Firestarter
ByJeffrey Anderson,Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Violent, uninspired Stephen King adaptation fails to spark.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Diverse Representations
Actors of color are featured in smaller roles that tend to fall on the villainous side.
Inclusion information: Black actor
Inclusion information powered by
Did we miss something on diversity?Suggest an update.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Firestarter
Community Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
AMAZING!!
Report this review
Report this review
What's the Story?
In FIRESTARTER, Vicky (Sydney Lemmon) and Andy McGee (Zac Efron) once participated in a clinical trial for a mysterious drug and came away with strange powers. Vicky won't use hers, but Andy has "the push" that can create suggestions in people's minds, even though using it comes with a price. Their child, Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), was born with the power to create fire. As she gets older, the power becomes harder to control. She blows out a bathroom stall at school and accidentally sets her mother on fire. Once aware of Charlie's powers, Captain Hollister (Gloria Reuben) -- head of a shady organization related to the experiments -- sends in a bounty hunter named Rainbird (Michael Greyeyes) to capture Charlie and bring her in. So Andy and Charlie go on the run as she attempts to learn to control her powers. But a showdown is inevitable.
Is It Any Good?
Thoroughly bland and uninspired, this cheap-looking adaptation ofStephen King's 1980 novel just goes through the motions, failing to deliver any thrills or scares and feeling utterly pointless. From its twitchy "decaying video" opening titles to its bleary, blobby digital gore effects, everything aboutFirestarteris numbingly familiar. Theoriginal 1984 movie(starring Drew Barrymore and George C. Scott) isn't exactly remembered as a high point of King adaptations, and it should have been ripe for reinterpretation. And directorKeith Thomas, whose spookily atmosphericThe Vigilrelied on strong character development and strange storytelling, was a great choice for the job. What went wrong is anyone's guess.
Perhaps too many corners were cut. Attempts to flesh the characters out simply come across as lazy exposition (the movie was written by Scott Teems, whoseHalloween Killshas the same problem), and the clunky camerawork seems designed to hide the subpar effects. On the plus side, the movie has a fun music score by none other thanJohn Carpenter,他的儿子科迪木匠,和合作者丹尼尔A. Davies (even if the music is simply draped over the scenes with little rhyme or reason). And star Efron -- many of whose previous performances can be kindly described as "vacant" -- has finally learned to fit in, appearing to actually interact with others. But those two things aside,Firestarteris far too soggy to make any kind of spark.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk aboutFirestarter'sviolence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect?Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal ofhorror movies? Why do people sometimes like being scared?
How does the movie compare to Stephen King's novel? To the1984 movie?
What are some of the movie's themes? Is it ever OK to let your emotions go wild? Why, or why not?
How does the movie depictdrinking and drug use? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences?Why is that important?
Movie Details
- In theaters: May 13, 2022
- On DVD or streaming: May 13, 2022
- Cast:Ryan Kiera Armstrong,Zac Efron,Sydney Lemmon,Gloria Reuben
- Director:Keith Thomas
- Inclusion Information: Black actor
- Studio:Universal Pictures
- Genre:Horror
- Topics:Book Characters
- Run time: 94 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: violent content
- Last updated: December 1, 2022
Inclusion information powered by
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids bysuggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate