216 reviews
I'm amazed more people didn't point out the similarities in plot to E.T. when this adult version of basically the same tale came out. Maybe it was because Jeff Bridges performance is absolutely mesmerising, that you're much more interested in the characters than the plot, so you don't notice.
Basically, a perfect little movie. Beautifully and simply set up, the characters develop naturally in such a way that keeps you hooked right through to the end of the film. The strength of the central relationship distracts you from little infelicities, such as the fact that "Jennyhayden" seems remarkably incurious about her alien visitor - even after she gets to know him, it's not until he's about to leave that she asks him what his world is like! The film nicely points out the irony of our having extended welcoming greetings to the Universe, while our own mutual distrust causes us to shoot down every unexpected flying visitor. Having established that, however, Richard Jaekel's character seems to be pursuing the violent solution for its own sake without really exploring any motivation. When Charles Martin Smith points out that our behaviour does appear a little rude, Jaekel doesn't even have an answer for him - he's just going to try to kill the alien because that's his role in the movie I guess!
"Do you know what I find most beautiful about you? You are at your best when things are at their worst."
Well, it has been 19 years - I guess that the "boy baby" has grown up. Time for the sequel, methinks!!
Basically, a perfect little movie. Beautifully and simply set up, the characters develop naturally in such a way that keeps you hooked right through to the end of the film. The strength of the central relationship distracts you from little infelicities, such as the fact that "Jennyhayden" seems remarkably incurious about her alien visitor - even after she gets to know him, it's not until he's about to leave that she asks him what his world is like! The film nicely points out the irony of our having extended welcoming greetings to the Universe, while our own mutual distrust causes us to shoot down every unexpected flying visitor. Having established that, however, Richard Jaekel's character seems to be pursuing the violent solution for its own sake without really exploring any motivation. When Charles Martin Smith points out that our behaviour does appear a little rude, Jaekel doesn't even have an answer for him - he's just going to try to kill the alien because that's his role in the movie I guess!
"Do you know what I find most beautiful about you? You are at your best when things are at their worst."
Well, it has been 19 years - I guess that the "boy baby" has grown up. Time for the sequel, methinks!!
- Clive-Silas
- Jun 4, 2003
- Permalink
I have always admired Jeff Bridges, but it wasn't until now that I realized he made movies when he was younger. So I was surprised to see him in this role as an alien who does not understand anything of what's happening here on earth. I can now understand why he became such a star. His performance is really good, maybe one of the best things Bridges ever did in his career! But the movie is good on all levels. A strong story, that succeeds in avoiding all the predictable jokes about a stranger getting to know the customs of a new environment (like e.g. Crocodile Dundee, or Blast from the Past), good actors, strong directing and great special effects (Bridges' transformation from a baby to an adult!) that never predominate the rest of the story. It's hard to believe this movie is already 18 years old! Like many of these '80-movies, it has this timeless quality that makes a movie worth watching even twenty years later (just like Out of Africa, The Natural, Tootsie, E.T., Blade Runner,...). If you're looking for a sweet and strong movie that gets into your heart, watch this!
- Truman_Burbank
- Feb 26, 2001
- Permalink
Jeff Bridges is one of my favorite actors and it's a shame that he has not yet won an Oscar. He has been acting for thirty-five years and only been nominated four times. Starman (1984) gave him his third nomination and while he had tough competition that year, F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce in Amadeus, his performance is brilliant and every bit as good. The way that Bridges takes the character and the little glitches in his movement and speech are fascinating. It is a complete transformation and it's flawless. I was reminded of how Dustin Hoffman played his character in Rain Man with all his little stutters and twitching, but Hoffman studied the disease and had something to work with. Bridges pulls this performance off from scratch and hits a bullseye. Karen Allen and Charles Martin Smith are both good as well and the score is wonderful. The story may be a bit derivative and there are some story lulls, but who cares. This is a must-see movie simply for Bridges performance.
