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Starman (1984)

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80 comments in total

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31 out of 35 people found the following comment useful :-
Romantic Close Encounter Of A Different Kind, 3 January 2005

Author: Hal-900 from WA, USA

It is very sad to know that when this film was first released, critics and public felt that the movie tried too hard to ride on the success of Spielberg's "E.T." Both movies deal with a visitor from another planet that strikes a poignant relationship with an Earthling. The ironic thing is that "Starman" was conceived before "E.T." but green-lighted a couple of years after the Spielberg film became the biggest box office hit of all time. Similarities aside (after all, "E.T." has a lot in common with Disney's 1978 "Cat from Out of Space"), I think "Starman" is good enough to stand on its own merits. It is really a romantic fable for adults, disguised as a sci-fi movie. Director John Carpenter, known for his horror pics, demonstrates considerable skill in handling what is essentially a very intimate, personal story. I like how Carpenter toys with special effects from the distance, allowing performances and humanistic ideas take center stage. Jeff Bridges plays the strange visitor, and the Oscar nomination he received for this role is not only well deserved but it also remains one of Academy's most audacious choices; it's extraordinarily rare when acting is recognized in a genre film. Karen Allen provides Bridges with something to act against to, and she gives a natural, completely believable performance. Don't be misled by the film's title, this is a wonderful love story. Romantics, this film is for you.

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30 out of 35 people found the following comment useful :-
Better than Dutch apple pie OR cherry cobbler., 4 April 2004

Author: Scott LeBrun from Winnipeg, Canada

Quite possibly director John Carpenter's most benign movie, this sweet, simple story is a combination of science fiction, road movie, and love story. Gentle alien travels to Earth, only to have his craft shot down by stereotypically ignorant military types. He assumes the form of a recently deceased house painter (Jeff Bridges) and abducts the man's widow (Karen Allen) so she can drive him cross country to a rendezvous with his rescue ship. Along the way they fall in love.

Although in some ways unoriginal, this movie travels very far on the endearing performances of Bridges and Allen. I believed that Bridges was an alien masquerading as a human (I'm not the only one - Bridges was Oscar nominated for his performance) and I believed that these two gentle souls were coming to care for each other very deeply. I also came to hate the variety of human creeps that we see in this film, particularly the nasty government guy (Richard Jaeckel). They kind of destroy one's faith in humanity.

I did feel rather manipulated by Jack Nitzsche's saccharine music score; other things in the film seem subtle compared to that.

The Starman transformation scenes combined the talents of three makeup effects masters - Dick Smith, Rick Baker, and Stan Winston. Other visual effects are decent if unspectacular.

Followed by a short-lived TV series with Robert Hays (Ted Stryker in "Airplane!") as Starman.

All in all, it's a big contrast to Carpenter's other memorable alien visitation movie, "The Thing".

Maybe not a truly great motion picture but pretty darn good.

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33 out of 41 people found the following comment useful :-
Great Allegory, 9 August 2004
Author: roneal (roneal@wt.net) from Houston, Texas

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Reading all the comments on this film, I had to add my own. Unusual thing about the comments is that none were heavily negative. Good film in my opinion too. But only one viewer comment mentioned something that jumped out as I watched, and that is the heavy, but very heavy religious overtones in the film. A creature from the heavens comes to earth, assumes human form, has nothing but good intentions toward those who would capture him, has the power of life and death in his hands (the resurrection of the deer and Karen Allen), has to ascend to the heavens in 3 days, gives a boy baby to Jenny (who can't have a child) in a cattle car (manger) who will "be a teacher and know all that I know". They even point out a star in the heavens that is the home of Starman. The allegory is strong and delightful to watch. Of course the ending is a perfect set-up for a sequel when Starman leaves the one remaining "power ball" in Jenny's hand saying that the boy would know what to do with it. With one exception, no movie I have ever seen with a Roman numeral after it was worth a bag of beans, and that was Godfather II. Starman does not need a sequel. You can write one, in your own mind, in your own way.

And then there is Dutch apple pie...........

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24 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
A wonderful film full of hope for the human race., 23 December 1998

Author: Matthew Thomas from Southern California

Through the eyes of an alien, we view our world. Such is the beauty of John Carpenter's 'Starman'. His gentle alien comes in the form of a human clone (Jeff Bridges), and as we watch him interact with the rest of our race, we see both the good and the bad in all of us. It is this particular role that I find to be Jeff Bridge's most superb acting (or close to it, given his amazing work in 'The Fisher King'). To me he always did seem an alien in an unfamiliar human body, rather than the actor "Jeff Bridges". While there is certainly some over-simplification in the movie, and it can get a little sappy, I find the 'sap' in this case to be both touching and beautiful. How wonderful, how sad, how miraculous, to watch ourselves through the innocent and wise eyes of this alien being. A brilliant look at human beings, a sweet love story, and an excellent exploration of our spirit.

