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10 out of 10 people found the following review useful: One of the more accessible King adaptations, but best if you enjoyed the book, 21 May 2007 Author: mstomaso from Vulcan
Firestarter is the story of Charlie (Drew Barrymore at age 8) and Andy, her dad (David Keith), and the people who are trying to imprison, control and/or kill them (Martin Sheen, George C. Scott, Moses Gunn, and others). Charlie is a mutant. Her father and mother were part of an experiment on mutagenic substances performed on college students in the 1960s by The Shop. The experiment gave Andy the ability to control others minds, but the mutation, apparently dormant in his wife, was passed on through the sex chromosome to his daughter. Charlie, quite plainly, can combust virtually anything with her mind.Though all the acting in this film is good, Barrymore and Scott are truly awesome. Scott plays a brilliant sociopath, and can go from a kindly old Viet Nam vet to a ruthless killer with one quick change of facial expression. And Barrymore (at the age of 8, if you didn't pick up on that the first time I said it) gives her character a fully believable person-hood with great depth.Like the novel, this is more of a horror-thriller than classic King ghost stories - like The Shining. It is also less classic King horror - like Carrie. And its also not a great drama like Dolores Claiborne, Misery and Stand By Me. Though it fits into roughly the same category as Hearts in Atlantis, it is not a literary as this much later King work and the characters are not as well developed. Although the book could be said to be one of King's earlier experiments with what would become a formula for his lesser works, King's writing is so lucid, and his characters are so interesting, believable and nicely examined, that his 'B fiction' is still somewhat above the average best-seller. The film follows the book very closely, and, like the book, is sort of a prototype for the more formulaic films in the King portfolio.The directing is very good, the cinematography (especially the effects) is excellent, and the film is, as a whole entertaining. But, for those who have not read the book, the film will likely come off as 'no big deal.' As with many of the more formulaic King-derived films, this is best seen as a cathartic summary of the original work (like Dreamcatchers, Running Man, The Stand, Maximum Overdrive, The Mangler and others).
14 out of 19 people found the following review useful: Young prodigy starts fires in one of the best Stephen King adaptations!, 19 July 2006 Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England
Despite the fact that the films usually revolve around good and interesting stories, film adaptations of Stephen King's works are often not the best horror movies. Firestarter isn't the best known of his books, and that's slightly odd as this film adaptation is one of the best based on his stories. The film takes obvious influence from Brian De Palma's 'The Fury', as aside from the fact that this one is about a young girl that can start fires, and De Palma's film features a boy with psychic abilities; the way that both plots play out is very similar indeed. The plot has a number of problems, and the characters don't always act logically; but this is offset by the likable nature of the film, and characters that are easy to get along with due to their relatively simplistic nature. The film follows the aftermath of an experiment in which people were given an experimental drug. The ultimate result of this experiment was a child born of Andy and Vicky McGee; a child with a unique ability known as 'pyrokinesis' - the ability to start fires at will.The film benefits from a range of cult stars. A young Drew Barrymore takes the title role, and although her acting skills hadn't been honed by the time this film was released, and she is more than a little bit wooden; she provides an interesting lead. David Keith and Martin Sheen back her up well in supporting roles, but the main acting plaudits go to the great George C. Scott who is good in what is probably the meatiest role of the piece. The running time is a little long for a film like this, but it's well used and the fact that the story doesn't get caught up with needless elements such as the girl's mother and father falling in love is definitely a good thing. The plot is very relaxed for most of the way through, and director Mark L. Lester seems content to just let things play out. That is until the last fifteen minutes; when the plot reaches its full potential and explodes with a fun and exciting finale. The film does feel more than a little bit like a TV movie at times; and the dumbed down techno soundtrack doesn't help this. Overall, the film definitely isn't perfect; but it's an enjoyable watch and King films have definitely been a lot worse!