*** out of ****
*** out of ****
In a joint venture by the governments of the world, a space probe is launched into the farthest reaches of the Galaxy bearing a message from the United Nations, as well as `Greetings' in fifty-four languages; it's purpose is to attempt to contact any extraterrestrial life and proffer an invitation to visit us here on Earth. In `Starman,' directed by John Carpenter, Jeff Bridges stars as the alien who responds, only to be met with a less than cordial greeting once he arrives. Encountering hosts with a militaristic, if-you-can't-identify-it-shoot-it-down attitude, Starman is forced to take refuge and elude the very ones he has traveled so far to see. The burning question of course is, why? And, unfortunately, nobody seems to know. For his striking portrayal of Starman, Bridges deservedly received a Best Actor nomination from the Academy, and it proves to be the highlight of the film. From the outset, even as he is transformed into the vessel he must occupy during his stay with us ( a terrific sequence), his presence on the screen is captivating. He truly creates a unique character, distinct in form and substance, from the physical gestures that define him, to the subtle emotional depth he so aptly demonstrates and uses so well to convey to us who this being really is. It is through him that we are drawn in to this story of the travails with which he is beset during his sojourn upon our world, and with him we can only try to understand the motivation of powerful men who seem to live their lives in fear of the unknown or diverse. As Jenny Hayden, the young woman who through circumstances beyond her control becomes involved with Starman, Karen Allen adds just the right touch of sympathy to underscore the emotional situation in which Jenny finds herself ensconced. And there's just enough chemistry between her and Bridges to make this special relationship between their characters work effectively. Ultimately, how they relate to one another, and the tenderness with which they pursue their objective, becomes the real thrust and focal point of the story. Carpenter, in fact, would have been well advised to have stayed more within the parameters of that relationship and explored the workings thereof, rather than divesting the story into other, less fruitful areas and surrounding the main characters with a plethora of stringent stereotypes. While an entertaining film, `Starman' is surprisingly lacking in originality and imagination, both in story and direction; not to say this isn't a worthwhile endeavor, because it is, and it's definitely worth seeing. But it just seems that Carpenter could have mined the emotional depths a little more, developed the connection between Starman and Jenny more fully. Had he taken that path, this could have been a truly exceptional movie. As it is, it's a good film, better than the average sci-fi offering (especially for it's time, 1984), but given that Bridges brought so much to this with his creation of such a memorable character, the movie as a whole could have been so much more. The supporting cast includes Charles Martin Smith (Mark), Richard Jaeckel (Fox), Robert Phalen (Major Bell), Dirk Blocker (Cop #1) and M.C. Gainey (Cop #2). Although it is not what you would call a `great' or `classic' movie, `Starman' does succeed in making us take pause to reconsider some of our possibly preconceived notions of the way things are or should be; in the end, it's a call for understanding and love between all people everywhere, and a proposition put forth for universal peace. And with a theme like that, combined with the terrific performance by Bridges, you could do a lot worse for an evenings entertainment. I rate this one 7/10.
What a great movie. Although nearly 20 years old it still holds an audience. For all those lovers of things out of this world this movie should be a must see.
A road trip movie with a feel good ending.
A road trip movie with a feel good ending.
- FellowMovieBuff
- Jan 5, 2003
- Permalink
Through the eyes of an alien, we view our world. Such is the beauty of John Carpenter's 'Starman'. His gentle alien comes in the form of a human clone (Jeff Bridges), and as we watch him interact with the rest of our race, we see both the good and the bad in all of us. It is this particular role that I find to be Jeff Bridge's most superb acting (or close to it, given his amazing work in 'The Fisher King'). To me he always did seem an alien in an unfamiliar human body, rather than the actor "Jeff Bridges". While there is certainly some over-simplification in the movie, and it can get a little sappy, I find the 'sap' in this case to be both touching and beautiful. How wonderful, how sad, how miraculous, to watch ourselves through the innocent and wise eyes of this alien being. A brilliant look at human beings, a sweet love story, and an excellent exploration of our spirit.
Starman is certainly a bit of a departure for director John Carpenter. It seems that after the box-office disappointment of The Thing (1982) he decided that his next return to the alien film should be something less scary and more in line with the E.T. (1982) template. The result is a John Carpenter film that is decidedly more gentle natured than we had seen up to that point. After learning about humanity from the space probe Voyager 2 an alien crash lands on Earth and assumes the identity of a dead man. He enlists the reluctant help of the wife of this deceased individual in his mission to return home. Needless to say, the authorities pursue him, hell bent on preventing his departure.
This change of pace for Carpenter is another film which shows the care he gave to all his movies. The story is solid, if nothing especially great. But it's nicely shot and paced, with some engaging performances, especially from Karen Allen as the bemused woman taken along for the ride by the alien. Jeff Bridges puts in an original enough turn as the starman, although it is definitely quite surprising he was Oscar nominated for it. In essence this is a road movie with a romantic sub-plot that is based around a sci-fi premise. It's fairly successful in each of its sub-genres and is a very likable piece of work overall. And for what it's worth, I much preferred it to E.T.