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26 out of 30 people found the following comment useful :-
When you wish upon a Starman, 31 December 2004

Author: Oliver-50 from United States

Jeff Bridges is one of my favorite actors and it's a shame that he has not yet won an Oscar. He has been acting for thirty-five years and only been nominated four times. Starman (1984) gave him his third nomination and while he had tough competition that year, F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce in Amadeus, his performance is brilliant and every bit as good. The way that Bridges takes the character and the little glitches in his movement and speech are fascinating. It is a complete transformation and it's flawless. I was reminded of how Dustin Hoffman played his character in Rain Man with all his little stutters and twitching, but Hoffman studied the disease and had something to work with. Bridges pulls this performance off from scratch and hits a bullseye. Karen Allen and Charles Martin Smith are both good as well and the score is wonderful. The story may be a bit derivative and there are some story lulls, but who cares. This is a must-see movie simply for Bridges performance.

*** out of ****

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17 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
"Define Love", 30 October 1999

Author: Chazzzzz (grok-huy@prodigy.net) from Jacksonville, Florida

This beautiful and funny science fiction film comes very close to being my all-time favorite movie. This film is about love. An alien lands on Earth to investigate the life-forms, and encounters Karen Allen. A cross-country chase ensues as our alien has to meet up with his starship in Arizona.

But for me, the main point of this film is not the chase, the cloning by the alien, the humor throughout the film, or the eventual outcome which led into the subsequent TV series. The focal point comes in the diner where our alien asks Karen Allen to "Define Love." If everyone would take this definition to heart, this world would be a much better place!

This is what movie making should strive to achieve. This film has virtually everything... romance, humor, action, suspense, a gorgeous soundtrack, beautiful cinematography, an intelligent screenplay with a most important message, and talented actors and actresses. I gave it a SOLID 10!

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19 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
little bit great film, 3 August 2003

Author: simonrosenbaum from New Malden,England

A great little film, much better than I was expecting. Jeff Bridges gives one of his best and strangest performances as the "Starman" with robotic like movements and very funny mimicking of human behaviour. Karenallen is wide eyed and feisty. Only sour point is the over saccharine score by Jack Nitzsche, it hasn't aged well and is now a little painful to listen to. Otherwise this is a wonderful and charming film. (8/10)

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15 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
E.T. for adults, 5 June 2003

Author: Silasss from London, England

I'm amazed more people didn't point out the similarities in plot to E.T. when this adult version of basically the same tale came out. Maybe it was because Jeff Bridges performance is absolutely mesmerising, that you're much more interested in the characters than the plot, so you don't notice.

Basically, a perfect little movie. Beautifully and simply set up, the characters develop naturally in such a way that keeps you hooked right through to the end of the film. The strength of the central relationship distracts you from little infelicities, such as the fact that "Jennyhayden" seems remarkably incurious about her alien visitor - even after she gets to know him, it's not until he's about to leave that she asks him what his world is like! The film nicely points out the irony of our having extended welcoming greetings to the Universe, while our own mutual distrust causes us to shoot down every unexpected flying visitor. Having established that, however, Richard Jaekel's character seems to be pursuing the violent solution for its own sake without really exploring any motivation. When Charles Martin Smith points out that our behaviour does appear a little rude, Jaekel doesn't even have an answer for him - he's just going to try to kill the alien because that's his role in the movie I guess!

"Do you know what I find most beautiful about you? You are at your best when things are at their worst."

Well, it has been 19 years - I guess that the "boy baby" has grown up. Time for the sequel, methinks!!

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16 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
Good Company!, 6 June 2003

Author: Noel Duddy from Derry, Ireland

Hey what a beautiful movie! Even as an alien, Jeff Bridges was brilliant. Karen Allen, as usual, gave her all and lit up the screen. The chemistry between the two was a delight.

This is not your typical over the top FX SciFi. It is an action drama with an underlying love story that would interest, even those who don't like this genre. But then I suppose if John Carpenter were to make a movie about the number 2758.369, it would be a interesting!

What more can I say - Great stuff!

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13 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Sadness, joy, loss, love...brilliance, 15 August 2003

Author: andrew.harrison from Peterborough, United Kingdon

The achingly gorgeous Karen Allen and the sublime Jeff Bridges star in this story of love and innocence.

A magical movie, with a poignant, otherworldly score sees John Carpenter direct a movie outside his usual genre. Well, all the planets came into alignment for this one, as it is a heart warming emotionally involving ride from start to finish.

This would be one of my 10 "Desert Island" movies.

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