stephen king and his writings have unquestionably suffocated the horror genre. Since the 1970s, his work has been routinely adapted for the big screen. Each new entrance delivers diminishing returns now that he is firmly in an era where his work is being re-adapted. The existence of Firestarter, a remake of the 1984 film of the same name, is not justified. Firestarter is a drab retread of material that most viewers have seen before and that was done better the first time around.
In the beginning of the film, infant Charlie, Vicky (Sydney Lemmons), and Andy McGee are introduced (Zac Efron). They appear to be a regular family until charlie nearly sets fire to her nursery and then explodes in her father's arms. This is, of course, a nightmare for Andy, who is worried and freaked out. Following that, a montage sequence depicts Andy and Vicky as co-ed students participating in a medical trial. The two are injected and survive the test, but they each have their distinct set of abilities. When they have Charlie, she acquires tremendous powers that are more destructive than theirs. Charlie's narrative continues as she deals with being a young girl who is bullied at school and on the run from "The Shop."
Firestarter is staged and shot in the style of a television movie, implying that it should have been a miniseries. The efforts of director Keith Thomas and writer Scott Teems are noble, but it's all for nought when their attempts to build an exciting sci-fi thriller are squandered in a picture that could have used more time to fill out its tale. The features of Charlie's conception and the institution that pursues her are explored in Teems' script. It's also concerned with Charlie's parents' moral responsibilities to their daughter. There's also a hint of comedy in the dialogue that isn't fully exploited, especially when Zac Efron is eager to embrace it. Finally, expectations and objectives have been mismanaged.
Firestarter is at a disadvantage because it has to compete with a number of novels, films, and television episodes that have dealt with comparable themes and characters. Unfortunately, this adaption blends uncomfortably with the other sci-fi horrors of individuals being used in research. It doesn't even come close to matching the original 1984 film, and it pales in comparison to contemporary stephen king adaptations like IT from 2017 and doctor Sleep from 2019.
Firestarter is more akin to Pet Sematary and Carrie in that it's a drab, tiresome remake that doesn't try anything fresh.
In the beginning of the film, infant Charlie, Vicky (Sydney Lemmons), and Andy McGee are introduced (Zac Efron). They appear to be a regular family until charlie nearly sets fire to her nursery and then explodes in her father's arms. This is, of course, a nightmare for Andy, who is worried and freaked out. Following that, a montage sequence depicts Andy and Vicky as co-ed students participating in a medical trial. The two are injected and survive the test, but they each have their distinct set of abilities. When they have Charlie, she acquires tremendous powers that are more destructive than theirs. Charlie's narrative continues as she deals with being a young girl who is bullied at school and on the run from "The Shop."
Firestarter is staged and shot in the style of a television movie, implying that it should have been a miniseries. The efforts of director Keith Thomas and writer Scott Teems are noble, but it's all for nought when their attempts to build an exciting sci-fi thriller are squandered in a picture that could have used more time to fill out its tale. The features of Charlie's conception and the institution that pursues her are explored in Teems' script. It's also concerned with Charlie's parents' moral responsibilities to their daughter. There's also a hint of comedy in the dialogue that isn't fully exploited, especially when Zac Efron is eager to embrace it. Finally, expectations and objectives have been mismanaged.
Firestarter is at a disadvantage because it has to compete with a number of novels, films, and television episodes that have dealt with comparable themes and characters. Unfortunately, this adaption blends uncomfortably with the other sci-fi horrors of individuals being used in research. It doesn't even come close to matching the original 1984 film, and it pales in comparison to contemporary stephen king adaptations like IT from 2017 and doctor Sleep from 2019.
Firestarter is more akin to Pet Sematary and Carrie in that it's a drab, tiresome remake that doesn't try anything fresh.
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