This change of pace for Carpenter is another film which shows the care he gave to all his movies. The story is solid, if nothing especially great. But it's nicely shot and paced, with some engaging performances, especially from Karen Allen as the bemused woman taken along for the ride by the alien. Jeff Bridges puts in an original enough turn as the starman, although it is definitely quite surprising he was Oscar nominated for it. In essence this is a road movie with a romantic sub-plot that is based around a sci-fi premise. It's fairly successful in each of its sub-genres and is a very likable piece of work overall. And for what it's worth, I much preferred it to E.T.
- Red-Barracuda
- Jan 16, 2017
- Permalink
John Carpenter directed "Starman" in 1984, hot off the mega-success of the landmark horror movie "Halloween" in 1978 and the cult science fiction/adventure flick "Escape from New York" in 1981. "Starman" was a significant departure and change-of-pace from all of Carpenter's earlier works.
While essentially a science fiction story involving all the essentials - aliens, the United States Army, government cover-ups, a countrywide chase adventure and what's this, an intergalactic love story? - Carpenter is able to make sense of the material in such a way that it is both respectful to the sci-fi genre, the sci-fi fans, and to the audience members who may not give a crap about this sort of stuff and only want their corn popped.
The biggest surprise about "Starman" is the script by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon. They're able to strip a laughable story of all that makes it laughable and create something new, something that is intelligent, heart-warming, action-packed, and romantic. Carpenter takes his cues from the material and makes everything in this wondrous sci-fi/action piece his own. And who can forget that awesome synthesizer score by Jack Nitzsche (strange since Carpenter usually composes his own film scores)?
Evans and Gideon's script, taking its cues from "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) and "E.T. the Extraterrestrial" (1982), concerns an alien who has come to Earth after answering an invitation he found on the Voyager II space probe. However, his ship is attacked by fighter jets and he manages to make it to the Wisconsin cabin of young widow Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen), still grieving the death of her husband. After sampling DNA taken from a lock of hair of her late husband, the alien grows into a human clone of him, where he is now played by the actor Jeff Bridges.
After overcoming the obvious speech barrier when he learns to speak in English, Starman then requests that Jenny Hayden drive him from Wisconsin to Arizona, where he will meet the mother ship that will take him back to his home planet. Unfortunately, they only have a few days before he'll die from what we can only guess is exposure to our atmosphere. Matters are further complicated when the military becomes involved, desperate to catch Starman at all costs, much to the horror of laboratory rat Mark Shermin (Charles Martin Smith). Along the way, Jenny grows from being fearful of this visitor from another planet, to respecting him and finally loving him, while he gets to learn about human beings and BEING human.
It's not enough to say that both Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen are this film's magical centerpiece. They certainly make for one of the most dynamic, unusual and interesting screen couples in cinematic history, certainly one of the best screen couples in the history of science fiction cinema. The real stand-out of course is Bridges. This is a role that he rightfully received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for. We see no trace of the actor "Jeff Bridges" in there, all we see is "Starman," defined largely by his awkward mannerisms and patterns of speech, and it is a skillful, humorous, and touching performance that is the pure anti-thesis to Carpenter's earlier "The Thing" (1982).
John Carpenter, unfortunately, has not received a whole lot of recognition for this picture. Although it remains his only film to go to the Oscars, I only hope that this touching, once-in-a-lifetime science fiction/adventure-romance gets the recognition it so rightfully deserves.
10/10
While essentially a science fiction story involving all the essentials - aliens, the United States Army, government cover-ups, a countrywide chase adventure and what's this, an intergalactic love story? - Carpenter is able to make sense of the material in such a way that it is both respectful to the sci-fi genre, the sci-fi fans, and to the audience members who may not give a crap about this sort of stuff and only want their corn popped.
The biggest surprise about "Starman" is the script by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon. They're able to strip a laughable story of all that makes it laughable and create something new, something that is intelligent, heart-warming, action-packed, and romantic. Carpenter takes his cues from the material and makes everything in this wondrous sci-fi/action piece his own. And who can forget that awesome synthesizer score by Jack Nitzsche (strange since Carpenter usually composes his own film scores)?
