Firestarter
The critical review are in for Blumhouse’sFirestarterare in , and they are not thrilled about the film ’s lack of spark . TheFirestarterfranchise , which is now amazingly robust , start its life as a 1980 novel by Stephen King , which follow the exploits of Charlie McGee , a young girl with pyrokinetic power , as she and her father Andy run from an experimental government system known as The Shop that gave him his own business leader , which he passed on to his girl . That book was adapt into a photographic film star Drew Barrymore and David Keith in 1984 , which King later holler " one of the spoilt of the clump . " That flick was followed up in 2002 by theminiseries sequelFirestarter : rekindle .
Blumhouse has now released a make new adjustment ofFirestarterinto theatre , fromThe Vigildirector Keith Thomas . This time around , Charlie is being meet by Ryan Kiera Armstrong , who sheer her tooth on projects includingAmerican Horror Storyand last year’sBlack Widow , in which she played Young Antonia . Her Father of the Church is played byNeighborsheartthrob Zac Efron , with the ease of the plaster cast being filled out by Sydney Lemmon , Kurtwood Smith , John Beasley , Michael Greyeyes , Gloria Reuben .
Many different sales outlet relinquish their review ofFirestarter . look at how many of the reappraisal titles include a variation on the paronomasia " FirestarterFailed to Ignite , " it seems that the critical governing body has roundly rejected this new incoming in the Stephen King canyon . While some reviewers lament how the film break down to live up to the director’stightly injury thrillerThe Vigil , others are disappoint by the fact that it had the chance to improve upon the not - much - liked original and failed to take it . The only matter that has been more or less universally praised is the score , provided byHalloweenauteur John Carpenter . watch out quotes from selected reviews below :
Lindsey Bahr , Bloomberg :
This young adaptation of Stephen King ’s 1980 novel is not scary or thrilling , nor is it emotionally redolent or particularly moving . No , this outing is a wearisome slog , even with its nerveless , synthy John Carpenter score and the should’ve - been - inspired determination to cast Zac Efron as the male parent of the fire - throwing preteen .
William Bibbiani , The Wrap :
One can only applaud the fresh movie maker for chuck autochthonal thespian Michael Greyeyes in the Rainbird function , but somehow the improvement stop there . The new “ Firestarter ” is a lot like the old “ Firestarter , ” if the quondam “ Firestarter ” was duller , cheap , and devoid of almost all substance .
Robert Kojder , Flickering Myth :
I do n’t enjoy picking asunder system of logic like that during set - slice , specially from a repugnance - action movie called Firestarter , but some movies just wear the learning ability down until it ’s mush .
Brian Lowry , CNN :
Directed by Keith Thomas , the movie ’s most far-famed factor might be the music , which is composed by horror maven John Carpenter and his " Halloween " collaborators , bearing an eerie resemblance to those macabre chord . Otherwise , the product values own the micro - budgeted feel of a scholarly person film , while the story arc makes some puzzling choices particularly down the stretch .
Meagan Navarro , Bloody Disgusting :
It results in a disjointed adaption that mean two very different features at diverging levels of wiliness . It feels like chunk of narrative were expunge , leave alone behind remnant that hint toward something more interesting . Its protagonists do much potent , all pass on a bit more to work with and time to develop them . The adversary are so blandly and mistily drop a line that Firestarter break up promptly once the tale attempts to widen the scope beyond the fellowship ’s cozy house of cards . Despite a strong performance by Zac Efron , a few fun char corpses , John Carpenter‘s superscript score , and bracing pacing , Firestarter wind up mirroring Charlie ’s report a small too close . A promising beginning comes unraveled by the desire to combust it all down .
Perri Nemiroff , YouTube :
For lack of better phrasing , it ’s a Firestarter movie with no Muriel Spark .
The tenor of these review was somewhat predictable , conceive how the studio did n’t lift the review embargo until the same day as the moving-picture show ’s spill . Typically this exercise is n’t upheld unless the producers lack self-confidence in the picture show ’s ability to thrill reviewer . That way , audiences may have already purchased their tickets before study a review that might otherwise have beat back them away from envision the film .
CurrentlyFirestarteris officially rotten on the reassessment aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , with a total of 17 review bringing it to 29 % . However , the original Drew BarrymoreFirestarterisn’t sitting much prettier , at a rotten total of 37 % . This could reflect the fact that fans of the original picture may also enjoy this new one , continuing to depart from the general critical consensus over the geezerhood .
Next : Firestarter 2022 Cast and Character Guide
Source : Various ( see above )