Firestarter Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Firestarter Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 12, 2022

A movie like Firestarter has its work cut out for it. Not only is this remake going to be harshly scrutinized against the original 1984 film, it must also stand up against the original Stephen King novel that inspired it. This film compares favorably enough; it might be at the bottom of the totem pole of the three, but this is a serviceable reexamination of the core story with a modern take. It is not set in the time of the novel but rather the present day. However, the core elements remain. The movie further brings contemporary moviemaking sensibilities and some plot conveniences the modern world allows, but this is Firestarter at its core, even set a few decades later and built with a little more in terms of structural slickness.

...Now with more CGI!

Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) is different. Her parents (Zac Efron and Sydney Lemmon) know that all too well, because they are different, too. As a baby, she could ignite fires with her mind. As a young girl on the cusp of her teenage years, she is still harboring that same dark, and dangerous, secret. That secret has cost her any semblance of a real social life. She is called “special” at home, a “freak” at school, and she calls herself a “monster.” Her efforts to control the fiery range within are complicated when a secret agency known as DSI, spearheaded by the mysterious Jane Hollister (Gloria Reuben), hires a determined, dangerous, and deadly bounty hunter (Michael Greyeyes) to track her down and bring her in alive. Soon, it's Charlie and her father on the run and a race to bring Charlie in control of her abilities, control enough to restrain her when necessary and to let her powers loose as the situation warrants.

The film follows a pretty routine construction: it introduces the characters and the plot driving narrative characteristics, it brings in a drama-inducing and action-allowing chase component, and it intersperses a few “scary” scenes throughout in order to keep the film honest to its Horror roots. However, the film is less a “Horror” film and more of a character-driven Thriller with supernatural components, but it does manage to find some balance to that structure, particularly as it puts in a real effort to build some much-needed character growth as Charlie attempts to both harness her powers and her emotions along the way, leading to the inevitably fiery climax.

What sets this version of Firestarter apart from the original is the modern filmmaking, contemporary setting, and current sensibilities. It’s a slicker movie compared to the original, but its improvements are generally just skin deep. While the original is no classic in its own right, and the story probably doesn’t crack the top five of King’s best written works, this film adaptation really adds nothing to the experience beyond that external fine tuning. The cast does a good job all around, with Zac Efron playing a part that is beyond his normal sphere and young Ryan Kiera Armstrong really selling the lead character quite well. However, the end question is really this: is it worth it? The movie is a good watch, there is no mistake about that, but it is also fairly superfluous, a “nice to have” rather than a true necessity within the genre or even in the small Firestarter universe.

Firestarter Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Firestarter was digitally photographed and generally looks very good on Blu-ray. The film is pervasively dark, often looking dim at best, flat and sometimes a bit hazy for maximum visual effect, impact, and support of the tonal themes that drive the film. That leaves the color sometimes a bit drained, but in good light -- Charlie luring a cat out of hiding at the 39-minute mark -- the picture excels for color balance and effectiveness. Of course, bright flames engulf the TV screen with superb brightness and color fidelity defining the oranges, reds, and whites. Skin tones look fine within any given shot, scene, or sequence's context and black levels are likewise good. Detail is fine, nothing extraordinary but the Blu-ray resolution allows for a satisfyingly sharp appearance to faces, clothes, and environments. There's not much more to say in that area. The film does reveal some low light noise on occasion; the most obvious example comes when Hollister and Wanless (Kurtwood Smith) converse for a few minutes around the forty-minute mark. Otherwise, there are no significant source or encode flaws to report.

Firestarter Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Universal brings Firestarter to Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track expresses excellent depth and detail. Music is expertly crafted and implemented with seamless clarity and precision placement across the front and in the two active rear channels. The subwoofer offers honest depth in support as well. Action scenes are presented with incredible low-end power, particularly the fire, of course, but a few gunshots heard around the hour-mark offer positive depth and impact. Environmental support is well defined with seamless clarity and surround integration. Dialogue is clear and center-positioned for the duration.

Firestarter Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Firestarter contains deleted scenes, an alternate ending, a gag reel, a few featurettes, and an audio commentary track. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Alternate Ending (1080p, 2:43): A different take on the film's fiery finale.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (1080p, 20:14 total runtime): Included are Andy Reflects in Mirror; Andy's Lot Six Nightmare - Extended; Wanless Gets a Visitor - Extended; Rainbird Scare/Wildlife Hunt; Charlie Treks to Find Andy; Charlie Counting Down "Five, Four, Three, Lies;" and Andy's Visionary Escape from the Cell.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 1:06): Humorous moments from the shoot.
• A Kinetic Energy (1080p, 6:04): Discussing why this is the right time for remaking the movie and returning to the original King source; characters, casting, and performances; and Keith Thomas' direction.
• Spark a Fire (1080p, 3:43): More on character qualities, King's writing and characters, story themes, holding to the book's emotional center, the metaphor of fire in the film, and more.
• Igniting Firestarter (1080p, 3:38): Exploring the making of some of the film's most intense (and fiery!) scenes and visual effects. It also looks at fire safety on the set for the brave stunt performers who took the heat for the making of the movie.
• Power Struggle (1080p, 3:28): Crafting a key confrontation scene in the film.
• Audio Commentary: Director Keith Thomas guides audiences through the film.

Firestarter Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Firestarter is a good movie. It's not great, but it's good enough to warrant a watch. It's not good enough to really validate its existence, but maybe for the teenage crowd who would rather soak up another Blumhouse film rather than give the time of day to something that was made a couple of decades before they were born it will prove a viable enough release. Fans of the original film or book might find it a passable way to kill 90 minutes, too, but ultimately the film's legacy will be little more than a footnote. Universal's Blu-ray is solid all around, offering good quality video, excellent lossless audio, and a fair assortment of extras. Worth a look for sure on a good sale.