Evans and Gideon's script, taking its cues from "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) and "E.T. the Extraterrestrial" (1982), concerns an alien who has come to Earth after answering an invitation he found on the Voyager II space probe. However, his ship is attacked by fighter jets and he manages to make it to the Wisconsin cabin of young widow Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen), still grieving the death of her husband. After sampling DNA taken from a lock of hair of her late husband, the alien grows into a human clone of him, where he is now played by the actor Jeff Bridges.
After overcoming the obvious speech barrier when he learns to speak in English, Starman then requests that Jenny Hayden drive him from Wisconsin to Arizona, where he will meet the mother ship that will take him back to his home planet. Unfortunately, they only have a few days before he'll die from what we can only guess is exposure to our atmosphere. Matters are further complicated when the military becomes involved, desperate to catch Starman at all costs, much to the horror of laboratory rat Mark Shermin (Charles Martin Smith). Along the way, Jenny grows from being fearful of this visitor from another planet, to respecting him and finally loving him, while he gets to learn about human beings and BEING human.
It's not enough to say that both Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen are this film's magical centerpiece. They certainly make for one of the most dynamic, unusual and interesting screen couples in cinematic history, certainly one of the best screen couples in the history of science fiction cinema. The real stand-out of course is Bridges. This is a role that he rightfully received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for. We see no trace of the actor "Jeff Bridges" in there, all we see is "Starman," defined largely by his awkward mannerisms and patterns of speech, and it is a skillful, humorous, and touching performance that is the pure anti-thesis to Carpenter's earlier "The Thing" (1982).
John Carpenter, unfortunately, has not received a whole lot of recognition for this picture. Although it remains his only film to go to the Oscars, I only hope that this touching, once-in-a-lifetime science fiction/adventure-romance gets the recognition it so rightfully deserves.
10/10
Given director John Carpenter's predilection for horror - I'm thinking HALLOWEEN and THE THING, of course - you wouldn't imagine him to be best suited to the job of directing STARMAN, a cross-country romance with a science fiction twist. And yet he does a blinding job, and STARMAN proves to be a fine little movie; in parts poignant, touching and altogether human.
Although this film came out in the wake of E.T., I find it superior to the overly-sentimental Spielberg movie. The storyline is subtle and the developing central relationship is slow paced, taking time to get to know the protagonists and present them in a realistic light. The love story between Allen and Bridges is low key throughout, and even the love scenes are handled sensitively.
Allen has always seemed to me to be a completely natural actress, free from artifice; she has a rare ability to inhabit her roles which makes you wonder why she didn't become a bigger name. Opposite her in an Oscar-nominated performance stands Jeff Bridges, playing it kooky and mannered as the alien-in-a-man's-body; there's something oddly moving about his role in this film and he soon had me completely engaged in his character.
Yes, I'll admit that I shed a tear or two at the moving climax, even though I'm a totally non-romantic person when it comes to films and you can usually find me watching gory horror flicks instead. Saying that, watch out for the utterly eerie scene at the opening when a baby transforms into a man. This scene scared the hell out of me when I saw it as a kid, and even today the icky sound and physical effects bring to mind a certain ice-bound Carpenter classic!
Although this film came out in the wake of E.T., I find it superior to the overly-sentimental Spielberg movie. The storyline is subtle and the developing central relationship is slow paced, taking time to get to know the protagonists and present them in a realistic light. The love story between Allen and Bridges is low key throughout, and even the love scenes are handled sensitively.
Allen has always seemed to me to be a completely natural actress, free from artifice; she has a rare ability to inhabit her roles which makes you wonder why she didn't become a bigger name. Opposite her in an Oscar-nominated performance stands Jeff Bridges, playing it kooky and mannered as the alien-in-a-man's-body; there's something oddly moving about his role in this film and he soon had me completely engaged in his character.
Yes, I'll admit that I shed a tear or two at the moving climax, even though I'm a totally non-romantic person when it comes to films and you can usually find me watching gory horror flicks instead. Saying that, watch out for the utterly eerie scene at the opening when a baby transforms into a man. This scene scared the hell out of me when I saw it as a kid, and even today the icky sound and physical effects bring to mind a certain ice-bound Carpenter classic!
