If you’ve never heard of the original Firestarter by Stephen King or seen the 1984 film with Drew Barrymore, who even are you? One of Mother of Movies’ all-time favorite films, 2022 sees the story of a young girl who discovers she has a very unique power remade into a shiny new edition. But am I remembering correctly? After watching the remake I took to a few review sites and was surprised to see many lackluster and less-than-enthusiastic comments. It also stands that the origin movie sits with a rating of 6/10 on IMBd.com, hardly mindblowing. So was the novel that caused such a rebuke of the remake really at fault?
Firestarter the movie as a premise is and should be an easy win. Especially as a remake with fancy and new special effects. But like a recent so-called superhero film that morphed a crippled doctor into a raging bat-head, somehow the remake of Firestarter only just cuts the mustard. Firestarter has a girl who can light fires. With her mind. Not only that, but her parents were also prone to neat abilities in a similar vein to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s mind control. How can something so very, very cool, come out lacking?
Firestarter Movie
There are definitely a few differences between the original title and the new shiny one. Suffice it to say though, both films also stray from the novel from time to time. The new Firestarter movie, however, veers way too far for my liking. The biggest crime in the 2022 version though is with the RainBird character. In both the novel and the original film, his main pull is that he blends in undercover. In the remake, he is simply commissioned and turns up as an immediate villain to both Charlie and her father Andy. This flaw in the remake made the ending of the movie quite unpalatable. Especially given, that the filmmakers decided it was he who killed Charlie’s mother.
So while both films might fail in some way here and there depending on what you were expecting going in, the 1984 version is still the superior film. Firestarter 2022 had everything going for it and wasted it by changing a pivotal core premise plot point of the narrative. Not only that but it didn’t provide anything substantial over the first film.
The Firestarter movie is watchable and easy to follow over its predecessor but that doesn’t give it an edge. And both needed more fires. Just saying. The 1984 Firestarter had more though.
Firestarter Cast
Playing the delightful Charlie Mcgee is Ryan Kiera Armstrong (American Horror TV Series and IT Chapter 2.) Zac Efron is in the role of her father Andy with Sydney Lemmon as Charlie’s mother. In addition cast for Firestarter include Michael Greyeyes, Gloria Reuben, and Kurtwood Smith.
Directed by Keith Thomas (The Vigil.) Screenplay by Scott Teems (Halloween Kills and The Quarry.)
“Firestarter Film” Where to Watch
The Firestarter movie is streaming for free in the USA on Peacock. For more options of where to see the new remake of the 1984 film starring Drew Barrymore, see below and choose where you want to see the movie.
“Firestarter” Where To Watch:
Firestarter Filming Locations
Filming locations for the Firestarter movie were heavily based in Ontario, Canada. Pivotal scenes were filmed at Lewiston Elementary School and the Dundas Valley Conservation Area as well as Morgan Firestone Arena.
Firestarter Rating
Early reviews for the Firestarter movie have shown a general dissatisfaction with the new version. IMBd.com has the flick rated at a measly 4.6/10. Complaints vary citing the special effects and improvement over the original but that the storyline overall felt cheap. Rotten Tomatoes also rates the film as a failure between both critics and general audiences with more than 50,000 people rating it a lowly 53%.