9 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Take "Carrie" one step further..., 16 January 2007 Author: Lee Eisenberg (eisenberg.lee@gmail.com) from Portland, Oregon, USA
If you thought that "Carrie" made incredible use of conflagrations, you ain't seen nothing yet! In Stephen King's other combustion-themed story, "Firestarter" portrays the daughter (Drew Barrymore) of a experimental guinea pig (David Keith) using her ignition abilities to get her way. When the government kidnaps her and her father, things really get ugly.On one level, this movie seems a little preachy, with the shadowy agents going after the man and his daughter. But I would call that an accurate depiction of things. And you gotta agree with what the girl does, no matter how extreme she gets (and I'm talking really extreme). So I definitely recommend this movie. But if you're a pyromaniac, don't let this movie encourage you.Also starring Heather Locklear, Martin Sheen, George C. Scott, Art Carney and Louise Fletcher.
12 out of 18 people found the following review useful: Above-average., 14 February 2002 Author: gridoon
Good special effects and a great cast make this film above-average, as Stephen King adaptations go (well, it's certainly better than "Maximum Overdrive"). The story may be a bit predictable, partly because King had visited similar territory before ("Carrie", anyone?), but you have to admire the way the film puts you into the action right from the start, omitting any slow introductions, and George C.Scott is such a strong, perverse and eccentric villain that you can't help watching him. (**1/2)
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: The similarity to "Carrie" is indeed undeniable., 24 April 2009 Author: Scott LeBrun from Winnipeg, Canada
Based on the Stephen King novel, "Firestarter" tells the story of Charlie McGee (Drew Barrymore), more than just the offspring of parents Andy (David Keith) and Vicky (Heather Locklear) but the product of the drug experiment they took part in during their college days. They took something named "Lot Six", supposedly a hallucinogen. Years later, young Charlie has developed pyrokinesis, or the ability to start fires using the mind, which she has to put to good use as, now, dastardly government agents are relentlessly pursuing her and her dad so that her talents can be exploited.This is another of those cases for myself where I'm unable to judge this as an adaptation, not having read the novel. As cinematic entertainment, it's certainly watchable enough. It's a pretty interesting story, even if as it plays out it doesn't deliver any real surprises. It moves forward at a fairly steady pace; flashback scenes are kept rather concise and the exposition is likewise never laid on too thick. Andy's own special power of being able to mentally direct other people into doing what he needs them to do leads to some good scenes; for one example; he tells two agents / thugs "You're blind." and they promptly lose their eyesight. Director Mark L. Lester leaped to the majors here after creating such great cult flicks as "Truck Stop Women", "Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw", and "Class of 1984", and "Firestarter" is certainly very competently made. It goes without saying that the stunts and special effects are highlights. The film is enjoyably manipulative enough so that we can get our blood-lust up and enjoy it when everything's been steered towards the over-the-top inferno of a climax.I don't really believe that the major acting talent is wasted all that much. Barrymore (who, after playing in this, was cast in the following year's "Cat's Eye" by producer Dino De Laurentiis, who wanted to develop a vehicle for her specifically) was then still learning to act rather than just be cute, and even if she hadn't yet honed her craft, she gives it a good effort. Keith is very sincere as devoted dad Andy, with Martin Sheen slickly smarmy as a variation on the villain he played in the previous year's "The Dead Zone". Old pros Art Carney and especially George C. Scott do well; Scott's is definitely the most intriguing and well played role in the picture. He and Barrymore do get a good chemistry going. Freddie Jones is amusing in his screen time as blustery scientist Dr. Wanless, while Moses Gunn and Louise Fletcher don't get too much to do. Also appearing are Antonio Fargas as a cabbie and Drew Snyder as Jamieson, one of the chief agents involved in the pursuit.Fairly exciting and involving, "Firestarter" isn't one of the top-flight King-based films, but it isn't a bad one either.Followed by a made-for-TV sequel in 2002.7/10