- Leofwine_draca
- Aug 19, 2012
- Permalink
- Howlin Wolf
- Apr 19, 2006
- Permalink
Starman is directed with panache and confidence by one of my all time favorite directors John Carpenter; what follows is a fairly memorable ride. It's slightly derivative, but it's so entertaining, it didn't matter in the whole scheme of things. The heart and soul of this movie is Jeff Bridges; the weight falls on his shoulders, and he is more than up for the task. He could have played the role in very corny fashion, but he felt like somebody that wasn't human. Watching him evolve throughout the film was a delight to watch, and so was his chemistry with Karen Allen. Karen Allen is pretty awesome herself in a more subtle way. She is extremely likable, and very easy on the eyes to boot. There were a couple questionable decisions I had with her character, but other than that, she was excellent. I didn't care for the "government trying to stop him" thing though. It's a natural part of the movie and had to happen, but I thought it was rather blandly done and they didn't go far enough with it. They redeemed themselves with a pretty good ending to end things on.
Final Thoughts: Minor carps aside, I really enjoyed this film. It deserves to be talked about in the upper echelon of Carpenter's films. If you're a fan of Jeff Bridges & John Carpenter, or just want a solid Sci-Fi film to watch, this is a good selection
7.5/10
Final Thoughts: Minor carps aside, I really enjoyed this film. It deserves to be talked about in the upper echelon of Carpenter's films. If you're a fan of Jeff Bridges & John Carpenter, or just want a solid Sci-Fi film to watch, this is a good selection
7.5/10
- callanvass
- Aug 27, 2013
- Permalink
If anyone can take a movie which involves extraterrestrials coming to our planet and close the door on the sci-fi elements of the story, it's John Carpenter. The films relationship to outer space is quickly closed off and the film's focus becomes the relationship between humanity and alien-life as it exists in a complicated relationship of love. Jenny Hayden (played by Karen Allen) finds it difficult to accept that her late husband's image is being used by an alien so it can stay somewhat undercover from our government forces. After Jenny discovers that Starman means her no harm and the alien desperately needs to get him before Earth's elements kill him. Jenny becomes sympathetic towards him and even begins to fall in love. The question that remains is whether or not, with the aid of Jenny, Starman can return home safely.
Obviously when you require a human actor to successfully portray a visitor from another planet while in a human body, one needs to choose a talented cast. The acting by Jeff Bridges is exquisite as he is able to show how understanding and misunderstanding the English language as well as facial expressions impacts the level of success in regards to communication. With his limited knowledge of the English language and his unfamiliarity with human expressions, Bridges must portray a being that not only does not understand but does not become frustrated with the complexities of human behavior.
This John Carpenter film differs from his other directing jobs simply because he does not use the same style and techniques that he frequently used in films such as Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, and the Fog. Despite being stripped of Carpenter's 'Carpenter-ness', the film is shot very well and keeps it simple. The acting as well as the light-hearted story, carry this film, as opposed to Carpenter using his techniques in the aforementioned films to carry them to their respective conclusions. Overall, this film successfully portrays the love story, the sci-fi subtext, and human misunderstanding.
Obviously when you require a human actor to successfully portray a visitor from another planet while in a human body, one needs to choose a talented cast. The acting by Jeff Bridges is exquisite as he is able to show how understanding and misunderstanding the English language as well as facial expressions impacts the level of success in regards to communication. With his limited knowledge of the English language and his unfamiliarity with human expressions, Bridges must portray a being that not only does not understand but does not become frustrated with the complexities of human behavior.
This John Carpenter film differs from his other directing jobs simply because he does not use the same style and techniques that he frequently used in films such as Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, and the Fog. Despite being stripped of Carpenter's 'Carpenter-ness', the film is shot very well and keeps it simple. The acting as well as the light-hearted story, carry this film, as opposed to Carpenter using his techniques in the aforementioned films to carry them to their respective conclusions. Overall, this film successfully portrays the love story, the sci-fi subtext, and human misunderstanding.
The film talks about a widow (Karen Allen) who solely lives in a countryside cottage and embittered for his husband's death when suddenly crashes a craft appearing an alien that takes shape from him (Jeff Bridges). He brings a rare balls with possibility making prodigies . Starman abducts her but they fall in love and she'll help him to travel cross country for an encounter in Arizona State . They're pursued by a scientific (Charles Martin Smith) , authorities(Richard Jaeckel) and army .
