Firestarter Collector's Edition Blu-ray Review

Pursued by government agents, Andy McGee is on the run with his young daughter Charlie. His crime? Andy and his wife Vicky were participants in medical experiments that stimulated their natural telekinetic abilities with some unexpected side effects. Their daughter is pyrokinetic, a gift the government would very much like to cultivate into a weapon. Andy evades capture as long as possible, but they end up as guests of “The Shop”, the secret agency that has been chasing them. It is here that Charlie is tested and trained to control her abilities. Captain Hollister works closely with both Andy and his daughter. She befriends an Indian janitor named John Rainbird, unaware that he has an ulterior motive. When her father’s safety is threatened, Charlie lashes out in rage using her powers methodically to exact revenge. How exactly will the government respond to Charlie’s activities and what will happen if she loses control of her gift?

Screenwriter Stanly Mann (Damien: Omen II) adapts Stephen King’s best-selling novel for director Mark Lester (Class of 1984) with mixed results. The main problem with the script is that it is presented as an “and then” story. Charlie meets the farmers and then government agents arrive and then she blows them up and then she moves to an isolated cabin. Frequently the scenes do not build on each other to create tension, but rather they simply move from one fiery set-piece to the next. Lester keeps things moving at a fairly decent pace, but there are more than a few tedious moments. Every time the script steps away from Charlie as the focus, the film suffers in quality. The director opts for an ending filled with spectacle, but it fails to connect. What saves the picture ultimately is the strength of the performances.

Drew Barrymore (Donnie Darko) is instantly likeable as Charlie and holds her own in scenes with the legendary George C. Scott (The Exorcist III) as the assassin Rainbird. Scott is both charming and threatening playing opposite a child, but shares a solid chemistry with his young co-star. David Keith (White of the Eye) does a fine job as Charlie’s father, Andy, but the role is frequently thankless as he manages to constantly get her into one dangerous situation after another. Martin Sheen (The Dead Zone) returns to Stephen King territory as Captain Hollister, leader of “The Shop”, and is quite the charming bureaucrat. Freddie Jones (Krull) is Dr. Wanless, who leads the experiments for the agency. Wanless is a man of deep regret and Jones nails the performance. Welcome faces Art Carney (Harry and Tonto) and Louise Fletcher (Invaders from Mars) play Irv and Norma Manders, the kindly couple that take in Andy and his daughter in their time of need. Together they represent the normal life their guests will never know. Look for supporting roles from Moses Gunn (Amityville II: The Possession) and Heather Locklear (Return of Swamp Thing) as well as a cameo by Antonio Fargas (Across 110th Street).

Firestarter is far from the worst Stephen King adaptation, but its problem is that it just kind of lies there. The plot plods along with a lot of things blowing up, but their effect is hollow. George C. Scott and Drew Barrymore are the reason this film is worth watching, as their scenes together are far more powerful than any of the special effects. Lester has proven himself as a competent director on more than one occasion, so I am tempted to blame the script, although this adaptation is surprisingly faithful to the source material – perhaps it’s King’s book that’s lacking.