Starring - Zac Efron (Scoob!, Hairspray), Ryan Kiera Armstrong (American Horror Story, Black Widow), and Sydney Lemmon (Fear the Walking Dead, Helstrom)
Release Date - 2022
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Will she have the power... to survive?"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Stephen King is the undisputed "king" of horror and not many would argue otherwise. His literary works have inspired genre fans for decades and their film and television adaptations are beloved works of film for millions. His films have been adapted by legendary filmmakers and starring some of the biggest names in cinema. While I do enjoy most of his film adaptations there is still a few that just weren't for me. About five or six years ago Scream Factory sent over their blu release of the film adaptation of his novel Firestarter. It wasn't my favorite adaptation of his but it was an enjoyable film for the most part. After the popularity of the new It and Pet Sematary adaptation it was only a matter of time before other adaptations of King's work got re-imagined. When news of Firestarter broke I was ready for it. While others were hating on Zac Efron for his involvement with the film I was open-minded about it. It could be a lot of fun like It and PS. I missed it when it aired on Peacock but when I received the press release for the physical release I was quick to request a copy. I received my copy a few days and as soon as I finished Morbius I was quick to toss in Firestarter.
The film follows Andy (Efron) and his daughter Charlie (Armstrong) who is on the run. Andy has gained psychic powers after participating in an experiment where he met his wife. They marry and have a daughter that also has her own abilities. However, the secret group behind the experiments, The Shop, hears about Charlie's abilities and will stop at nothing to gain control of her even if that means killing her mother who did not acquire special abilities like Andy and Charlie.
Firestarter from 1984 is a fairly decent King adaptation but it's far from perfect. It's predictable and the game of cat and mouse does become repetitive as the film progresses. This new adaptation has one hell of a score from legendary horror filmmaker John Carpenter but that's about the extent of the praise I have for the film there...aside from the acting. The acting in this one is the high point of the film. Efron is great as the protective father trying to keep his daughter out of the hands of an evil faceless corporation. I really felt for him and watching his character change as the film progresses. I was also impressed by Armstrong's performance. She shows great talent for such a young age. I can see her appearing in more genre films in the coming years so keep an eye out for her. The supporting cast is great as well but the star of the show is Armstrong and she absolutely kills. The story for this one is just as predictable as the original film but a lot of the scenes are extremely bland and dull which is the film's biggest problem. The scenes that are action oriented or meant to deliver some thrills just happen. They fail to pull the viewer in and the suspense misses it's mark. As a father I find myself enjoying this story because I want to see the daughter and father duo overcome. However, the way this adaptation approaches it completely ignores the tension and suspense. Finally, the film has a lot of visual effects and some make-up effects. The visuals look decent enough but the make-up effects look absolutely fantastic. The sad part is there weren't enough of these scenes to truly enjoy the practical effects. Overall, Firestarter is a missed opportunity. Did this film have to be retold? No, it didn't but it wasn't hurting anyone either. I was actually excited to check it out but it was an extremely dull film. This is one you should skip. Don't waste your time on it.
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