It's a sensitive romance story where duo starring is splendid . The picture is an agreeable romantic tale with adventures , suspense , tension , comedy and results to be pretty entertaining . It's a feeling and agreeable motion picture , including a crossover between Love Story (Arthur Hiller) , ET (Spielberg) , Walt Disney's imagination and road movies . Jeff Bridges as the likable , naive , stranger but vulnerable Starman is top-notch . Karen Allen (recently successful with ¨Raiders of the lost Ark¨) is enticing and sensual . Jack Nietzche score is moving and touching , though with excessive use of synthesizer ,I miss symphonic music . Starman transformation is carried out by the three greatest artists on make-up : Dick Smith , Rick Baker and Stan Winston . The picture was very well directed by John Carpenter . Being the only John Carpenter film to have an Academy Award nomination , Jeff Bridges as Best Actor . The main reason for which Carpenter directed 'Starman' was that after the box-office disaster of The Thing (1982), he needed to make a movie that was the complete opposite of what 'The Thing' was so he could continue to work in Hollywood . The pic obtained important reception by the public and attained quite a few success at box office . Some years later , it was followed by a television series with Robert Hays as Starman . The yarn will appeal to science fiction and romantic cinema fans. Rating : Good and enjoyable.
It's a sensitive romance story where duo starring is splendid . The picture is an agreeable romantic tale with adventures , suspense , tension , comedy and results to be pretty entertaining . It's a feeling and agreeable motion picture , including a crossover between Love Story (Arthur Hiller) , ET (Spielberg) , Walt Disney's imagination and road movies . Jeff Bridges as the likable , naive , stranger but vulnerable Starman is top-notch . Karen Allen (recently successful with ¨Raiders of the lost Ark¨) is enticing and sensual . Jack Nietzche score is moving and touching , though with excessive use of synthesizer ,I miss symphonic music . Starman transformation is carried out by the three greatest artists on make-up : Dick Smith , Rick Baker and Stan Winston . The picture was very well directed by John Carpenter . Being the only John Carpenter film to have an Academy Award nomination , Jeff Bridges as Best Actor . The main reason for which Carpenter directed 'Starman' was that after the box-office disaster of The Thing (1982), he needed to make a movie that was the complete opposite of what 'The Thing' was so he could continue to work in Hollywood . The pic obtained important reception by the public and attained quite a few success at box office . Some years later , it was followed by a television series with Robert Hays as Starman . The yarn will appeal to science fiction and romantic cinema fans. Rating : Good and enjoyable.
This beautiful and funny science fiction film comes very close to being my all-time favorite movie. This film is about love. An alien lands on Earth to investigate the life-forms, and encounters Karen Allen. A cross-country chase ensues as our alien has to meet up with his starship in Arizona.
But for me, the main point of this film is not the chase, the cloning by the alien, the humor throughout the film, or the eventual outcome which led into the subsequent TV series. The focal point comes in the diner where our alien asks Karen Allen to "Define Love." If everyone would take this definition to heart, this world would be a much better place!
This is what movie making should strive to achieve. This film has virtually everything... romance, humor, action, suspense, a gorgeous soundtrack, beautiful cinematography, an intelligent screenplay with a most important message, and talented actors and actresses. I gave it a SOLID 10!
But for me, the main point of this film is not the chase, the cloning by the alien, the humor throughout the film, or the eventual outcome which led into the subsequent TV series. The focal point comes in the diner where our alien asks Karen Allen to "Define Love." If everyone would take this definition to heart, this world would be a much better place!
This is what movie making should strive to achieve. This film has virtually everything... romance, humor, action, suspense, a gorgeous soundtrack, beautiful cinematography, an intelligent screenplay with a most important message, and talented actors and actresses. I gave it a SOLID 10!
At the time John Carpenter made 'Starman', he was widely regarded as a horror director, with films like 'Halloween', 'The Fog', 'The Thing' and 'Christine'. Being a John Carpenter film, 'Starman' could very well have gone into so many different directions. Instead, this is a very reserved and believable alien movie.
'Starman' has a simple premise, and I rather enjoyed this simplicity. Having intercepted a message from Earth, an alien is sent to Earth to make contact. However, his craft is shot down. Now, the alien only has three days to live, and needs to get to Arizona in order to be saved by his kind. The film follows Jenny (Karen Allen) and the alien, Starman, on a journey across country to Arizona. What follows, is a hilarious, action-packed adventure. When I say hilarious, this is not a comedy, but there are some real funny moments thanks to Starman's ignorance and rather failed attempt at being human. He doesn't understand English very well, and neither can he comprehend some of humanity's customs.
'Starman' features excellent and very sincere performances by Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen. This is a fun action adventure with a powerful message and a beautiful ending. I loved this! I actually never expected it to be this good!
