of overused tropes and clichés. Even those kind of series can be good on their own right. It is all about the execution and characters anyway. The superpowers are not faithful to their own logic nor consistent. The story is reasoned with a backstory which leads us to events that seem forced and illogical. Seems like most of the writing was just made one-dimensionally to lead the actual use of superpowers and character development of our main girl to the direction our writer wanted. Yet I am not sure if the writer wanted the world to burn or viewers to see how father-daughter relationships work. In a way, it reminds me of Interstellar. The last 15 minutes make me forgive most of these problems and make the movie worth of seeing.All in all very lacking in terms of story, but great fun with fire and visual effects. 4.5/10.

Film versions of Stephen King novels can be a tricky thing. Often they're half assed, clunky miniseries (ever tried to sit down and watch The Langoliers??), and when they're given the lofty cinema treatment, he has famously turned his nose in the face of Kubrick's might. I feel like Firestarter escaped unscathed, and still holds to this day, if a bit achingly retro now. It's a thriller perceived in a childlike manner by its young protagonist, Charlie Mcgee (Drew Barrymore). Charlie can start fires with her mind, and certain shadowy agencies just can't wait to get their hands on her. Her father (David Keith) once participated in some scary drug testing related to telekinesis back in the day, and some of whatever altered his DNA has been passed on to her. He will do anything to protect her, as the two frantically race across the country to safety, pursued by forces working for Hollister (Martin Sheen), a spook with too much power and nasty ideas about what to do with it. Also on their trail is pseudo spiritual whacko John Rainbird, who wants to absorb Charlie's abilities, man what a freak. Rainbird is a native American in King's novel, so white haired yankee boy Scott is an odd choice, but he does a fine job all the same. Two things are what makes this one really stand out in a special way. Tangerine Dream provides yet another ultrasonic, elemental synth score that has since become legendary. It accents the story in an almost fairy tale like way, gilding the danger with a fable style sound, but never stamping out the real menace. Barrymore is the other leg of the table, giving one hell of a fierce and vulnerable performance for such a young girl, her childlike honesty a prism for the audience to see the evil around her through innocent eyes. It's great stuff, and one of the most solid King adaptations out there. Now there is a sequel (not sure if the man wrote a second book?) called Firestarter 2: Rekindled, which pales in comparison and runs about 45 minutes too long (!), but it's worth a look for the casting of Marguerite Moreau as a grown up Charlie, Malcolm McDowell taking over from Scott as Rainbird, and Dennis Hopper as well.

A secret government division called the Shop conducted an experiment that left our lead character, decently played by David Keith and his wife with telekinesis. They have a daughter who is born with pyrokinesis. After The Shop has the wife killed, father and daughter go on the run, off the grid to stay ahead of the Shop. While nothing spectacular, this first half is perfectly serviceable and entertaining. The second half of Firestarter grinds to a narrative halt and just treads water as Keith and Barrymore are captured and spend the remainder of the film at The Shop. The Shop looks like a cross between a motel and a high school science lab. A hilariously miscast George C. Scott as a native American and a bland Martin Sheen play the villainous roles and watching them take over the second half of this film as the leads, is something Firestarter can never recover from. The film settles into a low energy, slow mess, with a fire and explosion filled climax that's too little, too late.