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Burning Rage, 31 August 2007 Author: virek213 from San Gabriel, Ca., USA
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
During 1983 and 1984, there were no fewer than four movies released that were based on the works of Stephen King, this era's horror literature maven. The first three were THE DEAD ZONE, CUJO, and CHRISTINE. The fourth, and least commercially successful, was FIRESTARTER, based on King's 1980 novel. The fact that it didn't fare all that well with critics or audiences doesn't diminish the fact that it remains, despite some flaws, one of the best adaptations of King's works, as well as a commentary on the dangerous of government interference and dissembling in people's lives.Drew Barrymore, who made a star-making turn in E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, is the young girl possessed of a devastating kind of psychic power called pyrokinesis, the ability to light fires just by concentrating long and hard about it. Her power is the result of her parents (David Keith; Heather Locklear) having undergone a bizarre chemical experiment in 1969 conducted by a secret government agency known as The Shop. Since then, eight of the ten patients originally involved have died horrible deaths, and Locklear has been murdered by agents of the Shop. Now, Keith and Barrymore are on their own, with Keith's only ability to protect Barrymore being his own psychic ability. But once in the hands of the Shop, led by Martin Sheen and George C. Scott, they are the subject of various experiments on their abilities. Barrymore gets special attention, of course, because of her fiery power, especially from Scott. In the end, of course, Sheen and Scott, and the rest of the Shop's minions, find out what happens when you play with a power that you don't fully appreciate...There are admittedly flaws with FIRESTARTER, most of them having to do with the slightly perfunctory way that Mark L. Lester (CLASS OF 1984) directs the actors, this even though he has some superb ones, notably Sheen and Scott. The dialogue is also a little clunky at times too. But overall, FIRESTARTER succeeds more often than it fails, due to King's own narrative genius, Barrymore's credible performance, and the special effects wizardry of Mike Wood. The scenes of the Shop being incinerated at the end by Barrymore's burning rage after her father has been killed are particularly spectacular. FIRESTARTER also benefits from brief but welcome cameo roles by Art Carney and Louise Fletcher, who become her protectors after the firestorm.However flawed it might be, FIRESTARTER does provide plenty of suspense and atmosphere without an extreme amount of bloodshed (though the fire scenes are quite hair-raising all the same), and is well worth seeing.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Not spectacular, but good, 2 February 1999 Author: Toledo-2 from Houston, Texas
Firestarter is one of those movies that bores critics and often appears as weekend or late night filler on TV. Even so, the movie does have its moments. Give it a chance, and Firestarter will grow on you.Fans of the X Files will be at home with the movie's plot about an experimental drug given to 60s college students by a secret government agency, known as The Shop. Two of the students (portrayed by David Keith and Heather Locklear) eventually marry and a child is born; a "firestarter" (played by Drew Barrymore) who can set anything ablaze with just one angry thought. Martin Sheen and George C. Scott round out the cast as heads of The Shop, who are now bent on capturing the girl and harnessing her power as a weapon, not to mention using her as a way to get funding for more experiments.The acting and dialogue certainly aren't award-winning, but they do carry the movie along. The music, written and performed by Tangerine Dream, is perfectly suited to the movie, and in my opinion is some of Tangerine Dream's best work. The special effects are convincing, and at times, chilling. Readers of Stephen King's best-selling novel will be happy to know that this movie is, for the most part, faithful to his original story, despite a rather clipped ending.In all, if you have a taste for conspiracy thrillers with a healthy dose of science fiction thrown in, you'll like this one, though it probably won't be your favorite.