'Starman' has a simple premise, and I rather enjoyed this simplicity. Having intercepted a message from Earth, an alien is sent to Earth to make contact. However, his craft is shot down. Now, the alien only has three days to live, and needs to get to Arizona in order to be saved by his kind. The film follows Jenny (Karen Allen) and the alien, Starman, on a journey across country to Arizona. What follows, is a hilarious, action-packed adventure. When I say hilarious, this is not a comedy, but there are some real funny moments thanks to Starman's ignorance and rather failed attempt at being human. He doesn't understand English very well, and neither can he comprehend some of humanity's customs.
'Starman' features excellent and very sincere performances by Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen. This is a fun action adventure with a powerful message and a beautiful ending. I loved this! I actually never expected it to be this good!
- paulclaassen
- Dec 26, 2020
- Permalink
In 1977, the Voyager 2 travels to the outer space with messages of peace and greetings from Earth. A small alien spacecraft comes to Earth to make contact with Earthlings but the military airplanes shoot it down. The spacecraft crashes in Chequamegon Bay, Wisconsin and the alien wanders in a form of energy to the house of the young widow Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen), where he uses the DNA from a hair of her husband Scott (Jeff Bridges) to take his human form. The Starman contacts his mother ship and he needs to be in a crater Arizona in a couple of days to return to his star; otherwise he will be left behind and will die.
The Starman forces Jenny to take him to Arizona and she is hostile with him in the beginning. However, she learns that he is a peaceful being and she chooses to help him. But the army is chasing them and the despicable NSA chief George Fox (Richard Jaeckel) wants to hunt him down while the SETI scientist Mark Shermin (Charles Martin Smith) wants to help The Starman since he is sure that he has come to visit Earth peacefully.
"Starman" is still a wonderful sci-fi after thirty years. Nominated to the Oscar and to the Golden Globe, Jeff Bridges has magnificent performance and chemistry with Karen Allen. John Carpenter succeeds once again and makes a movie with a beautiful story, with drama, romance, action and humor. I saw this movie many times in the past on VHS but today I saw it on Blu-Ray. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Starman - O Homem das Estrelas" ("Starman - The Man from the Stars")
Note: On 25 Aug 2020, I saw this film again.
The Starman forces Jenny to take him to Arizona and she is hostile with him in the beginning. However, she learns that he is a peaceful being and she chooses to help him. But the army is chasing them and the despicable NSA chief George Fox (Richard Jaeckel) wants to hunt him down while the SETI scientist Mark Shermin (Charles Martin Smith) wants to help The Starman since he is sure that he has come to visit Earth peacefully.
"Starman" is still a wonderful sci-fi after thirty years. Nominated to the Oscar and to the Golden Globe, Jeff Bridges has magnificent performance and chemistry with Karen Allen. John Carpenter succeeds once again and makes a movie with a beautiful story, with drama, romance, action and humor. I saw this movie many times in the past on VHS but today I saw it on Blu-Ray. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Starman - O Homem das Estrelas" ("Starman - The Man from the Stars")
Note: On 25 Aug 2020, I saw this film again.
- claudio_carvalho
- Jan 19, 2014
- Permalink
John Carpenter, famous for horror, took a totally different approach with "Starman". And a really good one at that. Jeff Bridges plays an alien who lands on earth and materializes in the form of a woman's (Karen Allen) deceased husband. As happens frequently, the government then comes after him.
Part of how I interpreted this movie was the time when I watched it. I saw it in October 2001, right after the September 11 attacks. Whereas the country was in a state of fear, this film promotes tolerance, and it was good to see something like that in the midst of xenophobic fear-mongering.
But even aside from that, it's a really mesmerizing story. To reverse what the Rolling Stones sang, I got satisfaction through this movie. Also starring Charles Martin Smith (Toad in "American Graffiti").
Part of how I interpreted this movie was the time when I watched it. I saw it in October 2001, right after the September 11 attacks. Whereas the country was in a state of fear, this film promotes tolerance, and it was good to see something like that in the midst of xenophobic fear-mongering.
But even aside from that, it's a really mesmerizing story. To reverse what the Rolling Stones sang, I got satisfaction through this movie. Also starring Charles Martin Smith (Toad in "American Graffiti").
- lee_eisenberg
- Oct 6, 2008
- Permalink
The achingly gorgeous Karen Allen and the sublime Jeff Bridges star in this story of love and innocence.
A magical movie, with a poignant, otherworldly score sees John Carpenter direct a movie outside his usual genre. Well, all the planets came into alignment for this one, as it is a heart warming emotionally involving ride from start to finish.
