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Firestarter (1984)

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Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Stephen King's novel not only concerns that most awkward of all combinations, the CIA and paranormal psychology, it has the episodic quality that is a hallmark of King's less filmable fiction. Barrymore (the sister in ET) plays a girl with telekinetic powers who is eventually captured and shoved into a government laboratory. Lester manages to maintain a fair level of suspense, and he is greatly helped by Scott, giving his best performance in years as the demonic CIA man sporting a sneer and a pony tail, but King's supernatural ideas need a human focus or they seem nearly idiotic. And, unlike the central figures in Carrie or The Shining, the heroine of Firestarter is just a rather wet little girl who happens to throw fireballs.

Author: DP

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

Leona Luk said...

Posted on Jul 05 2007 00:04 This couldn't possibly have ever been scary.
Young Drew has the ability to start fires with her mind, a side effect of her parents' being used as guinea pigs by the CIA. Her father can control people suing his mind, but apparently only if he puts his hands up to his head. Too bad for him that the CIA figures this out and pins his arms to his sides before he can play the mind control card. Dad and Drew get taken away by the CIA and they conduct various experiments, however none that involve anything nasty. In the end everything is on fire and anyone who might come after yound Drew is dead.
I think a sequel should be made - we can have Drew as an adult, still with the ability to set things on fire and perhaps using her powers for good, or to get back at the ex. Much like this film, the sequel could be a serious type action/horror or it could be a comedy...depends on what the director feels like on set, I suppose.

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