12 out of 20 people found the following review useful: An Awkward Adaptation, 26 October 2004 Author: Anthony Piggott from United Kingdom
The main problem with "Firestarter" is it tries to adapt the story of the book faithfully, at the expense of character development. It is impossible to cram a five hundred page book into one two hour movie and make it work favourably. For much of the picture, the pacing feels awkward and rushed, more interested in moving the plot along than developing the characters.Brian De Palma's "Carrie" followed the story of the book just as closely. But seeing as "Carrie" is less than half the length of "Firestarter", it made for a much more comfortable adaptation.Stanley Kubrick had the right idea with "the Shining". The book was about the same length as "Firestarter", and as a result the plot was butchered heavily to make it work for the screen. Stephen King (and much of his loyal fanbase) have misgivings about Kubrick's adaptation, a lot of people who love film (and recognise it as the different medium that it is) regard it as a masterpiece.Mark Lester's "Firestarter" isn't all bad however. George C. Scott's John Rainbird is inspired casting, and probably the best thing this film has going for it. The scene at the Manders' farm, and the conclusion at the Shop's headquarters make for enjoyable viewing and are handled capably.It's a shame, that as a whole, the film doesn't work too well. I'd definitely like to see this re-adapted into another film or a mini-series. The book isn't exactly King's best, but it has a lot of potential for another screen outing. 5/10
15 out of 26 people found the following review useful: Pyromania chiller with little bite., 5 May 2003 Author: Jonathon Dabell (barnaby.rudge@hotmail.co.uk) from Wakefield, England
Firestarter the movie and Firestarter the novel (written, of course, by Stephen King) have a common hindrance. Both are fine for their first half, with plenty of pace and action and even a few scares. But both book and film peter off in their second half, as the chase scenario which dominates the opening segment becomes a slow, tedious and frequently unconvincing cat-and-mouse affair set in a secret scientific centre known as The Shop.David Keith is a strange choice for Andy McGee, a father with mysterious powers (courtesy of an experiment gone wrong) whose daughter Charlie has even greater powers which enable her to set objects alight at will. The Shop want her so that they can kill her, as they have reason to believe she has no true control over her powers and may one day inadvertently nuke the planet Earth. As Charlie, Drew Barrymore is reasonably good, especially in the scenes where she gets mad and starts off a blaze. Best performance of the lot comes from George C. Scott, as a seemingly educated assassin who occasionally says something which hints that he well and truly out of his mind. It's a calculated and chilling display. Less worthy are the roles of Freddie Jones (bizarre and exaggerated) and Martin Sheen (bland and boring).I would say that Firestarter is worth catching if you're a fan of King or Barrymore, and although I shouldn't say this I'm sure pyromaniacs will revel in it. However, for the discerning audience there's little here worth making a special effort to see. It just comes and goes like the wind and, for want of a better word, doesn't really ignite.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Above-average Stephen King theatrical fare., 1 September 2003 Author: Fiendish_Dramaturgy from .: Fiendish Writings in the Dark :.
Psychological and psychedelic testing produce some amazing results. Now those results are walking and talking and very unhappy with the agency who created it.Delightfully triumphant, wonderfully destructive forces are about to be tapped, honed and unleashed against the government who has created and now hopes to utilize these frightening powers upon the world.Charlie McGee (Drew Barrymore at the age of 9) is the product of psychological and psychedelic drug experiments performed by the US government upon her parents before her conception.After witnessing the murder of her mother, she and her father are on the run from the mysterious bunch of gun-carrying miscreants known only as "the Agency." Her father (David Keith) is also a telepath as a result of these experiments, who enjoys telekinetic abilities as well. These abilities help, but not well enough.Will Charlie be able to save her father? Herself? Will they make it through this, or be forever torn apart by the Firestarter?Excellent movie. Excellent performances by Drew Barrymore (if a little hesitant and deliberate at times), George C. Scott (hated, Hated, HATED his character!! that must mean he played it very very well *lol*), Martin Sheen and David Keith.The effects were quite good, though in post-StarWars 1984, I had hoped for better; as was the plot and storyline. As Stephen King adaptations go, it varied from the book just enough to make it one of the FEW adaptations of King's work through which I don't find myself cringing.It gets a solid 8/10 from...the Fiend :.
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