This would be one of my 10 "Desert Island" movies.
A magical movie, with a poignant, otherworldly score sees John Carpenter direct a movie outside his usual genre. Well, all the planets came into alignment for this one, as it is a heart warming emotionally involving ride from start to finish.
This would be one of my 10 "Desert Island" movies.
- andrew.harrison
- Aug 14, 2003
- Permalink
This is not necessarily a movie you would expect from director John Carpenter, who is of course still best known for his horror work. It's a dramatic, romantic, science-fiction movie with some comical touches to it. Still Carpenter's love for the horror genre also still shows in the movie at times, in the way some sequences are build up and due to its camera-work.
It's a movie about an alien who crashes on earth and starts to learn about life on earth and all of its earthly customs and humane emotions, such as foremost love (of course), when he takes over the form of the recently deceased husband of a young widow. No, not entirely original, since I mentioned before this movie is like The Day the Earth Stood Still ", meets "Solyaris", meets "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" done John Carpenter style. This however doesn't mean that this movie isn't good on its own right though. It's an effective movie with all of its themes, though it also needs to be said that the movie is also a bit of a lackluster and I wish some more was happening in this movie and it went just a bit further with its themes at times. The movie is just good as it is know but I couldn't help wondering how much better the movie actually could had been, especially also when you've seen all of the three previously mentioned before movies, that are like this one. The movie is also quite predictable with its story and the way it progresses.
Whatever went wrong with Charles Martin Smith's career? He starred in some great movies in the '80's but we haven't heard much of him ever-since that, except for some small cameos in big movies. The same of course somewhat goes for Karen Allen, who is mostly only known for her role in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", which gave her eternal fame. Earlier this year she repriced her role in the fourth Indiana Jones establishment "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". Jeff Bridges received his third Oscar nomination for this movie. I don't think many people know that Jeff Bridges is actually a four time Oscar nominee, as of yet.
A fine watchable, unexpected, different movie from John Carpenter.
7/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
It's a movie about an alien who crashes on earth and starts to learn about life on earth and all of its earthly customs and humane emotions, such as foremost love (of course), when he takes over the form of the recently deceased husband of a young widow. No, not entirely original, since I mentioned before this movie is like The Day the Earth Stood Still ", meets "Solyaris", meets "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" done John Carpenter style. This however doesn't mean that this movie isn't good on its own right though. It's an effective movie with all of its themes, though it also needs to be said that the movie is also a bit of a lackluster and I wish some more was happening in this movie and it went just a bit further with its themes at times. The movie is just good as it is know but I couldn't help wondering how much better the movie actually could had been, especially also when you've seen all of the three previously mentioned before movies, that are like this one. The movie is also quite predictable with its story and the way it progresses.
Whatever went wrong with Charles Martin Smith's career? He starred in some great movies in the '80's but we haven't heard much of him ever-since that, except for some small cameos in big movies. The same of course somewhat goes for Karen Allen, who is mostly only known for her role in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", which gave her eternal fame. Earlier this year she repriced her role in the fourth Indiana Jones establishment "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". Jeff Bridges received his third Oscar nomination for this movie. I don't think many people know that Jeff Bridges is actually a four time Oscar nominee, as of yet.
A fine watchable, unexpected, different movie from John Carpenter.
7/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
- Boba_Fett1138
- Sep 2, 2008
- Permalink
I expected a lot more out of this movie. For one thing it's John Carpenter. He obviously didn't write the script for this film but even though it was weak and trite I still felt that he could have done something more with it. For one thing the special effects are almost all CGI and bad CGI at that. Lovers of The Thing will be highly disappointed. The story is a simple romantic one at it's core and while I'm not completely adverse to that I can't say that this one ever really drew me in enough to care for what happened between the characters. The beginning especially felt really cobbled together, the story really lacks cohesiveness and it goes beyond believability. Not because it features aliens but that the things that happen don't even make sense within the sphere of plausible credibility within the story. The atmosphere is non-existent, the dialogue is weak and boring. It has some nice cinematography, as always with Carpenter, but it's not enough to save the movie.
- nick121235
- Jan 31, 2017
- Permalink
For a horror director as accomplished as John Carpenter a strange choice of film perhaps, but this film has no pretensions about its simple message and certainly packs an emotional punch. The score from Jack Nitsche adds a dreamlike, epic atmosphere and the effects still hold up years later. Strangely compelling.
- doug falconer
- Apr 26, 2000
- Permalink