For my October Stephen King watch plan at Andy at The Movies, I doubled up on FIRESTARTER—the 1984 original and the 2022 remake. One still throws a few honest sparks; the other…is damp wood. See what I did there. Check out the details below and give last week’s KVNU For the People Movie Show a listen as we chatted about the two FIRESTARTER films.
FIRESTARTER (1984) — Dated, Yes. But Closest to the Book.
College sweethearts Andy and Vicky McGee develop psychic abilities after a shady drug trial. Their daughter, Charlie, inherits something far stronger: pyrokinesis. The government front known as “The Shop” hunts the family to weaponize the kid; scorched earth ensues as Charlie learns what her power can do and what it costs.
It’s definitely a time capsule—some effects and line readings earn modern giggles—and it’s arguably the softest R I’ve seen in ages (released just before the INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM ratings fuss; today this would be PG-13). But it’s also the most book-accurate take, with room for paranoia, pursuit, and father-daughter bonding to breathe.
Take a peek at this cast:
David Keith — Andy McGee (Dad with the “push”)
Drew Barrymore — Charlie McGee (small, sad, and occasionally napalm)
Heather Locklear — Vicky McGee (you’ll never look at oven mitts the same again)
Martin Sheen — Captain Hollister (Shop boss with a smile)
George C. Scott — John Rainbird (yes, playing Native American—yikes in 2025 context)
Art Carney — Irv Manders (anyone remember him playing Harry in ST. HELENS, a made-for-cable HBO movie that premiered in 1981?)
Freddie Jones — Dr. Joseph Wanless (the “we created a bomb” guy)
Moses Gunn — Dr. Pynchot (he stays alive in the movie longer than the book, and doesn’t buy it like he does in the pages of King’s novel)
It’s a who’s-who of Reagan-era faces, and that nostalgia goes a long way. Look, the movie is creaky—but it honors King’s paranoia-on-the-run vibe and keeps the heart where it belongs: Andy and Charlie against the world.
FIRESTARTER (2022) — Same Names, No Soul.
Same setup in theory—The Shop chasing the McGees—but streamlined to a fault. Andy’s powers feel nerfed, the chase lacks dread, and character turns arrive because the script says so, not because anything was built to earn them. And there’s a scene with a torched feline that is funny-as-hell and really has no business making me giggle. That’s how bad this movie truly is.
Main cast:
Zac Efron — Andy McGee
Ryan Kiera Armstrong — Charlie McGee
Sydney Lemmon — Vicky McGee
Michael Greyeyes — John Rainbird
Gloria Reuben — Captain Hollister
Kurtwood Smith — Dr. Wanless
Rarely do movies make me mad (THE HAPPENING says hello), but this one did. Aside from sharing the FIRESTARTER name and character names, it feels spiritually unrelated to the book. The momentum is stop-start, the emotional stakes are thin, and choices that should blister barely smolder. It’s “cinematic crap” not because it’s incompetent, but because it’s hollow—like a first draft that forgot to add the human stuff and the dread.
FIRESTARTER (1984) is dated and sometimes laughable by 2025 standards—but it’s the faithful version with a killer 80s roster and a beating heart. FIRESTARTER (2022) is a modern shell: slicker on paper, emptier on screen. If you’re doing the King run, watch ’84 for the blueprint and the performances… and treat 2022 like a cautionary tale about how not to “update” Stephen King.
FIRESTARTER Face-Off — 1984’s Bonkers Cast vs. 2022’s Dud
For my October Stephen King watch plan at Andy at The Movies, I doubled up on FIRESTARTER—the 1984 original and the 2022 remake. One still throws a few honest sparks; the other…is damp wood. See what I did there. Check out the details below and give last week’s KVNU For the People Movie Show a listen as we chatted about the two FIRESTARTER films.
FIRESTARTER (1984) — Dated, Yes. But Closest to the Book.
College sweethearts Andy and Vicky McGee develop psychic abilities after a shady drug trial. Their daughter, Charlie, inherits something far stronger: pyrokinesis. The government front known as “The Shop” hunts the family to weaponize the kid; scorched earth ensues as Charlie learns what her power can do and what it costs.
It’s definitely a time capsule—some effects and line readings earn modern giggles—and it’s arguably the softest R I’ve seen in ages (released just before the INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM ratings fuss; today this would be PG-13). But it’s also the most book-accurate take, with room for paranoia, pursuit, and father-daughter bonding to breathe.
Take a peek at this cast:
David Keith — Andy McGee (Dad with the “push”)
Drew Barrymore — Charlie McGee (small, sad, and occasionally napalm)
Heather Locklear — Vicky McGee (you’ll never look at oven mitts the same again)
Martin Sheen — Captain Hollister (Shop boss with a smile)
George C. Scott — John Rainbird (yes, playing Native American—yikes in 2025 context)
Art Carney — Irv Manders (anyone remember him playing Harry in ST. HELENS, a made-for-cable HBO movie that premiered in 1981?)
Louise Fletcher — Norma Manders (Louise won best actress for ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST in 1976)
Freddie Jones — Dr. Joseph Wanless (the “we created a bomb” guy)
Moses Gunn — Dr. Pynchot (he stays alive in the movie longer than the book, and doesn’t buy it like he does in the pages of King’s novel)
It’s a who’s-who of Reagan-era faces, and that nostalgia goes a long way. Look, the movie is creaky—but it honors King’s paranoia-on-the-run vibe and keeps the heart where it belongs: Andy and Charlie against the world.
FIRESTARTER (2022) — Same Names, No Soul.
Same setup in theory—The Shop chasing the McGees—but streamlined to a fault. Andy’s powers feel nerfed, the chase lacks dread, and character turns arrive because the script says so, not because anything was built to earn them. And there’s a scene with a torched feline that is funny-as-hell and really has no business making me giggle. That’s how bad this movie truly is.
Main cast:
Zac Efron — Andy McGee
Ryan Kiera Armstrong — Charlie McGee
Sydney Lemmon — Vicky McGee
Michael Greyeyes — John Rainbird
Gloria Reuben — Captain Hollister
Kurtwood Smith — Dr. Wanless
Rarely do movies make me mad (THE HAPPENING says hello), but this one did. Aside from sharing the FIRESTARTER name and character names, it feels spiritually unrelated to the book. The momentum is stop-start, the emotional stakes are thin, and choices that should blister barely smolder. It’s “cinematic crap” not because it’s incompetent, but because it’s hollow—like a first draft that forgot to add the human stuff and the dread.
FIRESTARTER (1984) is dated and sometimes laughable by 2025 standards—but it’s the faithful version with a killer 80s roster and a beating heart. FIRESTARTER (2022) is a modern shell: slicker on paper, emptier on screen. If you’re doing the King run, watch ’84 for the blueprint and the performances… and treat 2022 like a cautionary tale about how not to “update” Stephen King.