‘If I do something bad, will you still love me?’
Firestarter was Stephen King’s first novel of the 1980s. A decade that would also see the publication of Cujo, Christine, Pet Sematary, IT and Misery. When put up against those masterworks, it’s no surprise that Firestarter is one of King’s more forgotten novels of that era. It doesn’t help that this film adaptation is fairly unspectacular also…
After volunteering for a medical experiment, Andrew McGee (David Keith) and Vicky Tomlinson (Heather Locklear) fall in love, get married and have a kid. After they develop strange powers, it is clear that their daughter Charlie (Drew Barrymore) is more powerful than anyone could have imagined. The Shop, a shady government organisation led by the unscrupulous Captain Hollister (Martin Sheen), pursues Andrew and Charlie through a crazed half-Indian hitman named John Rainbird (George C. Scott).
Despite a strong cast, Firestarter never really takes hold like some of King’s other works. Many of the problems with the source material are carried over into this film adaptation, most presciently, the character of John Rainbird and his relationship with Charlie McGee. His motivations are never really adequately explained in the novel and his character is even more opaque here despite a solid performance from Scott who is as reliable as ever if a little miscast. The other issue here is that many of the most horrific set pieces from the book are either toned down or missing entirely from this toothless reimagining of one of King’s least celebrated novels.
Firestarter is not a bad film by any means, but it fails to overcome some of the obstacles from the source material that were never properly answered in the first place. Kudos for some excellent practical effects and a series of committed performances from the ensemble cast but it simply isn’t enough to save Firestarter from obscurity.