Starman

In the mid-80s, John Carpenter was already an established director of stylishly made B movies, which had a very decent commercial impact within their possibilities, and so he got the opportunity to shoot a generously conceived sci-fi about the arrival of an alien on our planet for a major studio. Although I consider Carpenter a solid director and I don't see a weakness in the directing approach, the film didn't impress me at the time. The problem lies in the screenplay and the overall approach to the subject. It's a bland and mediocre sci-fi melodrama that, for me, elicited a condescending smile several times and even a chuckle in one case - when Karen Allen learns that their son will one day become an engineer. Overall impression: 45%. (23/06/2006)

The hot potato of Starman's long-circulating script, which needed to get on screens as quickly as possible after the success of E.T., landed in Carpenter's lap because he supposedly wanted to try something a little different with the characters and their relationships, but in retrospect even he admits that this was mainly due to the fact that he simply didn't have much to choose from after the disastrous reception of The Thing. In the end, Starman impresses the most with its original, sometimes quite epic special effects (the fall of the UFO into the forest is luxuriously grandiose, the subsequent formation of the alien into a human being is again rather disgustingly uncanny) and its appealing inclusion of various B-movie archetypes and situations. But I don't at all swallow the romance between the alien being, with grimaces resembling a bad trip trying to break through layers of Botox through which he utters phrases like "Define beautiful", "Define love", or "I gave you a baby." Ugh. The general poignancy of a childlike, guileless protagonist who unravels our life certainties with the kindness of simple questions, combined with an Oscar nomination (say whaaaaaaaaat?!), reminds us once again of the need to succumb to these little princes and their simple truths, because it's just easier than slowly and patiently unraveling and defining one's complicated and chaotic existence. Plus, thanks to this movie, another insufferable space smartass has fallen from the sky, prot, so the black spot for this one. (29/09/2020)

I didn't expect anything from this movie, but John Carpenter once again surprised me. Besides choosing quite an interesting topic, which is mainly a romance but also social criticism, the humor portrayed here is pleasant and graceful, which is not always the case with John. Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen make a great couple that works mesmerizingly well. Jeff then delivers one of his many incredible performances. (28/03/2015)

A thrilling story of a shipwrecked alien (the Oscar-nominated Jeff Bridges) who wants to return home. You might argue that the topic has been revisited too many times today. Fair enough. However, John Carpenter completely infused Starman with his unique style and feel, so this sci-fi stands out and touches our hearts at many moments. Plus, the ending is brilliantly scripted. A lovely piece of nostalgia. (21/04/2018)