Posted: 02/12/2011

Starman Review

by Robert Baum

Review: Starman (1984)

Fans of John Carpenter might be surprised by his latest cinematic venture. There is little blood, no gore and no death. Jeff Bridges essays the title role of Starman, an extraterrestrial explorer that discovers romance with a lonely widow (Karen Allen).
The being’s vessel, initially believed to be of an alien origin—as in a certain competing superpower—is intercepted by American fighter jets. Their missiles only succeed in altering the trajectory of the craft which crashes down somewhere in Wisconsin. The ship’s occupant enters the home of Jenny Hayden (Allen) who is watching home movies starring her and her late husband Scott (also played by Bridges). Utilizing a lock of hair from the deceased, the being transforms itself into a virtual clone of the man.
At first unsettled by the sight, Jenny takes to the road with the visitor. Unsure of its intentions, she is fearful but tries not to show it. The being has some rudimentary knowledge of language, despite having extraordinary abilities the alien is very much a child in relating to Jenny and her fellow terrestrials.
Jenny comes to accept that the being means her no harm. She even finds herself falling in love with the alien. Knowing that he is being pursued by government agents puts her in danger is a matter which doesn’t exactly allow her much of a chance to savor the relationship. Their time together is brief, as she has but a few days to get him to his rendezvous.
Bridges’ performance as the visitor from another world is amazing. he manages to play the role of an alien attempting to learn to be a human quite convincingly. His scenes with widow Allen are funny and touching.
Charles Martin Smith, who recently played the scientist in Carol Ballard’s Never Cry Wolf, is a scientist who helped create the invitation which the extraterrestrial visitor accepted. He is at first more than willing to do whatever it takes to capture the being but has a change of heart upon getting a close encounter with the third kind.
Relying upon a minimum use of shock value, Carpenter’s film is nothing like his previous science fiction foray The Thing (1982), a remake of The Thing from Another World (1951). Other than the effects work obviously utilized in the climax, other scenes seem more like miracles than special effects mini-extravaganza more so than in Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extraterrestsrial (1982). Indeed Bridges’ character performs feats which might be regarded as divine abilities not unlike Michael Rennie in Robert Wise’s classic The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951).
Screen veteran Richard Jaeckel plays the sinister government operative who pursues Bridges with the dogged determination of Barry Morse on the trail of David Janssen in “The Fugitive.” The premise recalls such science fiction efforrts as the previously mentioned The Day the Earth Stood Still and Spielberg’s blockbuster fantasy opus. Columbia reportedly passed on the tale of the alien which took a liking to Reeses’ Pieces and chose this project.

Robert Baum is Currently a Bryn Mawr, PA-based film afficanado and pop culture junkie.

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